Bachelor
2025/2026
Modern and Contemporary History of Iran
Type:
Compulsory course (Language and Literature of Iran)
Delivered by:
Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies
Where:
Faculty of Humanities
When:
3 year, 1, 2 module
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Language:
English
Contact hours:
60
Course Syllabus
Abstract
Iran, a country of rich and ancient culture, geographical and ethnic diversity, the coexistence of different economic and social orders entered one of the most "turbulent" periods of its history in the 19th century. The integration of Iran into the world economic and political system that existed in the 19th and 20th centuries had a significant impact on the dynamics and direction of Iranian socio-economic and political processes. This was reflected both in the transformation of the socio-economic structure of Iranian society, cultural shifts, social upheavals and revolutions, as well as in attempts to modernize this country, which, given the existing conditions and, consequently, the specifics of the Iranian modernization process, can be described by various researchers as “modernization from above”, “state capitalism”, “dependent capitalism” or “peripheral capitalism”. The great powers of the time, primarily Great Britain, the Russian Empire / the USSR, and the United States, also had a significant influence on the processes taking place in Iran during this period. The course studies the main political and socio-economic issues and processes — that are crucial for understanding the current state of Iran — in almost two centuries of Iranian history.
Learning Objectives
- AIMS The course will: • introduce students to major developments in the history of Iran in the 19th and 20th centuries; • introduce students to the main theoretical approaches to the study of socio-economic and political events and processes in the history of Iran in the 19th and 20th centuries; • introduce practices of critical analysis in seminars.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Characterizes Iran’s Nuclear Program and JCPOA
- Identify the main trends of political system in Iran
- be able to examine main trends in Russian-Iranian relations
- have a clear understanding of historical periods and political structures in Iran
- Students can scrutinize messianic trends in modern Iran
- General understanding of key historical, political, and social aspects in Iran since 1921;
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Michael Axworthy. (2016). A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind. Basic Books.
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Abrahamian, E. (2008). A History of Modern Iran. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=234374