o (Mohammadi 65).
Still, despite discontent over a number of the shah's policies, the Iranian people remained relatively happy, especially given the fact that they experienced greater political freedom than citizens of neighboring states such as South Yemen and Iraq, and the country continued to boast a stable economic climate (Looney 2). That economic stability was based almost entirely on oil , the revenues from which had grown dramatically (climbing from $34 million in 1953 to $555 million and $19 billion in 1975; Mohammadi 60). The modernization programs pursued by both shahs would not have been possible without this influx of money from the oil fields.
Despite growing prosperity during the 1970s, owing to the greatly increased oil revenues, opposition to the shah was widespread, fanned mainly by conservative religious leaders. The shah's responses to such opposition were increasingly repressive, and he relied heavily on his secret police, the Savak, which was much dreaded for its harsh methods. In the late 1970s there were antigovernment demonstrations
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