Islamic Revolution

1.comparable to other classic revolutions - the Chinese, French, Russian

-exploded without warning, destroyed the existing style of govt

-monarchy with a history of 2500 years

-blew away the upper echelons of society in Iran, changed neighboring regions

-introduced the term Islamic Fundamentalism into the world political lexicon

2.occurred in one of the most important states of the Middle East

-Iran: 36 mill pop, one of lgst and fastest growing economies, one of the most developed and industrialized societies (of the region), #2 oil exporter in region, #4 oil producer in world, world=s fifth largest army

3.the IR raised theoretical questions about modernization in general and revolution in particular

-soc.scis have argued that modernization ->secularization, but in Iran revolution established a theocracy

-also conventional wisdom is that revolutions tend to occur at the end of economic or social upheavals B but no such events occurred in Iran to presage the revolution of 1979

-despite predictions of an early demise the IR did endure...

-originally carried out under tha banners of anti-imperialism, Islam and republicanism

History of Iran

Safavids (1501-1722)

Qajars (1796-1925)

Pahlavis (1926-1979)

Four important influences on Irans Development:

1. Power relative to other states

2. economic status as a developing country almost solely dependent on its oil revenues

3. Its attempts to develop democratic institutions

4. Its collective identity as an Islamic and Iranian nation-state

Sunni/Shi=i

Shi=i - Muhammad at death political and religious authority should have passed to Imam Ali his close companion and disciple (like Peter to Jesus)

-Imam Ali at his death passed religious authority on to his direct male heirs, the 3^rd of whom Imam Husayn was martyred fighting the sunnis in AD 680

-from the beginning the Shi=is were ambivalent about the role of the state especially if the state was led by sunni=s or if its leaders lacked genealogical links to the 12 Imams

Sunnis - After Muhammad...recognized the authority of dynasties ruling the Islamic Empire with the title of Caliph (the prophet=s Deputy)

Safavids (1501-1722)

-16^th century the Safavid family conquered much of present day Iran

-at this time Shi=i became the dominant branch of Islam

-the family claimed descent from the original 12 tribes

-purged the area of Sunnis

-by mid 17thC, 90% of territory was Shi=i

-survived because there was no unification of society to displace them

-1722 invaded by Afghan tribesmen and the dynasty collapses

-half century of civil war ensues B until Qajar emerge victorious

Qajars (1796-1925)

-capital in Tehran (for first time)

-shi=ism continued as state religion

-centralization of authority also continued

-simultaneously, european imperialism peaking and lost some territories/economic concessions to Russia, British

-citizens began to feel like the nation had been auctioned off to foreigners, discontent rose

-1905-1909 Constitutional Revolution

-constitution modeled after Belgium

-monarchy

-parliamentary system of govt with sharp separations between the 3 branches of govt.

-only shi=is could hold office

-shi=i the official religion

-Guardian Council consisting of clerics only was given authority to veto legislation passed by parliament

*popular sovereignty was to be restricted by clerical veto power

BUT the GC was never convened until the 1979 revolution

-after the Constitutional revolution disillusionment sets in as divisions within the clerical establishment and citizenry prevent any resolution to domestic conflicts B consequences are

-famine

-liberal/conservative factionalization and conflict

-weak central government

-lack of administrative power over provinces

-post WWI Russia and GB occupied separate regions of Iran (N and S respectively) leaving only part (central) of Iran to itself

-1920-1921 in complete disarray

Pahlavi Dynasty

-Reza Shah

February 1921 - Colonel Reza Khan carries out a military coup

-paying lip service to the Qajar monarch, consolidates power in his own hands

-1927 he formally deposes the Qajars and crowns himself Shah-in-Shah and establishes his own dynasty

-reassures GB and Russia that he will remain neutral

-spends his reign building a highly centralized state - Iran=s first experience with this level of centralization

-the military, the bureaucracy and royal patronage were the 3 pillars of his regime (empire)

-built the military into a significant force much stronger than local tribal forces thereby making the central government more powerful than the provinces for the first time

-bureaucracy expanded into a full-fledged system of administration, especially the ministry of Education (modernized to meet european standards) and the Justice Ministry (modernized and secularized)

-court patronage.. Became the largest landowner in Iran- by hook and by crook and added to the resources of the state (the centralized state)

-new state looked good but lacked foundations in the larger society

-drive for modernization, secularization and centralization had support among some but most felt alienated by the arbitrary rule, disregard for constitutional liberties and the suppression of Ademocratic@ rights B press, etc..

-Pahlavi state was a strong outline but it lacked attachment and support to and of the people

-1941 the allies invaded Iran to secure oil, open a land corridor to Soviet Union and forestall Germany military control of Iran

-resulted in abdication by Reza Shah in favor of his heir, Mohammad Reza Shah

1941-1953 - two major challenges

-Tudeh party - communist - led a militant trade union movement

-Mohammad Mosaddeq (1992-1967), elected PM in 1951

-MM pushed for increased secularization of political power

-1951 as PM nationalized oil and confronted Shah on constitutional issues including control of the military

BUT

-1953 the CIA, fearful of his toleration of the Tudeh stepped in together with the British and some royalist officers and overthrew him

-after 1953 Mohammad Reza Shah ruled autocratically and continued with his father=s work of centralizing the state

-oil revenues continued to grow

-military focused on, by 1970s 410,000 men

-bureaucracy also was expanded to 21 ministries employing 300,000 civil servants and 1 million white and blue collar workers

-royal patronage system was also expanded - Pahlavi Foundation, supposedly charitable soon controlled several (207) large companies B the foundation was really a conduit for financing the royal family

-1975 Shah announced formation of the Resurgence Party which would remove one party from competition (the AYes@ and AYes, sir@ parties)...all but removing even the facade of democracy

-asserted that those who did not support and join the Resurgence Party were communists or communist sympathizers

-sentiment against the Pahlavi regime can be summarized as following B opposers viewed the Shah as a despotic, corrupt leader of a fascist one party state B accused the leadership of siding with the west against its own citizens in areas of social and economic development (exploitation of oil but no increase in benefits to citizens and in fact an increase in the marginalization of citizens into poverty as forced to urban centers)

-fertile ground for the rise of Khomenei

-1970s - Khomeini begins to articulate a new vision of Shi=ism

-Shi=i populism

-Khomeini less concerned with religious interpretations of the Koran than with political issues...championing grievances against the elite and resentments against the usa