Qajar Iran: The Rise of Reza Khan, 1796-1925 by Nikki R. Keddie (Paperback, 1999) for sale online

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A history of 19th- and early 20th-century Iran. This was the period of rule by the Qajar dynasty up to its final degeneration and collapse, leading to the autocratic and authoritarian rule of Reza, father of Iran's most recent shah. It covers how the Qajars came to power following the bloody conflicts of 18th-century Persia, how they maintained their power (and Iran's sovereignty) in the face of extraordinary domestic, British and Russian pressures, and finally how they were overwhelmed by their own inadequacies. Nikki R. Keddie discusses the political, economic, social, cultural and intellectual history of the country which has since become a key player in the geopolitics of the modern world during a period when it was attempting to transform itself into a modern state. In the process she explores the issue of women's power, the position of ethnic minorities and, most importantly, Iran's foreign relations and its diplomatic interactions with Britain and Russia.