Petitions, Alternative Democracy and the Secular in Iran, 1906–1921

• Applicant: Nader Sohrabi, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Islamic Studies, Arabian Studies, Semitic Studies
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 504866974

This project is situated at the crossroads of historical sociology, global history, middle east history, and Iranian history. It deals with four topics: (1) Alternative constitutional modernities and non-linear democratic development as a dialogue between the global and the local; (2) Petitioning and local associations as key arenas shaping the public sphere independent from the Enlightenment discourse, the elites and educated middle class; (3) The emergence of secularity at the grassroots beyond the stateimposed agenda; and (4) Reinterpretation of a critical conjuncture of Iranian history (1906-1921) from the eyes of the public, using untapped historical sources.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants