About the Author
Shireen Mahdavi was born in Tehran, Iran, and educated at the London School of Economics and Political Science, the University of Utah, and the University of London. Prior to the Iranian Revolution she taught at the Institute of Social Research in Tehran, was involved in research in the field of social affairs, and served as an advisor to the government. Currently an independent scholar, she has written extensively on various aspects of Iranian history, with special emphasis on the nineteenth century. She is married to the Iranian architect Reza Khazeni.