ABSTRACT
In this paper I will explore the political and economic impact of nomadic and pastoral peoples on the larger Iranian society, focusing primarily on the postSafavid period. Overall, I shall make three points. First, that discussions of nomads or tribe and state in Iran tend to overstate the importance of pastoralists for the Iranian polity, particularly with regards to their role in challenging the state. Second, that discussions of Iranian political economy tend to underplay the degree to which the processes of state formation in Iran parallel those in Europe and elsewhere. Third, that from later Safavid times through the early twentieth century, goods produced by pastoral nomads feature prominently in Iran's economy and trade.
