Understanding the Military Discourse Functions of Afshar Dynasty in Making Iranian People Belonging Sense to the Territory

پژوهش ‎های جغرافیای سیاسی

Volume 8, Issue 1 - Serial Number 29, June 2023, Pages 1-13   

Document Type: مقالات علمی -پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/pg.2022.71643.1069

Author

Ehsan Lashgari^*

Associate Professor of Political Geography, Geography Department, Land Survey Department, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

Abstract

Social identity is a historical phenomenon and is influenced by political and social processes at any given time, resulting in a distinct form of homogeneous social identity. In other words, social common identity refers to the creation of a belonging sense to a specific political-social territory and it is the result of the deliberate efforts of a political class to create a tool that facilitates the preservation of power and the exercise of governance. In the Afsharid era between 1736 – 1796, militarism has played an important role in uniting scattered tribal-ethnic components in Iran. Since there are few studies on the functioning of the Afsharid regime's militarism and its role in creating a sense of belonging to the territory of the people, this article attempts to formulate the concept of common social identity in Iran during the era of Nader Shah Afshar relying on the interpretive method. In this regard, the components affecting the concept of common social identity in the land of Iran through Nader Shah's military approach in creating a sense of territorial belonging in Iran are examined by analyzing the socio-political text of this period. The results of the research show that the direction of building a common social identity in this period was deeply influenced by the military approaches of the government. And the factors such as geopolitical alienation with the eastern neighbors, especially the Gurkans of India, the political military compulsion to bring the teachings of Shi’a and Sunni closer to building a great Islamic empire and validating the military forces of the tribes were the most important components of creating a common social identity during this period.

Keywords

Social identity; Discourse; Militarism; Afsharid Dynasty; Iran

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