title: Tribes and Empire on the Margins of Nineteenth-Century Iran (Publications on the Near East)
author:  Arash Khazeni 
description: "Arash Khazeni accomplishes what many promise but few do: he writes peoples of the margins into history. . . . This lucidly written, nuanced monograph . . . will be a valuable resource in advanced undergraduate and graduate classrooms."Samri Ates, <i>American Historical Review</i>, October 2011
zlib_text: Iran	and	Russian	Imperialism
  Rather	than	a	centralized	state,	Iran	in	the	nineteenth	century	was	a	delicate	balance	between
  tribal	 groups,	 urban	 merchant	 communities,	 religious	 elites,	 and	 an	 autocratic	 monarchy.
  While	 Russia	 gained	 an	 increasingly	 dominant	 political	 role	 in	 Iran	 over	 the	 course	 of	 this
  century,	Russian	influence	was	often	challenged	by	banditry	on	the	roads,	riots	in	the	cities,
  and	the	seeming	arbitrariness	of	the	Shah.
  Iran	 and	 Russian	 Imperialism	 develops	 a	 comprehensive	 picture	 of	 Russia’s	 historical
  entanglements	with	one	of	its	most	important	neighbors	in	Asia.	It	recounts	how	the	Russian
  Empire	 strived	 to	 gain	 political	 influence	 at	 the	 Persian	 court,	 promote	 Russian	 trade,	 and
  secure	 the	 enormous	 southern	 borders	 of	 the	 empire.	 Using	 hitherto	 often	 neglected
  documents	from	archives	in	Russia	and	Georgia	and	reading	them	against	the	grain,	this	book
  reveals	the	complex	reactions	of	different	groups	in	Ir