Imperial Civilisationalism? Iran’s Long 1970s
Title: Imperial Civilisationalism? Iran’s Long 1970s
Speaker: Cyrus Schayegh (Geneva Graduate Institute)
Abstract: In this talk, Cyrus Schayegh will argue that Mohammad Reza Shah’s ambitious foreign policy during Iran’s “global long 1970s” amounted to a distinctly non-territorial, post-European imperial project. As Iran’s dependence on the USA eased and its regional and international influence grew—through diplomatic outreach across ideological blocs, a major military build-up, and geostrategic assertiveness in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean—the Shah reframed this hard power in cultural terms. He projected Iran globally as an ancient tamaddon (civilisation) bridging East and West, and as the architect of tamaddon-e bozorg (the Great Civilisation), a syncretic developmental model rivalling both capitalism and communism. This civilisational-developmental discourse legitimised Iran’s imperial ambitions whilst responding to a broader crisis in the Global North during the Long 1970s: economic slowdown, doubts about the welfare state, and post-1968 unrest—mirroring the anxieties of post-imperial Britain. This talk therefore re-examines Iran’s 1970s and its civilisational discourse within the global histories of the ‘afterlife’ of empire, development ideology, and shifting North-South power dynamics.
Date and time: Wednesday 2 September 2026, 2.00 pm
Venue: Salle de Sacy – Inalco, Maison de la Recherche (2, rue de Lille - Paris 7th arrondissement)
Coordination of the Near and Middle East research area (WP6): Laetitia Bucaille (Inalco), Gilles Dorronsoro (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Alia Gana (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Valentina Napolitano (IRD) and Rima Sleiman (Inalco) with Jan-Markus Vömel, postdoctoral researcher, DÉCRIPT programme.
The discussions will be held in English.
Registration is open until 31 August at 4.00 pm :