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Zusatztext "As a work of social and economic history, this book sets a high standard. . . . [M]ost readers will be more than satisfied by this lucid, precise, and information-packed volume." ---Richard W. Bulliet, American Historical Review Informationen zum Autor Rudi Matthee is Professor of History at the University of Delaware. He is the author of The Politics of Trade in Safavid Iran: Silk for Silver, 1600-1730 . Klappentext From ancient times to the present day, Iranian social, political, and economic life has been dramatically influenced by psychoactive agents. This book looks at the stimulants that, as put by a longtime resident of seventeenth-century Iran, Raphaël du Mans, provided Iranians with damagh, gave them a "kick," got them into a good mood. By tracing their historical trajectory and the role they played in early modern Iranian society (1500-1900), Rudi Matthee takes a major step in extending contemporary debates on the role of drugs and stimulants in shaping the modern West.At once panoramic and richly detailed, The Pursuit of Pleasure examines both the intoxicants known since ancient times--wine and opiates--and the stimulants introduced later--tobacco, coffee, and tea--from multiple angles. It brings together production, commerce, and consumption to reveal the forces behind the spread and popularity of these consumables, showing how Iranians adapted them to their own needs and tastes and integrated them into their everyday lives.Matthee further employs psychoactive substances as a portal for a set of broader issues in Iranian history--most notably, the tension between religious and secular leadership. Faced with reality, Iran's Shi`i ulama turned a blind eye to drug use as long as it stayed indoors and did not threaten the social order. Much of this flexibility remains visible underneath the uncompromising exterior of the current Islamic Republic. Zusammenfassung From ancient times to the present day, Iranian social, political, and economic life has been dramatically influenced by psychoactive agents. This book looks at the stimulants that, as put by a longtime resident of seventeenth-century Iran, Raphael du Mans, provided Iranians with damagh, gave them a 'kick', got them into a good mood. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of Illustrations ix Note on Transliteration xi Preface xiii Abbreviations xviii Introduction 1 Part I: Safavid Period Chapter 1: General Overview: Iran between 1500 and 1900 17 Chapter 2: Wine in Safavid Iran I: Between Excess and Abstention 37 Chapter 3: Wine in Safavid Iran II: Ambivalence and Prohibition 69 Chapter 4: Opium in Safavid Iran: The Assimilated Drug 97 Chapter 5: Tobacco in Safavid Iran: Pleasure and Proscription 117 Chapter 6: Coffee in Safavid Iran: Commerce and Consumption 144 Part II: Qajar Period Chapter 7: Wine in Qajar Iran: From Flouting the Religious Law to Flaunting Unbelie 177 Chapter 8: Opium and Tobacco in Qajar Iran: From Pleasureto Crash Crop and Emblem of the Nation 207 Chapter 9: From Coffee to Tea: Shifting Patterns of Consumption in Qajar Iran 237 Chapter 10: Drinking Tea in the Qahvah-khanah: The Politics of Consumption in Qajar Iran 267 Conclusion 293 Bibliography 305 Index 335 ...
