1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910457247003321

Autore

Rahimi Babak

Titolo

Theater state and the formation of early modern public sphere in Iran [[electronic resource] ] : studies on Safavid Muharram rituals, 1590-1641 CE / / by Babak Rahimi

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Leiden ; ; Boston, : Brill, c2012

ISBN

1-283-33465-8

9786613334657

90-04-20756-2

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (404 p.)

Collana

Iran studies, , 1569-7401 ; ; v. 5

Disciplina

955/.95

Soggetti

Political culture - Iran - Iṣfahān - History - 17th century

Political customs and rites - Iran - Iṣfahān - History - 17th century

Tenth of Muḥarram

Theater - Political aspects - Iran - Iṣfahān - History - 17th century

Fasts and feasts - Political aspects - Iran - Iṣfahān - History - 17th century

Group identity - Iran - Iṣfahān - History - 17th century

City and town life - Iran - Iṣfahān - History - 17th century

Electronic books.

Iṣfahān (Iran) Social life and customs 17th century

Iṣfahān (Iran) Politics and government 17th century

Iran History Ṣafavid dynasty, 1501-1736

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references.

Nota di contenuto

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- The Carnivalesque Paradigm: -- The Carnivalesque Public: -- The Safavids in the Transcultural Context -- A History of (Safavid) Muharram Rituals -- Necro-Public and the Safavid Ritual Theater State: -- Spaces of Misrule: -- Conclusion: -- Bibliography -- Index.

Sommario/riassunto

During the Safavid period, the Shi'i Muharram commemorative rites which had been publically practiced since the 7th century, became a manifestation of state power. Already during the reign of Shah 'Abbas I



(1587-1629) the Muharram rituals had transformed into an extraordinary rich repertoire of ceremonies and ceremonial spaces that can be defined as 'theater state'. Under Shah Safi I (1629-1642) these ceremonies ultimately led to carnivalesque celebrations of misrule and transgression. This first systematic study of a wide range of Persian and European archival and primary sources, analyzes how the Muharram rites changed from being an originally devotional practice to an ambiguous ritualization that in combination with other public arenas, such as the bazaar, coffeehouses or travel lodges, created distinct spaces of communication whereby the widening gap between state and society gave way to the formation of the early Iranian public sphere. Ultimately, the Muharram public spaces allowed for a shift in individual and collective identities, opening the way to multifaceted living fields of interaction, as well as being sites of contestation where innovative expressions of politics were made. In particular, the construction of the new Isfahan in 1590 is linked with the widespread proliferation of the Muharram mortuary rites by discussing rituals performed in major urban spaces.