Interview with Homayoun Katouzian; The History of Iran is a Cycle of Unchangeable Despotism

The book "Iranians" by Homayoun Katouzian, an economist, historian, and author of works in political science and literary criticism, was first written in English for Yale University and published in 2009 in the USA and the UK. Three years later, it was translated into Persian by the valuable and late translator Hossein Shahidi and published by Markaz Publishing in Tehran. It has now reached its eighth edition. In this book, Katouzian attempts to find a constant or recurring pattern for what is known as "Iranian despotism" through a brief report on the history of Iran from the mythical era to the present and to explain its structure and texture. On the occasion of the eighth edition and the importance of the book itself, I invited the author, who is a colleague at Oxford University and resides in London, to be our guest this week. In an interview with Mehrdad Qasemfar, Katouzian discusses whether he wrote the book as a "historical report" or aimed to provide an "analytical history" of 25 centuries of Iran's establishment and evolution. He emphasizes that the book is indeed analytical and that the publisher had no interference in its content. Katouzian elaborates on his theories regarding the "short-term society" and "clunky society" of Iran, explaining that the Iranian society has been engaged with despotic governments throughout its history, with people always being weak and lacking rights. He asserts that the relationship between the people and the government has not changed over time, and this pattern has been continuously reconstructed and repeated. Katouzian argues that the history of Iran is, from one perspective, a history of despotism and chaos, where governments had no legal obligations to society, leading to a lack of legitimacy. He discusses the historical context of governance in Iran, noting that until the 19th century, the only form of governance recognized was despotism, with no alternative considered. The conversation delves into the reasons for the persistence of this cycle of despotism, examining factors such as geography, culture, and the historical context of Iranian society. Katouzian's insights provide a comprehensive understanding of the enduring nature of power dynamics in Iran, making the book a significant contribution to the discourse on Iranian history and politics.