IDENTITY, ETHNICITY, AND CONFLICT IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL PERIOD OF IRAN: AN EXAMINATION

Abstract

Identity is a conscious and fluid concept with biological, historical, mental, rational, and emotional dimensions. It encompasses both similarity and differentiation, making it a dual-faceted structure. Identity connects individuals around a common axis through shared characteristics and associations while distinguishing them from others. As an interdisciplinary concept, identity is explored in various fields, including social psychology, political science, and geography. In social psychology, identity is analyzed through social group relationships and identity formation processes. Political science focuses on the relationship between identity and nationality, while geographical studies consider the geographical components and regional boundaries of identity. Despite varying approaches, identity remains a central topic in social sciences across different societies, with alienation and differentiation being key elements of identity formation processes. In the geographical context of Iran, various ethnic groups and communities experienced a kind of “renaissance” following the Constitutional Revolution, shifting toward diverse identity orientations. Cultural, social, and economic factors played a significant role in this process. Changes in the traditional identities of ethnic groups occurred gradually at first. However, since the Nasir era and the initial emergence of modernity, as well as during the constitutional period, gradual changes in the sources of identity formation began to take shape. This period marked the beginning of new dimensions in the process of forming a unified Iranian identity. This study examines the interaction of identity and modernization processes during three historical phases: The Nasir era, the Constitutional Revolution, and the early Pahlavi period. The role of Turks in these processes has been analyzed using a library-based research method (documentary analysis) and theoretical perspectives from Jenkins, Giddens, Bourdieu, and Habermas. The findings indicate that modernization was a prevailing model in all three periods. The modernization process displayed a paradoxical trajectory in the context of Iranian-Turkish identity. While the Nasir era was characterized by unplanned and aimless reforms, the constitutional period exhibited a more systematic modernization, and the early Pahlavi period represented a more identity-erasing approach to modernization. These movements initially focused on the royal court and upper classes. However, during the Constitutional period, the modernist movement played a more influential role in transforming public identity by forming secret communities and groups, participating in political gatherings, and supporting the constitutional revolution. Despite these efforts, political institutions failed to actively shape the formation of a new Iranian identity.