Oriental patriotism? Eighteenth-century French representations of Nadir Shah

The military enterprises and the government experience of Nadir Shah, sovereign of Persia from 1736 to 1747, excited wide interest in Eighteenth century opinion, as testified by a rich literature on this topic: from contemporary journalistic reports to the historical narratives by Claustre and others, to the interventions by Voltaire and others. The striking achievements and the sudden decay of Nadir’s empire solicited comments and judgements which connected political considerations on contemporary events with reflections concerning history of ancient and modern Persia, involving specific references to the nature and meaning of ‘patriotism’, in despotic countries as well. The essay analyses the variety of interpretations on this topic in 18th century French literature.