Self-Orientalisation and dislocation: the uses and abuses of the Aryan discourse in Iran

ZIA-EBRAHIMI, Reza (2011). Self-Orientalisation and dislocation: the uses and abuses of the Aryan discourse in Iran. Iranian Studies, 44 (4), 445-472.

Full text not available from this repository.
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.1080/00210862.2011.569326

Abstract

The claim to belong to the “Aryan race,“ believed to be rooted in the ancient self-designation ariya, is a fundamental pillar of the Iranian nationalist discourse. This paper aims to show that in fact it is a twentieth-century import from Europe, where after being instrumentalized for colonial endeavors and Nazi atrocities, it has become almost completely discredited. Yet Iranians continue to nonchalantly refer to themselves as Aryans and the myth of the “land of Aryans“ persists, even in academic circles. It will be argued that the reason for this resilience is the specific role Aryanism plays in Iranian identity politics, and the strategies designed to manage the trauma of the encounter with Europe.

Item Type: Article
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Humanities Research Centre
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1080/00210862.2011.569326
Page Range: 445-472
Depositing User: Lorna Greaves
Date Deposited: 28 Sep 2012 12:45
Last Modified: 19 Mar 2021 00:01
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/5979

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics