The Iranian Revolution

Any event as dramatic as that of the Iranian revolution has deep roots, and whatever point in history one selects as the moment when the revolution became inevitable must be both arguable and artificial. But the underlying reasons for the revolution must be laid at least in large measure on the actions of Reza Shah, the father of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the shah who was ousted during the revolution. Reza Shah was determined to modernize and centralize the operations of his country, which he set about to do using a Western model of industrial development.

To bring about modernization, Reza Shah assumed dictatorial powers, relying for his power base upon the armed forces as well as on his own personal popularity. The king banned political parties, suppressed revolts, formed a secret police force and dramatically curtailed the power of the clergy (Mohammadi 49). All of these actions would result in a predictable political reaction against the monarch. In the late 1940s, political opposition to the shah coalesced behind the leadership of Mohammed M

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popularity and misjudged the forces in the country that were ready to support a reactionary revolution. In January 1979, the ayatollah's followers forced the shah to flee abroad, ending his 37-year reign (Simpson 15). Shortly afterward, Khomeini returned to Iran in triumph. Khomeini's teachings included a belief in rule by eminent Shiite Islamic leaders and repeatedly emphasized the need for clerical control over secular domains (Stempel 47). According to his taped sermons circulated in the months before the revolution, Khomeini insisted that "government derives its legitimacy from God, and proper government requires a radical Islamic reconstruction of society" (Stempel 47). Such a reactionary interpretation of Islam would probably not have been welcomed by an Iranian society that had been treated more gently by the shah. The upheaval caused by overly rapid modernization, the changes in the country brought about by sudden oil wealth, the urbanization of the peasantry, and the shah's seeming disregard for native Iranian accomplishments and values made much of the population receptive to Khomeini's message. Rapid change can be exhilarating, but it is more often frightening, providing an impetus to return to traditional value
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Approximate Word count = 2616
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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