The Cambridge History of Iran

This volume covers the history of Iran from the collapse of the Il-Khanid empire (c. 1335) to the second quarter of the eighteenth century.

Peter Jackson (Edited by), Lawrence Lockhart (Edited by)

9780521200943, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 6 February 1986

1120 pages, 92 b/w illus. 8 colour illus. 7 maps 6 tables
23.7 x 15.7 x 6.2 cm, 1.82 kg

The Cambridge History of Iran is an eight-volume survey of Iranian history and culture, and its contribution to the civilisation of the world. All aspects of the religious, philosophical, political, economic, scientific and artistic elements in Iranian civilisation are studied, with some emphasis on the geographical and ecological factors which have contributed to that civilisation's special character. The aim is to provide a collection of readable essays rather than a catalogue of information. The volumes offer scope for the publication of new ideas as well as providing summaries of established facts. They should act as a stimulus to specialists, but are primarily concerned to answer the sort of questions about the past and present of Iran that are asked by the non-specialist. This volume covers the history of Iran from the collapse of the Il-Khanid empire (c. 1335) to the second quarter of the 18th century. The period id of special interest as one which, in the traditional view, witnessed the emergence of Iran as a 'national state'. It is in the latter half of this era that moderate Shi'ism acquired the definitive hold on the country which has been maintained to the present day, and which helps to differentiate Iran from the other Islamic states of south-west Asia. In addition to chapters on commercial and diplomatic contacts with Europe - contacts usually fortified by a common hostility to the Ottoman Turks - which became prominent from the 16th century, the volume contains chapters on social and economic history, the arts and architecture, the exact sciences, religion, philosophy and literature.

List of plates
List of text figures
List of maps
List of tables
Preface
1. The Jalayirids, Muzaffarids and Sarbarbadars H. R. Roemer
2. Timur in Iran H. R. Roemer
3. The Successors of Timur H. R. Roemer
4. The Türkmen dynasties H. R. Roemer
5. The Safavid period H. R. Roemer
6. The Safavid administrative system R. M. Savory
7. European contacts with Persia, 1350–1736 Laurence Lockhart
8. Trade from the mid-14th century to the end of the Safavid period Ronald Ferrier
9. Social and internal economic affairs Bert Fragner
10. The exact sciences in Timurid Iran E. S. Kennedy
11. Persian science in Safavid times H. J. J. Winter
12. Religion in the Timurid and Safavid periods B. S. Amoretti
13. Spiritual movements, philosophy and theology in the Safavid period S. H. Nasr
14. Carpets and textiles F. Spuhler
15a. Timurid architecture R. Pinder-Wilson
15b. Safavid architecture Robert Hillenbrand
16a. The pictorial arts in the Timurid period Basil Gray
16b. The arts in the Safavid period Basil Gray
17a. Persian literature in the Timurid and Türkmen periods Z. Safa
17b. Hafiz and his contemporaries Annemarie Schimmel
17c. Persian literature in the Safavid period Z. Safa
18. Persian poetry in the Timurid and Safavid periods Ehsan Yarshater
Bibliographies
Index.

Subject Areas: Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], Asian history [HBJF]