Behind the Bastards

Part One: The First Shah of Iran

March 24, 2026·1h 12m·4-min readconversationalhistory
Podzilla Summary (4 min)
TLDR
This episode of Behind the Bastards explores the historical roots of Western interference in Iran, focusing on the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly the Great Game between Britain and Russia, the rise of the Qajar dynasty, the establishment of foreign-controlled oil interests,

Sign up to read the full summary

Free AI-powered recaps of every episode, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Guest

K

Kaveh Akbar

conversational on Behind the Bastards

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Reza KhanWilliam Knox D'ArcyW. Morgan SchusterAdmiral Sir John FisherFathali ShahArthur ConnollyGeorge Nathaniel Curzon

Books

The Strangling of Persiaby W. Morgan Schuster

Companies

Anglo-Persian Oil Company

Topics

GeopoliticsHistory Of ScienceMilitary History

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Behind the Bastards and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.