Colin P. Mitchell

Dalhousie University

2010 Honorable Mention

This extensively annotated and well-supported analysis of historical documents greatly contributes to our understanding of the political culture and ethical precepts of Safavid elites. Dr. Mitchell applies the tools of rhetoric and of literary criticism to a historical topic and thereby not only expands our knowledge of that time and the lives of people, but demonstrates the usefulness of these literary tools for the analysis of historical topics. This application of a literary tool to a historical theme of import and scope over the length of a book is new, and this novelty together with the insights it provided are quite in line with the spirit of the Pourshariati Award.

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