Spanning a 5,000-year period, this is the first work to document the origins, evolution, and current status of all major ethnic groups in Iran.

From ancient civilizations of 3000 B.C. to the election of President Mohammad Khatami five millennia later, Iran's history is a rich palette of conquests, invasions, occupations, and revolutions. Iran's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook documents for the first time the major ethnic groups that emerged during each era and traces their evolution to the present day.

Written by a social anthropologist educated in Iran and England, this analysis presents vital statistics on the Persians, Kurds, Turks, Lurs, Assyrians, Arabs, and other pastoral and urban groups of Iran, highlighting their differing languages, religions, cultural practices, political agendas, and current problems. The settling of nomadic tribes, the unveiling of women, the Islamic Revolution, OPEC, Soviet intervention, Kurdish oppression—these and other contentious topics are all examined with respect to their impact on Iran's ethnic entities.