From Antiquity to Modernity – serie

This volume was conceived as a space to provide visibility for South Asian women writers whose work has not had much exposure in the West. It contributes to the knowledge of South Asian women writers by including scholarship not only on little-known writers but also by scholars from India – in particular, those whose voices do not necessarily find themselves in western academic publications.Many South Asian women writers engage with the overall quest for survival, which can be affiliated with all the themes expressed in this volume: trauma, diaspora, injustice, resistance, place, space, language, and identity. The texts discussed herein contribute to the ongoing discourse related to such themes in postcolonial studies and transnational literature, and could be used in courses on South Asian literature, women’s writing, postcolonial studies and literature, and world or transnational literature.

The Thousand Families by Ali Shabani, former court journalist and writer under Mohammad Reza Shah, is a lively and entertaining anecdotal history of the Qajar family, who ruled Iran from 1796 to 1925, as well as a number of their associates. Using memoirs, diaries, government documents, and nineteenth century histories, the author paints a vivid picture of the strengths and weaknesses, character and habits, and family backgrounds and familial legacies of the leading figures of the day. He comments, often ironically and with novel metaphors and sometimes biting criticism, on the behavior of these leaders, and he provides concise observations concerning the effects of their actions on the country and people of Iran. He outlines as well the policies and practices of the Qajars with respect to governance and traces the changes effected in the overall governmental structure of Iran during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The gradually increasing influence of foreign powers (primarily Great Britain and Russia) throughout this era does not escape the author’s acerbic comments. Appendices provide extensive documentation on kinship relationships within the royal family. The translators have added notes, bracketed in the text and in footnotes, to help orient readers less familiar with Iranian history than the author’s original audience. These include key dates, more detail on sources (when available), reference to easily accessible additional information on key figures, and explanations of selected Persian sayings, customs, and practices.Scholars and students of Iran, the Middle East, and the nineteenth century in general will find this book of interest, as will the general reader interested in royalty, political systems, revolution, and center-periphery relationships.