Nationalism in the thought of the first modern thinkers of Iran

The present paper, with an emphasis on the analytical-descriptive method, is a response to the question, how nationalism was formed in the thought of the first modern thinkers of Iran, what does it mean and what its implications are. Nationalism is one of the central components of the political thought of Iranian classical modern thinkers. On the basis of the concept of nationalism, they attempted to apply a concept of nationality. Therefore, incontext of modern political concepts, they have interpreted the old concept of Iran and some of its realities, Iranian ancient identity, and they also revolutionized the concept of nation, nationality and national identity. Classical moderns of Iran have attempted to introduce a new concept of Iranian nationality based on the definition that nations are cultural entities, groups of people who have been united by common values and traditions, and, particularly, language, religion and history. The Persian language, Zoroastrianism, and Iranian nationalism, which boast ancient ancestors and remnants of past glory, are regarded as constituent elements of nationalist thinking.