With the Constitutional Revolution of 1906, Iran experienced a monumental shift from rule by absolute monarchy to governance based on a constitution. The effects of this revolution were felt not... Show moreWith the Constitutional Revolution of 1906, Iran experienced a monumental shift from rule by absolute monarchy to governance based on a constitution. The effects of this revolution were felt not only on a national level but also globally; internationally, even influencing political relationships between some of the European great powers. Revolutions are born out of theories and ideas; the study of key figures who propagated those ideas is an essential part of historiographical research.The theoretical foundation of the Constitutional Revolution of 1906 gradually developed out of an emerging discourse which reflected the changes Iran was undergoing due to increased contact with the outside world on a scale which had never been experienced before. Having begun with colonialist developments in the seventeenth century, the eighteenth century witnessed a gradual deepening of the threat to the Islamic states by European powers. As contact with the world outside the Islamic states’ territory began to be considered increasingly necessary, Islamic countries were forced to seek a solution to prevent the dominating power of Europe. New technologies gave nations the upper hand and those who lagged behind in terms of scientific and technological development were at a distinct disadvantage. These less developed countries had first to try to understand the developments before they could tackle how to stop the spread of this new threat; the threat from this new kind of power was not based on religious ideology but rather its strength originated from science. It took some time for countries such as Iran to be able to make distinctions between power derived from scientific developments and the power of religion, to accept that development was open to all peoples regardless of their religion, nationality or race. Development towards modernity was equated with European/Western science which was considered at odds with Islamic or non-European identity. This led to discord and the clergy who had been in charge of shaping their followers’ beliefs naturally had to declare their position in response to these changes. Some clergy took reactionary positions; others were more convinced that new changes were necessary for the survival of Islam in the Islamic countries whose population was predominantly Muslim. But it was not only the clergy but also politicians, writers and intellectuals among others who began to express their thoughts and ideas about what should be done in relationship to these changes. Seyyed Hassan Taqizadeh was one such man.Taqizadeh was one of the key Iranian intellectuals who played a significant role in developing and shaping the discourse of change in Iran. As such, the aim of this research has been to provide a deep and nuanced assessment of the life and career of Taqizadeh and how that helped to influence and direct the movement towards change. Taqizadeh was not the only intellectual who was engaged in the discourse of modernity or as it has been referred to in the Iranian context, “Tajaddod”. What gives Taqizadeh particular prominence, however, is the fact that, unlike others, he remained constantly on the scene, and despite many obstacles, rarely veered from his goal of steering Iran along the path towards modernity. This research uses Taqizadeh’s biography as a mirror to reflect the discourse of change in Iran and analyses his role and relationship to that discourse of change. Taqizadeh lived a long life; 91 years. His lifetime (1878-1970) connects to a long and significant period in contemporary Iranian intellectual history; he witnessed the reign of six Shahs; four of whom he had close dealings with. During Taqizadeh’s life important changes took place in Iran and throughout the wider world, including two world wars.Taqizadeh was a politician and intellectual who has left behind many works relating to history, culture and literature. Enough of his writings and records of his thoughts remain to allow his ideas and deeds to have become a living legacy for Iranian intelligentsia. In a country still largely divided over how best it should be run, Taqizadeh’s ideas have become part of the discourse of a desire to modernise the country. Taqizadeh has not always been objectively written about and there is much polemic based around his place in Iranian historiography. Some support Taqizadeh’s ideas and thoughts; for others who scorn western democracy, his ideas have been used, in contrast, to exemplify an approach which ultimately failed. For those who favour political Islam, Taqizadeh is still considered an evil representative of the corrupt West and for the more radical even an agent of the West, whose aim was to ensure the surrender of Iran to the hostile non-Islamic West.Maybe because of the controversy around him and his deeds, although there exist numerous articles and monographs based on Taqizadeh’s life, there is a paucity of published research that focuses on and highlights the importance of his life and work in the formation of a national Iranian identity and his crucial role in the narration of modernity in the Iranian context. This research endeavours to focus on details of and influences on Taqizadeh’s life that may have been previously overlooked and provide an objective and nuanced record of the legacy he has left on Iran and the journey towards modernity in that nation.This study of Taqizadeh’s life and thoughts may also go some way towards facilitating a better understanding of contemporary Iran. After experiencing two revolutions in one century, the Iran of today is overshadowed by an overriding feeling of disquiet and uncertainty about the future. Scholars and indeed some of the general public are searching for reasons that might account for and explain the current situation that the country finds itself in, particularly following the 1979 Revolution. Much discourse revolves around how the country should or should not be ruled and the best routes for its continued development; studying Taqizadeh’s life and career may help to provide some answers. Show less
This dissertation is about the Baduy, an adat community in Banten Province, Indonesia. It argues that the conversion of the Baduy was influenced by their self-concept, which requires them to detach... Show moreThis dissertation is about the Baduy, an adat community in Banten Province, Indonesia. It argues that the conversion of the Baduy was influenced by their self-concept, which requires them to detach from modernity and development, the limited size of their land, and the increase of the population. This process of conversion was supported by the politics of religion, which differentiates local beliefs (kepercayaan) from state-recognised religions (agama) where adhering to a local belief was considered irreligious (tidak/ belum beragama) and backward. To make the adherents of local beliefs religious, the government allows followers of major religions to invite the adherents of local beliefs into their faith. Furthermore, to develop the adherents of local beliefs, the government created development policies, in particular a resettlement programme. The programme aimed at Baduy society began in 1977 and lasted until 1999. Besides developing the adat communities, this programme was also aimed at changing their beliefs so that they aligned themselves with “monotheistic views”. The fact that Muslim and Christian missionaries were targeting the same group of people caused tension, contestation, and even violence. Confronted with this situation, the adherents of local beliefs fought back and resisted the policies in various ways. Show less
De moeite waard om door te geven (Worth passing on) is a book about traditions. To be precise: about the remonstrant tradition. The Remonstrant Church is a small Dutch, liberal protestant... Show moreDe moeite waard om door te geven (Worth passing on) is a book about traditions. To be precise: about the remonstrant tradition. The Remonstrant Church is a small Dutch, liberal protestant denomination. It once knew prosperous growth, but it has been in decline since the last quater of the twentieth century. At least: if the numbers and the vitality of churchmembers are the measure. Because also when traditions don’t thrive and prosper there are people that think they are worthwhile. It is about them and the congragation where they find a spiritual home. The last part is about confessions. Remonstrants are very precise in these matters. They are expressions of their very differentiated worldviews, where the personal and the communal are securely kept apart. Show less
This study focuses on the life, exploits and ideology of Guru Wuguang (1818-2000), an eclectic and influential Taiwanese Buddhist figure who studied Daoist alchemy, multiple forms of Chinese,... Show moreThis study focuses on the life, exploits and ideology of Guru Wuguang (1818-2000), an eclectic and influential Taiwanese Buddhist figure who studied Daoist alchemy, multiple forms of Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan Buddhism, as well as biology, thermodynamics, philosophy, theology, and occulture. This is done in order to understand what happens when a tradition ‘purified’ from its ‘mythical’ elements reincorporates itself in the tension between its ‘enchanted’ past and ‘scientific’ present. Wuguang is famous throughout the Chinese-speaking Buddhist world for resurrecting Zhenyan, a school of esoteric Buddhism said to have flourished in China during the Tang Dynasty. The academic community has largely ignored Wuguang, making this the first in-depth exploration of this figure, whose influence is truly global. Building upon David McMahan’s work on Buddhist modernism, Jason Josephson’s secular-religious-superstitious trinary, scholarly discourse concerning Weberian disenchantment, and employing the Religious Economy Model, I argue that Wuguang’s teachings represent an intentionally reenchanted form of Buddhist modernism aimed at harmonizing magic with modern science and philosophy. While scholarly discourse on Asian magic in the modern world has been confined to popular religion, this study additionally focuses on ‘High-Church Buddhism’ by analyzing Wuguang’s magico-scientific interpretation of complex Buddhist doctrine. Show less
Books in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century played an important role in the dissemination of liberal and nationalist ideologies, thus instigating social change in the Arab world. The... Show moreBooks in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century played an important role in the dissemination of liberal and nationalist ideologies, thus instigating social change in the Arab world. The focus of this study are printed Arabic books where the ideas of modernity in both form and content were advocated. Secular and literary publications, written in the Arabic language, printed and produced in the Arab world—namely in Cairo and Beirut—are selected as case studies. This research examines their formal aspects and investigates how their visual design has promoted ideals of modernity, thus painting a picture of a contemporary Arab design language that blends Islamic and western design conventions. It proves that the visual aspect of books creates a lasting bond with its readership and becomes a significant part of their perceived (or imagined) cultural identity. The study also proves that visual design, by imposing the stamp on the book-object, does flavor the reading of books. This research also confirms that cultural exchange has contributed to a modern Arab publishing and book design culture; and that the ensuing (typo)graphic design conventions still resonate in contemporary Arabic book design and constitute a foundation for designing future Arabic books. Show less
This book explores chronologically, for the first time, the representation and redefinition of Indonesia__s regional cultures through recording media, from the introduction of the gramophone record... Show moreThis book explores chronologically, for the first time, the representation and redefinition of Indonesia__s regional cultures through recording media, from the introduction of the gramophone record through the current video compact disc (VCD) era, taking as case study the Minangkabau ethnic group. Based on extensive fieldwork and historical research, the author follows the Dutch East Indies colonial society__s initial encounter with recording media and the later adoption and social uses of various types of recording media among the Minangkabau of West Sumatra and its diaspora. The transformation of Minangkabau culture and identity that came with the extensive reproduction of Minangkabau cultural sounds on commercial recordings is examined. This transformation was facilitated by the West Sumatran recording industry, founded in the early 1970s along with the spread of the audio-cassette in Indonesia. The author describes the workings of the West Sumatran recording industry and how its products become the preferred medium of cultural expressions of the Minangkabau ethnic group to hold on to its identity and existence in the face of a changing world. The representations of Minangkabau culture in regional commercial recordings explored in this study demonstrate the use of recording media technology by a local society to contextualize and maintain the viability and existence of their culture and identity, whose features are changing, adaptive, and fluid Show less
