The revival and consolidation of Qom seminary in modern Iran

This article explores the genesis and consolidation of the Qom religious seminary in modern Iran. It’s argued that the emergence of this religious institution in Iran as a rival to seminaries in Iraq’s shrine cities, was the result of transformations within the Shia clergy and material forces in the Middle East. Contrary to the orthodox view that seeks a transcendental origin for this institution, it’s argued here that the almost simultaneous emergence of the modern state in Iran and Qom seminary was not a paradoxical process. It's argued here that following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the gradual decline of religious seminaries in Najaf and Karbala, Shia ulama were in need of a new place to survive. That material change encouraged them to relocate to Iran and work with a state that was deemed secular