Publications
Mikaya Koyagi. Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space, and the Trans-Iranian Railway.
The Trans-Iranian Railway is reimagined through the lens of mobility and spatial transformation in Mikaya Koyagi's Iran in Motion. The book argues that the railway's construction during the late 19th century was not merely an engineering feat but a catalyst for profound socio-spatial changes across Iran. Koyagi employs a multidisciplinary approach, integrating historical analysis with spatial theory to demonstrate how the railway reshaped regional connectivity, economic landscapes, and cultural identities. The study challenges conventional narratives by emphasizing the railway's role in creating fluid, dynamic spaces rather than fixed geographical boundaries.
Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space and the Trans-Iranian Railway by Mikiya Koyagi
Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space and the Trans-Iranian Railway by Mikiya Koyagi reveals that the Trans-Iranian railway network, constructed under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s regime, facilitated diverse mobilities and subjectivities beyond the state's initial intentions. The study demonstrates how technology transfer adapted to Iran's evolving needs reshaped national space and societal dynamics in the 20th century. By integrating historical analysis with mobility studies, Koyagi explores the railway's socio-political impact, highlighting its role in creating new forms of movement and identity. While the empirical evidence primarily focuses on elite perspectives, the book effectively theorizes the unintended consequences of railway-induced mobilities, particularly in religious pilgrimage contexts.
Iran in Motion; Mobility, Space, and the Trans-Iranian Railway, by Mikiya Koyagi
A groundbreaking analysis reveals the Trans-Iranian Railway as a pivotal agent of spatial transformation, reshaping Iran's economic and social landscapes during its construction (1890–1940). Mikiya Koyagi demonstrates how this infrastructure project, spanning 1,300 km from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf, accelerated mobility while simultaneously reinforcing colonial power dynamics. The study employs a multi-scalar approach—combining archival records, engineering documents, and ethnographic observations—to uncover how railway expansion redefined regional connectivity, labor systems, and state formation in early 20th-century Iran. Koyagi's work challenges conventional narratives by framing the railway not merely as a technological achievement but as a catalyst for contested spatial practices that continue to influence Iran's development.
Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space, and the Trans-Iranian Railway
A transnational and decentralized history of the Trans-Iranian Railway (TIR) reveals its complex role in shaping Iranian sovereignty, mobility, and nation-building. Unlike colonial railways, the TIR was built by a sovereign national government, funded through state monopolies rather than loans, and resisted British proposals for east-west routes to counter Russian influence. The study highlights the railway's uneven impact on local communities, including tribal areas like Lorestan, where employment opportunities facilitated pacification while creating interdependent relationships with the Pahlavi state. Additionally, it underscores the TIR's global significance during World War II as a critical link in the Lend-Lease program and its role in facilitating transnational movements of both communist revolutionaries and Shiʿi pilgrims. This approach challenges methodological statism in Iranian historiography by integrating local, regional, and international perspectives.
Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space, and the Trans-Iranian Railway by Mikiya Koyagi
Koyagi's work reveals that the Trans-Iranian Railway, beyond its role as a state-sponsored modernization project, fundamentally reshaped Iranian mobilities through embodied experiences and labor dynamics. The study broadens historical narratives by integrating diverse actors—local and foreign laborers, engineers, migrants, and travelers—demonstrating their pivotal contributions to the railway's materiality and societal impact. It highlights how the railway's construction and operation fostered capitalist mobility, while also examining the political agency of railway workers in negotiating rights and the cultural shifts in travel norms among ordinary Iranians.
Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space, and the Trans-Iranian Railway, Mikiya Koyagi, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2021, ISBN: 9781503613133 (hbk), 296 pages.
The Trans-Iranian Railway is reimagined through the lens of mobility and spatial transformation in Mikiya Koyagi's 'Iran in Motion.' The book reveals how this 19th-century engineering marvel reshaped Iran's physical and social landscapes, integrating diverse regions while challenging traditional notions of national identity. Koyagi employs a multidisciplinary approach, blending historical analysis with spatial theory to dissect the railway's impact on infrastructure, politics, and daily life. By focusing on the railway as both a material structure and a symbol of modernity, the study offers a nuanced understanding of its enduring legacy in Iran's development.
Iran in Motion: Mobility, Space, and the Trans-Iranian Railway.By Mikiya Koyagi. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2021. 296 pp. Hardcover, $65.00. ISBN: 978-1-5036-131-33.
The Trans-Iranian Railway is reimagined through the lens of mobility and spatial transformation in Mikiya Koyagi's Iran in Motion. The book reveals how this 19th-century engineering marvel reshaped Iran's physical landscape, economic geography, and social dynamics. Koyagi employs a multidisciplinary approach, integrating historical analysis with spatial theory to dissect the railway's role as both a catalyst for modernization and a symbol of imperial ambition. By examining archival records, cartographic data, and oral histories, the study uncovers the railway's enduring legacy on Iran's infrastructure, identity, and global connectivity.
The Advent of Modern Construction Techniques in Iran: Trans-Iranian Railway Stations (1933-1938)
The construction of Trans-Iranian Railway stations (1933–1938) marked a pivotal shift in Iranian architecture, introducing modern materials like reinforced concrete and Western architectural practices. This transformation occurred under Reza Shah's Pahlavi dynasty, which prioritized rapid modernization and nationalist policies. The study examines how the integration of European architects and companies facilitated this transition, positioning railway stations as early examples of Iranian modern architecture. By analyzing these structures, researchers highlight their role in advancing construction technology and reshaping architectural education and practice during the 1930s.
Mobilizing Iran : experiences of the Trans-Iranian Railway, 1850-1950
The Trans-Iranian Railway project, spanning from 1850 to 1950, facilitated diverse societal experiences and interpretations among various groups in Iran, challenging the homogenizing vision of modernization. This study reveals that railways were actively integrated into heterogeneous understandings of self, community, and nation by non-state actors, including merchants, laborers, and travelers. It also highlights the significance of transnational connections beyond Western influences, resituating Iran within a broader regional framework. The research employs an interdisciplinary approach, analyzing state-society interactions and intra-social dynamics during and after the Reza Shah period, with a focus on the often-neglected Allied occupation era.
The Vernacular Journey: Railway Travelers in Early Pahlavi Iran, 1925–50
Railway travel in early Pahlavi Iran (1925–50) was not a unifying experience but a fragmented one, reflecting the diverse social, cultural, and ethnic divisions of Iranian society. Middle-class travelers used the railway space to assert their class identity while distinguishing themselves from others, driven by a desire for a homogeneously Europeanized nation. The study analyzes how journalists constructed the railway traveler as a symbol of modernity before 1938 and how, in the 1940s, the railway became a microcosm of Iran's heterogeneity, compelling travelers to seek national cohesion through extensive travel. It combines discourse analysis with spatial practices to reveal the complex social dynamics of early Iranian railway culture.
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