Iran—a nation shaped by imperial memory and modern vulnerability.

Not too long ago, Iran was far larger than it is today. European expansion and colonial intervention cut away at its territories—provinces and realms that had long been part of Iran… or were imagined to be.

This is the history of how Iran’s shifting borders shaped the modern state—and how, in turn, the idea of the Iranian homeland continues to be shaped by memory, myth, and identity.

🚩About My 210th Guest Scholars:

My guest is Dr. Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet, professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). She is a historian of modern Middle East, with a focus on Iran and its borderlands, the Persian Gulf, and the Ottoman Empire.

She has published extensively on these topics, including the following books:

—"Frontier Fictions: Shaping the Iranian Nation, 1804-1946," which we discuss in this interview

— "Heroes to Hostages: American and Iran, 1800-1988"

—"Iran and Global Decolonization: Politics and Resistance After Empire"

—"Conceiving Citizens: Women and the Politics of Motherhood in Iran"

—Her forthcoming book is "Tales of Trespassing: Borderland Histories of Iran, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf"

🚩Video of this interview

🚩Related Interviews:

—Dr. Vali Nasr: 'How Iran Became Shia? Also, Iran's Ayatollahs and Governing Structure'

—Dr. Khodadad Rezakhani: 'Were Achaemenids & Sasanians Iranian or Persian empires?' —⁠Dr. Vali Nasr⁠: 'Iran Alone - Story of Pahlavi's regional defense strategy"

🚩Celebrating America - Our New Series:

⁠Analyzing American Revolution⁠

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host & producer

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