ABSTRACT
Iranian national identity stands on three pillars, or repertoires of symbols and ideas: the predominantly Persian ethnic-linguistic (Iraniyat), the territorial, and the religious-Islamic (Islamiyat). Lewis Namier's statement that "religion is a sixteenth century word for nationalism", or at least served as the potential cement for what would become nationalism, applies to Safavid Iran. The economic and political threats of Western imperialism not only enhanced collective identity vis-à-vis the foreign other, but also produced broad mobilization and collective action to save the country from being subjugated by foreigners. Various scholars have claimed that the Islamic government sought to crush any sign of secular nationalism, and posited Islam as the only authentic identity for Iranians. Benedict Anderson's view, which is deeply steeped in modernization theory and accepts a sharp dichotomy between traditional and modernized societies or phases in history, links the rise of nationalism in Europe to the decline of universalist religions.
