M. Rahim Shayegan (/ʃɑːjɛɡɑːn/, Persian: رحیم شایگان, romanized: M. Raḥīm Šāygān; born 1966) is an Iranian-born American ancient historian, scholar, and educator.
He is the Eleanor and Jahangir Amuzegar Professor of Iranian Studies in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles.
[4] Arsacids and Sasanians: Political Ideology in Post-Hellenistic and Late Antique Persia received mixed reviews from professional Iranists.
[10] According to Polish historian Marek Jan Olbrycht [pl] this is a provocative book and 'an engaging and vibrant piece of historical writing', but he noted that Shayegan appeared to have difficulty defining precisely the scope of his research, and this uncertainty was evident in the coherence and content of the book.
His fundamental hypotheses about the role of Babylonian scribes and Pontic ideology turn out to be untenable in the light of the available sources.