Foundations of a Fars-centric state: Orientalist discourse and imperial agenda

The presented study examines the ideological foundations of Iranian statehood and its Persian-centered identity politics in recent centuries. After the decline of the Qajar dynasty, the Pahlavi dynasty, which came to power in 1925 with the support of imperialist forces, rewrote Iranian history and placed Persian culture at the center of state-building. As a result of the policies implemented by the Pahlavis, the language and culture of non-Persian peoples such as Turks, Arabs, Kurds, and Baluchis were marginalized. This study shows that claims about Iran’s ancient statehood traditions serve more political-ideological purposes. Consequently, modern Iranian statehood is not a product of natural historical development, but a model formed under the influence of colonial projects. This, in turn, created an ideological basis for assimilation policies that limited the rights of non-Persian peoples.