Shi'ite clerical authority and modern politics: Muhammad Kazim Khurasani of Najaf and his support of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911.

摘要

The Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911 was a complex event with diverse ideological orientations. It established Iran's first elected parliament (the Majlis), which included members of various social classes and also succeeded to ratify Iran's first Constitution, which limited the powers of the Qajar monarchy. In that process, Iranians incorporated certain European concepts, such as constitutional rights and responsibilities that clearly challenged the traditional authority of Qajar's absolutism.;The Revolution's success essentially depended on the pro-Constitutionalist Shi`ite clerics while, on the other hand, their anti-Constitutionalist colleagues failed to gain enough public opposition. This was largely due to the leadership role of Muhammad Kazim Khurasani (1839-1911), the highest-ranking ayatullah and his like-minded colleagues who supported the Revolution by reflecting popular will and incorporating their own juristic fundamentals of usulism with modern political arguments. By drawing on a wide range of primary and secondary source material the present dissertation elucidates the role of Khurasani in Iran's Constitutional movement and his impact in synthesizing Shi`ism and Constitutionalism.;Based in Najaf in Ottoman Iraq, Khurasani used his authority of Islamic jurisprudence and his role as a Source of Imitation inside Iran to effectively support the Revolution. Agreeing with mostly non-clerical intellectuals, reformists, and modernists of various social classes Khurasani broke the traditional barriers dividing the clerical establishment with the outside world and argued for Constitutionalism and the rule of law in opposition to arbitrary rule. This did not mean ignoring Islamic law or values, but simply agreeing on a middle ground where they could be incorporated into a new set of laws that would treat all citizens equally in an organized judicial setting.;Khurasani was a significant historical figure in Iran's early twentieth-century struggle to develop representational government. Beyond his own time his presence is further felt within the Shiite seminary education through Kifayat al-Usul, his most renowned book, which is a required text in clerical education. Although Khurasani's understanding of Constitutionalism was not entirely in line with what its non-clerical proponents believed, he viewed the movement as a necessary process by which Iran could maintain its independence and face challenges of modern politics.