Abbas Amanat - Persian Literature, Mage Publishers-Books

Crowning Anguish: Memoirs of a Persian Princess from the Harem to Modernity 1884-1914

The daughter of one of the last Qajar rulers of Iran, Taj al-Saltana penned a memoir in 1914 recounting her life and experiences in the royal harem. Inspired by Western writings and disillusioned by incidents in her own life, Taj attacked many traditions, including the segregation and inferior status of women in Persian society. Now the interesting fragments of her writings have been compiled in a book designed to appeal to an audience intrigued by life "behind the veil." While the feminist sentiments of the young woman appear modern, it is the simplicity and directness of Taj's personality that makes the work memorable. The abrupt end of her memoirs during an account of her disintegrating marriage is a disappointment. An introduction preceded the text and a useful section of historical biographies follows. Recommended for Middle East collections.
- - Library Journal (September 1, 1993)
The life of Taj al-Saltana, daughter of the ancient ruler of Iran, is recounted in a gathering of memoirs of her life from 1884-1914. These were the days of harems, changing social and political climates, and evolving female lives: Taj could be considered a feminist by the standards of her times, and her account will prove readable not only to adults, but by high school students.
- -The Bookwatch (November 1993)

Born in 1884 to Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, ruler of Iran, Taj al Saltana was, in her own words, a "beautiful, adorable child." But not for long. Married at age 13 ("Oh what a cursed day, what an evil hour!") to a mean-spirited bisexual brat, she was able to move from the harem that she had been raised in to his house. She began her memoirs, which cover a 30-year period of political and social change in Iran, in 1914. Taj's account of her childhood in the royal harem (andarum) is the only account so far by an insider. The Golestan Palace in central Tehran was surrounded by the high walls of the Royal Citadel (Arg-e Saltum). Guarded by an army of eunuchs, the Arg housed 80 wives and roughly 800 maidservants. Around the harem, women wore white tights, short skirts, and open blouses. "In the course of the year," writes Taj, "they were not visited by any grief, difficulty, pain or bitterness." I'm not sure that Taj, self styled "madame de salon" in her adult life, is really the "ardent feminist" that Abbas Amanat describes in his introduction, but the seeds of discontent sown in that protected childhood certainly grew to the half-hearted rebellion of messy liaisons and libertine lifestyle that characterized her childhood.
- - Los Angeles Times (November 14, 1993)
The Persian Revolution of 1905-1909

"There can be no doubt of the permanent value of the book..."
- - New York Times (1911)

"Browne labours to show that the Persian Revolution was no mere isolated phenomenon, but one form of a movement which is affecting Islam."
- - Manchester Gaurdian (1910)

"No history of events in Persia between the years 1905 and 1909 is ever likely to compete with this."
- - The Spectator (1910)

"A large amount of information which is of the upmost value..."
- -The London Times (1911)

"In this account of Iran's Constitutional Revolution, British Orientalist Edward G. Browne portrays Persia as a nation oppressed by its leadership and foreign interests, struggling to establish a constitutional government. In the introduction to this reprint of the 1910 edition, Abbas Amanat writes that Browne's description is unique in that, amidst a time of imperialism and orientalism, it speaks sypathetically of a nation's aspirations to shape its own political system."
- - Middle East Journal
Pivot of the Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy

"Lucidly demonstrates how much Nasir al-Din's approach to government owed to his understanding of time-honored Iranian traditions of kingship. The depth of Amanat's analysis enables him to place the beginning of this monarch's life in its true historical context... An outstanding work."
- - MESA Bulletin

"Explores the institution of monarchy in Iran through a biography of the Qajar Dynasty ruler who was assassinated in 1896."
- - Chronicle of Higher Education

"Amanat's biography of Nasir al-Din Shah sheds profound illumination on the historical development of Iran. . . . He makes his analysis implicit in his eloquent, textured and sensitive narrative. We are given a shah's-eye view on issues ranging from Ottoman oppression of Shi'ites in Iraq to British imperialism in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. It is both fresh and fascinating."
- - Juan Cole, University of Michigan

"Amanat's book combines formidable scholarship with an understanding of broad historical questions and human interaction. He has created a book that is readable, reliable, and full of ideas, which will be a must-read for all interested in Iranian history or in historical comparisons."
- - Nikki Keddie, UCLA