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Iran's Political History: Constitutional Revolution to Islamic Republic, Study notes of Comparative Law and Politics

An overview of iran's political history from the constitutional revolution in 1906 through the islamic revolution in 1979. It covers the qajar dynasty, the rise of reza shah pahlavi, the opposition to his rule, and the eventual overthrow of the pahlavi dynasty. The document also discusses the role of the clergy, the bazaaris, and foreign powers in shaping iranian politics.

Typology: Study notes

Pre 2010

Uploaded on 11/01/2009

shriekformusic
shriekformusic 🇺🇸

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Iran
Constitutional Revolution – 1906
Qajar Dynasty
People pressed monarch for change
Elected Parliament – Majli formed
Held political elections without parties
Break down in law and order
No one was watching the outer periphery
Russian Revolution – 1917
Triggers people to riot
Reza Khan takes over in 1921
- Colonel of Cossack regime
- Crowns himself shah
- Influenced by Kemal Attaturk of Turkey who also took over in military coup before
Khan
Reza Shah Khan Pahlavi
Promotes modernization
Imposed law and order
Developed a modern bureaucracy
Created secular state
Encouraged the people to dress in Western style
Reformed education, public healthcare, etc.
Sent students to study abroad
Put limits on the power of the clergy
Opposition
Clergy
- Angered by secularism and limits on power
Old elite
Small merchants – Bazaaris
- Very religious
- Mohammed was a merchant
Deposed in 1941 by British forces
Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. – owned by Britain
Britain pays royalties to Iran for the oil
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Iran Constitutional Revolution – 1906 Qajar Dynasty  People pressed monarch for change  Elected Parliament – Majli formed  Held political elections without parties  Break down in law and order  No one was watching the outer periphery Russian Revolution – 1917  Triggers people to riot  Reza Khan takes over in 1921

  • Colonel of Cossack regime
  • Crowns himself shah
  • Influenced by Kemal Attaturk of Turkey who also took over in military coup before Khan Reza Shah Khan Pahlavi  Promotes modernization  Imposed law and order  Developed a modern bureaucracy  Created secular state  Encouraged the people to dress in Western style  Reformed education, public healthcare, etc.  Sent students to study abroad  Put limits on the power of the clergy Opposition  Clergy
  • Angered by secularism and limits on power  Old elite  Small merchants – Bazaaris
  • Very religious
  • Mohammed was a merchant Deposed in 1941 by British forces  Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. – owned by Britain  Britain pays royalties to Iran for the oil

 Iran demands more money which angers the British  U.S. was ok with this arrangement because Reza Shah was close friends with Hitler and Mussolini and we were afraid of Germany getting the oil Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi  Given the position after his father was removed  Playboy, puppet, not a good leader  After he takes power the clergy and the Liberals hold most political power

  • Tudeh Party (communists) – lose power because of Russian plot to take two of Iran’s outer provinces  National Front Party wins election in 1951 and the leader Mohammed Mossadeq is made Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq  Nationalizes Anglo-Indian Oil Co.  Britain of course gets angry  Britain appeals to Eisenhower in the U.S. for aide saying that he was communist  U.S./Britain overthrow Mossadeq’s government in 1953  Angered the Clergy/Bazaaris/Old elite  Removed an elected government  CIA created disdain for government by paying people to protest Shah gains all powers when Mossadeq is removed  Removes Majlis  1963 – White Revolution
  • Land reform – all large landholdings subsidized
  • Give women voting rights
  • Plan of modernization (like his father)
  • Built modern shopping malls  Appeals to the middle class even though power lies with the clergy and the Bazaaris Opposition  Clergy
  • Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini – strong voice against reform
  • Very vocal group
  • Argued that women’s vote was unIslamic
  • Said that taking land was a violation of Islam’s protection of private property
  • Protested against the undemocratic government – no parliament  Bazaaris

 Wealth of Iran was not equally distributed  Government was inflexible because there was no parliament  Powers were all consolidated in the Shah  The government and SAVAK were violent  Nationalism worked for opposition because everyone was still angry at foreign presence in Iran Hostage Crisis  Lasted for 474 days  Kept the people inside the U.S. embassy  Released on Reagan’s inaugural day  Result of U.S. offering the Shah medical assistance after he was overthrown  People were angry that U.S. sympathized with him Khomeini = spiritual leader  All decisions must be cleared by him  Saddam Hussein worries that Islamist ideals will leak over into Iraq 1980 – 1988 – Iran/Iraq War  Iraq wants to keep a border on Islam  U.S. helps out Iraq Post-Revolutionary Iran Stronger  Always present themselves as under threat  Executed everyone who was unloyal at revolution  Basij – volunteer security force  Shared connection to people through Islamic ideology  Had popular support  Those who did not like the new government fled the country  Became a homogenous country of ideals

  1. Supreme Leader  Ayatollah Ali Khameini – current leader  Practically a Sultanate – enormous discretionary powers  Highest authority – both religious and temporal  Sits over all policies  Appoints head of judiciary  Appoints commanders of military/police

 Radio/t.v.  In charge of Revolutionary Guard Corps

  1. Assembly of Experts  86 clerics  Elects the Supreme Leader  Have power to remove him  Popularly elected for 10 year term  Elections supervised by the Council of Guardians
  2. Council of Guardians  12 people  6 clerics – appointed by Supreme Leader  6 lawyers – nominated by Head of Judiciary and approved by parliament  Head of Judiciary is appointed by Supreme Leader  Job is to make sure that Majlis’ legislation is consistent with the the laws of the Koran and Islam
  3. Expediency Council  Created to be a referee between Council of Guardians and Majlis  39 people  Appointed by Supreme Leader President  Presides over formal policy  Council of Guardians can reverse anything he does  Practically a factotum – flunky Majlis  200  4 year term  All but 5 must be Muslim  5 – 3 Christian, 1 Zoroastrian, 1 Jew