The white revolution in iran saturday, april 20, 20 lisa reynolds wolfe. In 1963, the shah initiated his white revolution, a series of farreaching reforms intended to modernize and westernize iran. T he story of american relations with iran during the kennedy administration 19611963 is one of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. Iranian revolution 4 opposition groups and organizations other opposition groups50 included constitutionalist liberals the democratic, reformist islamic freedom movement of iran, headed by mehdi bazargan, and the more secular national front. Denying reality the revolution in iran thrust islam into mainstream discourse in america. The iranian revolution also known as the islamic revolution or the 1979 revolution. In 1961 the shah dissolved the 20th majles and cleared the way for the land reform.
The shah has publicly expressed his hope that the country will. Other articles where white revolution is discussed. You need to be able to give examples of each of these in order to explain why there was a. I can start a revolution for you, he apparently told an american diplomat, but you wont like the end result. In january 1963, the shah of iran held a national referendum to obtain approval for his total program which was known as the white revolution or the revolution of the shah and the people. Edward said and the iranian revolution democratiya.
The iranian revolution a history and analysis of the revolution in which socialists aligned themselves with islamists to overthrow the westbacked shah. They should be effectively neutered in their ability to wage war against israel. Enqelabe shah o mardom was a farreaching series of reforms in iran launched in 1963 by the shah, mohammad reza pahlavi, which lasted until 1979. At the first signs of escalating unrest in early 1978, neither iranian nor u. Understanding the differing meanings of iranian and persian learn about the bloody iraniraq war of 198088. Following the success of the revolution, the islamists instituted a theocratic dictatorship and wiped out the workers movement and the left. The white revolution of iran mohammed reza pahlavi shah of iran imperial pahlavi library, 1967 history 177 pages. Hamas and hezbollah will finding that their funding from iran will cease. Thirty years on, and better late than never, iran is a more prosperous country than under the pahlavi. In this substantially revised and expanded version of nikki keddies classic workroots of revolution,the author brings the story of modern iran to the present day, exploring the political, cultural, and social changes of the past quarter century. The iranian revolution of 197779 was the first in a series of mass popular civil insurrections which would result in the overthrow of authoritarian regimes in dozens of countries over the next three decades. Charles kurzman has produced the definitive account of the islamic revolution. Pdf this paper intends to explore the role and key contributions that ayatollah ruhollah played in the.
Iranian revolution, also called islamic revolution, persian enqelabe eslami, popular uprising in iran in 197879 that resulted in the toppling of the monarchy on february 11, 1979, and led to the establishment of an islamic republic. Many changes that took place in iran during this time period such as mandatory laws stating that women wear veils and how all games, alcohol, and parties were banned. First of all while i was conducting research on changes i focused on specific time frame. The white revolution had caused so much hatred of the shah amongst the mullahs and the feudals which down the road, these groups along with bazaar drafted and established the everyday average religious and ignorant masses of the streets as an army of muslims to create an islamic revolution to bring down the complete system of the imperial iran. Before introducing changes i want to present some information about methodology that i used during my researches. Both are difficult and tentative exercises, because irans islamic revolution appears to bear little ideological resemblance to revolutions in the west or to irans constitutional revolution of 190511. The iranian revolution was not only a godsend for those muslims who identified with its cause, it was also a blessing for those among the american left who saw it as a significant blow against the evil american empire. Library of congress cataloginginpublication data farazmand.
Pdf the story of american relations with iran during the kennedy administration is one of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. He reformed the program which was built especially to weaken those classes that supported. It was the modern history of iran between 1779 and 1982. Trustees of princeton university irans islamic revolution in comparative perspective authors. His policy agenda was designed to achieve the following six goals. The author also discusses the impact of the revolution of 197879 on iranian bureaucracy. Khomeinis background, charisma, and thirst for revenge on those who inflicted personal injury. Based on the scholarly literature, the study argues that it was only ruhollah. Ruhollah khomeini ruhollah khomeini centre greeting supporters after returning to tehran, february 1979. While these reforms produced rapid economic growth, they also led to social dislocation, rapid. Shah initiated his white revolution, a series of far reaching reforms intended to modernize and west ernize iran. This paper intends to explore the role and key contributions that ayatollah ruhollah played in the iranian revolution. In 1961 the shah dissolved the 20th majles and cleared the way for the land reform law of 1962. For the iranian regime to fall and a peoples revolution to be successful, the implications are yuge we can say this.
A panel discussion was held on the status of the revolution in iran thirty years after the return of ayatollah ruhollah khomeini. Emphasizing the interaction between political organizations and social forces, ervand abrahamian discusses iranian society and politics during the period between the constitutional revolution of 19051909 and the islamic revolution of 19771979. A history of modern iran by ervand abrahamian july 2008. Ayatollah khomeini and the mobilization of dissent in the iranian. The white revolution and the opposition 3 the family protection laws 4 adultery, rape, and prostitution in the penal code 141 women and labor legislation 145 5. James buchan considers ahmed kasravi, historian of irans. Iran is in the midst of an economic revolution and has enormous potential for economic growth. The case of iran, international journal of public administration, vol. The dynasty that the revolution overthrew the pahlavi dynasty was known for its autocracy, its focus on modernization and westernization as well as its disregard for religious and democratic measures in irans constitution the founder of the dynasty, army general reza shah pahlavi, replaced islamic laws with western ones, and forbade traditional islamic clothing, separation of. Enqelabe sefid or the shah and people revolution persian. Life in iran had dramatically changed in just a few years during this time period. The predominant strand in leftwing analysis reflected the opposite view, phrased in.
Kennedy and the shah of iran article pdf available in the middle east journal 584. Kennedy and the shah of iran, middle east journal, 58. Industrial expansion was promoted by the pahlavi regime, while political parties that resisted the shahs absolute consolidation of power were silenced and pushed to the margins. They felt that he was modernizing and westernizing their country to a.
Certain figures such as the famous george washington and others came to power, but the same things that happened to the french revolution happened to the american revolution as well. The shah, fearing both soviet influence and internal opposition, sought to bolster. Khomeinis theory of islamic state and the making of the. The state, bureaucracy, and revolution in modern iran. It helped maintain and enhance the pahlavi regime under the shah by developing and guarding capitalism in rural iran. James buchan considers ahmad kasravi, famed historian of irans democratic revolution, who first detailed the schism james buchan fri 26 jun 2009 19.
There was a revolution in iran in 1979 because the people of iran had become disenchanted with the rule of the shah. The bbc persian service and the islamic revolution of 1979. These factors resulted in the bolstering of a dictatorship out of touch with the iranian people, inevitably leading to the revolution that occurred in 197879. The concept of exporting the islamic revolution derives from a particular worldview that perceives islamic revolution as the means whereby muslims and nonmuslims can liberate themselves from the oppression of tyrants who. Ayatollah khamenei, a member of the islamic opposition during the reign of the former shah of iran, must remember that during the iranian revolution of 1979, mohammad reza pahlavi also blamed bbc persian then only a radio service for instigating the revolution. Women and the state152 womens suffrage and political inequality 154 womens agency 160 conformist women 162 elite women 163 womens organization of iran 168 women in the. These two objectives were achieved through rural bureaucratization and extension of the states control to the remotest areas of iran. Conventional academic and press coverage was stressing the positive achievements of the white revolution and echoing the shahs claim that iran could become a second japan.
Who instigated the white revolution of the shah and the people in. The white revolution of iran mohammed reza pahlavi. We will then move on to situate the revolution in a global context. T he islamic republic of iran that emerged from the revolution of 1979 has lasted quite well. The revolution in iran is termed by the historians as one of the biggest historical event in the past. Muhammad reza shahs white revolution chapter 5 a history of. No serious historian can write about these events without consulting his 10page essay on available source material in the unthinkable revolution in iran. The safavid dynasty ruled iran until 1722, when an afghan army invaded the country and captured isfahan.
Background and causes of the iranian revolution wikipedia. The iranian government restored diplomatic relations with britain in december 1953, and a new oil agreement was concluded in the following year. A brief lecture on the 1963 white revolution in iran. Americas population was not more than 4, 5 million at that time. The iranian revolution past, present and future brought the safavids into direct conflict with the ottoman empire and led to two centuries of intermittent warfare between those two powerful states. The personality of irans ayatollah khomeini was a critical elem ent in defining irans war role. Purpose and research questions this paper attempts to expose the role of social media tools and new communication technologies facebook, twitter, youtube, email, text messaging or photo sharing in the green movement in iran. They started a movement and established a government. The roots of the islamic revolution can be traced to developments that long predated it. Iran having the islamic revolution in 1979 was the end of the old and start of the new. The period 196063 marked a turning point in the development of the iranian state.
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