Dr Alexandra Buhler · 12 June 2025, 5–6:30 pm BST · Online
Abstract
During the nineteenth century, Zoroastrians successfully made use of petitions to improve the position of their community in Iran, most notably in relation to the abolition of the jezya tax. Drawing on research from her recent book, Alexandra Buhler will examine how the written word continued to be used in campaigns to secure greater rights and justice for Zoroastrians during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution (1906–1911).
Additionally, she will discuss how newspapers in Iran promoted positive attitudes towards Zoroastrians and raised awareness of the potential benefits of good relations with the Parsis, the influential Zoroastrian community of India. With the changing political situation in Iran, newspapers in India were also used as a medium to encourage Parsis to feel more connected to their ‘ancient homeland’.
About the speaker
After studying Theology at Oxford University, Alexandra Buhler completed her MA and PhD at SOAS, where she also taught courses about Zoroastrianism and Iranian history. Her PhD focused on the involvement of Zoroastrians in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution, and the impact that the revolution had on members of the community. Alexandra is the author of Zoroastrianism in India and Iran: Persians, Parsis and the Flowering of Political Identity (IB Tauris, 2024). She currently works in Libraries and Collections at King’s College London.
