Pan-Iranism

Pan-Iranism () is a nationalist ideology that espouses the necessity of socio-cultural intimacy between all Iranian peoples.

According to the Routledge Handbook of Persian Gulf Politics: <blockquote>"One important point distinguishing the radical nationalism of pan-Iranism from pan-Arab or pan-Turk orientations in the region is the fact that the Iranian version currently does not seem to include irredentist plans in its political program. Rather than demanding the return the lands separated from Iran in the past, such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Bahrain, or the Kurdish areas of Iraq and Turkey, the Pan-Iranist Party emphasizes the cultural integration of the Iranian civilizational basin."</blockquote>

However, there are some streams of this form of pan-nationalism that promote irredentist views and ambitions, namely by demanding the territorial unification of all Iranian-inhabited lands in West Asia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and South Asia. More specifically, radical pan-Iranists typically take the view that the historic boundaries of Iran, such as those of the ancient Achaemenid Empire, must be revived to the extent where Iranian peoples are brought closer together under one state.

Origins and ideology

right|thumb|Flag of the [[Pan-Iranist Party]]

Iranian political scientist Mahmoud Afshar developed the Pan-Iranist ideology in the early 1920s in opposition to Pan-Turkism and Pan-Arabism, which were seen as potential threats to the territorial integrity of Iran. He also displayed a strong belief in the nationalist character of Iranian people throughout the country's long history. The ultimate purpose was to persuade these populations to secede from the larger political entities to which they belonged and join the new pan-Turkic homeland. extending from Mesopotamia and the South Caucasus in the west, to the Indus River in the east, and from the Oxus River in the north to the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman in the south.

History

thumb|Pan-Iranist flags seen during Pro-[[Mosaddegh rallies in Tehran on 16 August 1953]]

With the collapse of the Qajar dynasty, which had descended into corruption, and the rise of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1925, who began introducing secular reforms limiting the power of the Shia clergy, Iranian nationalist and socialist thinkers had hoped that this new era would also witness the introduction of democratic reforms. However, such reforms did not take place. This culminated in the gradual rise of a loosely organized grass roots Pan-Iranist movement made up of nationalist writers, teachers, students, and activists allied with other pro-democracy movements.

In the 1940s, following the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, the Pan-Iranist movement gained momentum and popularity as a result of the widespread feeling of insecurity among Iranians who saw the king, Reza Shah, powerless against such foreign presence in the country. There were soldiers from Russia, England, India, New Zealand, Australia and later on, America, present in the country, especially in the capital, Tehran. The Allied occupation influenced a series of student movements in 1941. One of these new groups was an underground nationalist guerrilla group called the Revenge group, also known as the Anjoman.

Pan-Iranist organizations

Iran

{| class="wikitable"

!Organization

!Founding year

!Parliament (only for political parties)

|Pan-Iranist Party border|34x34px border|35x35px

|1941

|1967:

1968:

|Aria Party

|1946

|Nation Party of Iran border|35x35px

|1951

|1979: 1980:

|SUMKA border|34x34px

|1952

Tajikistan

{| class="wikitable"

!Organization

!Founding year

!Parliament (only for political parties)

|Democratic Party

|1990

|2015:2020:

References

External links

Pan-Iranism.com
Official Pan-Iranist Party website