MARMARA UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ECONOMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

A STUDY OF PROGRESSION OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTION AND THE DOMESTIC POLICY IN IRAN UNDER THE RULE OF PAHLAVIS

SUBMITTED TO ASSISTANT PROFESSOR ADA UNGOR

BY KR AYDIN 136108083

ISTANBUL, TURKEY FALL 2010

I. INTRODUCTION
Numerous revolutions have emerged in the world and all of them are important for the emerging societies, while some of them have great importance in the history of the world politics like French Revolution or American Revolution. Iran Islamic Revolution is also one of the most important revolutions in world history. It has a unique structure and phases because of the some reasons. Firstly, Iranian people showed their reactions against rooted shah system that was more than 2500 year's old. Secondly, this revolution had emerged in an Islamic society in which had never happened. Third, Iranian people not only revolted against the economic inequity, political oppressiveness or the backwardness, but also against the modernizations emerged contrary to Islamic traditions or Sharia rules. Iran plateau in the history as much important as Iran Islamic Revolution. Thanks to the value of Iran, a lot of crucial turning points had emerged not only related with in the Middle East but also world politics. This regions historical background was dating back 3200 B.C. For the possession of this land a lot of considerable importance war happened among the different states, therefore numerous deep-rooted civilizations or states had established and collapsed. Respectively, Iran was governed by Safavid, Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties and Iran Islamic Republic in the last five hundred years. Qajar dynasty ruled this land more than hundred years and they implemented the central, autocratic administration. In the history of Iran, this land firstly met central monarchy with the rule of Qajars. However, this centralization was not powerful, unlike other central monarchies. Qajars did not have powerful army or bureaucracy so they did not follow the repressive policy or divine powers to rule the state. However, they derived their power from the management and direct the social divisions, ethnic groups, tribes and clans. In the era of the Qajars, Iran faced witnessed the conflict of interest between Russia and Britain with regard to Iran's oil resources. Due to the weakness of the central power and rising of the the oil prices in those days foreign powers intervened in Iran's domestic affairs. Hence, the country had been divided into two spheres of influences between Russians in the north and the British in the south, which included oil fields. To weak an Iran after the division, Britain arranged two constitutional monarchy revolutions. However, this revolution had negative effects to both Britain
1

and Qajars. With these revolutions, the gap in society had grown and Qajars did not prevent this. Eventually, with the Reza Khan's coup d'tat who was supported by Britain in 1921, Pahlavi dynasty came to the rule the state and Reza Khan became the Shah of Iran.

II. The Period of Reza Shah and Repressive Policies

With the Reza Khan's revolution, ruling the state passed to Pahlavi dynasty and Reza Khan became the Shah of Iran in 1926. Reza Shah established the state upon two principles, the army and the bureaucracy. He gave concessions to the military, civil bureaucracy and entrepreneurial class to gain the supports of these groups. While he tried to gain some supporters, he also tried to eliminate his opponents. Therefore, opposite parties and syndicates were closed and the other people and groups, which were against the Shah, was suppressed by the Shah in any way. Reza Shah had dreamt a strong state and modern society. Therefore, he developed some modernization programs, which include the secularization of bureaucracy, education, and legal system and the centralization of governmental system. Moreover, religious leaders were forced to remove their turbans and cloaks. The modern clothes were decreed for men, and the use of veil was outlawed for women. In spite of confrontation from the society, military forces enforced the new amendments. In order to establish a strong state and modern society, he put into force some laws. In 1928, Uniformity of Dress Law put into action, for the creation of a national Iranian identity out of many ethnic ones, often dramatized by the dress. In 1930, The Law of Sharia Courts put into action, and barred clerics from acting as judges in state courts. To insulate Iran from the ill effects of the 1929 economic depression, he nationalized import-export trade under the Monopoly of Foreign Trade Law of 1931. With the establishment of the Faculty of Theology at Tehran University in 1935, government gained direct control over many of the religious schools' administrations, teachers and students, made strong the hands of Shah in his continuing conflict with the ulema.1

Dilip Hiro, Iran under the Ayatollahs (London, Boston and Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985), pp. 26-27.

By the visit of secularist Turkey in 1934, Shah wanted to improve women's social status and for this, he opened the doors of all public places and educational institutions to women. In 1935, he forbade the veil especially the chador, which commonly used by Iranian women. For ulema, this was unacceptable because veil was sanctified by the Quran.2 In 1930s, Reza Shah dealt with the Anglo Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), which had unnamable activities in Khuzestan Region, and whose dividend was very high in oil revenues. After long negotiations, Iran began to take more dividends, but this was not the desired level for Iran. Therefore, Shahs relations with the Great Britain broke down. Meanwhile, the Shah Regime developed close connections with Nazi Germany. Ties between Berlin and Tehran grow stronger especially in the area of politics and economics. However, this situation led the perception of threat in the minds of Russia and England and then these countries invaded Iran with the aim of military aid transfer to the Soviet Russia due to the Second World War. Reza Shah was forced to resign on the behalf of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. According to Nikki R. Keddie, Iran under the rule of Reza Shah faced rapid modernization from above, along with his militantly secularist cultural and education programme. This resulted in a situation of "two cultures" in Iran. While the upper and middle class became increasingly westernized, peasants and urban classes carry on following the ulema. Gap between these classes directed people to the Islam rather than the west. This had an important role on the rise of a revolutionary movement in the late of 1970s.3

III. Iran Under The Rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Rise and Decline of Tudeh Party and Mosaddeq
Iranian people who were under the rule of Reza Shah's dictatorship did not any revolt or react against the Britain and Soviets, when they overthrow the Reza Shah, took country's major sources under their control and instead of the Reza Shah they brought Mohammad Reza. After these incidents, the period of nationalist politics began in Iran, which would continue 13 years in Iran. In this period, there was a conflict between masses and these masses respectively organized by socialist
2 3

Ibid. p. 28. Nikki R. Keddie and Yann Richard, Roots of Revolution: An Interpretive History of Modern Iran (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1981), p. 111.

movement and then nationalists. Thanks to this conflict, political power came to landowners from the Shah. With the removal of communist propaganda, Tudeh (Masses) Party had emerged which were supported by the Soviets. The members of the socialist movement were the first and real organization against the landowners. Tudeh announced its first program in September 1944.
"The aim of the Tudeh party is to unite the masses - the workers, the peasants, the traders, the craftsmen, and the progressive intellectuals. Of course, these classes have economic differences. For example, while workers posses nothing but their own labor power, craftsmen control their tools of production, and peasants either own some land or aspire to own it. In contemporary Iran, however, these differences are overshadowed by the common struggle against imperialism, against absentee landlords, against exploiting capitalists, and against industrial robber barons. Our duty is to unite the exploited classes and forge of the masses."4

Tudeh grew rapidly however; it did not have a long life in the Iran politics because of the Soviets demands from the Iran, which were the concession of searching petrol in the north of the Iran. Moreover, Soviets tried to support the independence of Azerbaijan and Kurdistan. Although, Tudeh short-lived in Iran politics, it had a long-lived intellectual and cultural effect. With the Tudeh, Iranian people met mass politics, mass participation, party cells and branches. After the decline of Tudeh Party, nationalists and Mosaddeq began to rise in the politics of Iran. Mosaddeq was European educated lawyer and his father was bureaucrat in Qajars, so he familiar with state structure and bureaucracy. With the came to Iran, he elected in parliament and after that he became prime minister. Demanding of the nationalization of the oil reserves, Mosaddeq rose rapidly in Iran politics. In the summer of 1952, he took the army under his control from the Shah. Furthermore, he tried to reduce the Shah's political power. Therefore, he attracted the attention of Britain and Shah. After that, USA and Britain for their interest, which were oil reserves, planned coup against the Mosaddeq. With the help of CIA and British MI6, they overthrew the Mosaddeq. This coup was against for both Tudeh and Mosaddeq, with this coup, Iranian people gave up any other options and they were

Iraj Iskandari, "Adress to the First Party Congress," Rahbar, 4 September 1944; quoted in Ervand Abrahamian, Iran: Between Two Revolutions (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1982), p. 281.

tied to Islamic fundamentalism. Thus, the year 1953 could be argued to extend the real roots of the 1979 revolution.5

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and His White Revolution

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi became the last Shah of Iran in 1941. Firstly, the young Shah made an agreement with the invader states for the evacuation of their soldiers after the WWII. Then, he started to re-establish the state after his father left off. He dubbed himself Arya Mehr and Shahanshah means King of the Kings. 6 When Mosaddeq and nationalists started to gain more power against the Shah, with the help of the USA and Britain, Mohammad Pahlavi dismissed him and his followers. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi banned or suppressed the Tudeh, Mosaddeq and the National Front, and other parties, after the 1953's coup. With this, by solving the oil company problem Shah reinforced his power. He ordered two of his advisor to establish a major party and legal opposition party, which were known as the Melliyun and the Mardom parties for the two-party system. 7 However, these parties did not satisfy the peoples demands of political participation. In 1957, with the help of the Israel's Mossad and USA's CIA, he established the new secret police service Sazman-i Ittila'at va Amniyat-i Keshvar (National Security and Information Organization) known as SAVAK.8 This service collected information from people and with the help of this information, they prevented a possible threat against the Shah. Thanks to the SAVAK, thousands of people jailed or tortured because of the protection to regime. This would result in the serious human rights problem later in the progression of Islamic Revolution. Shah wanted to re-establish the state by using his father's secularist state idea. Therefore, in 1963, Shah announced the White Revolution, which firstly combined of six-point reform: land reform; sale of government-owned factories to finance land reform; a new election law including woman suffrage; the nationalization of forests; a national literacy crops, mainly for rural teaching; a plan to give workers a share of

Ervand Abrahamian, A History of Modern Iran, trans. Dilek endil (stanbul: Trkiye Bankas Yaynlar, 2009), p. 161. 6 Ibid. p. 164. 7 Nikki R. Keddie and Yann Richard, Roots of Revolution: An Interpretive History of Modern Iran, p. 178-179. 8 Abrahamian, Iran Between Two Revolutions, p. 419.

industrial profits.9 When Shah announced reform programs, he wanted to eliminate possible "Red Revolution" which may come from below. However, Shah's "White Revolution" although succeed to eliminate Red ones, it also lead the important role on the progression of Islamic Revolution.10 Land reform was the crucial element of White Revolution. The stated purpose of bringing a more equal distribution of wealth and land ownership to rural people. By this reform, state restricted the power of landlords which is known as yan. Although, this reform restricted the power of landlords, bigger landowners who were closer to the Shah became much richer and capitalist. 11 Moreover, this reform did not accomplish its aim, which was ownership of all the citizens. Thanks to this reform, villagers began to migrate to the cities, who lost land and this unemployed class could have an important role in the revolutionary movement. Especially by the rise of oil prices, Shah tried to theory of trickle down the economic life with this he wanted to establish bourgeoisie class who were closer to him and posses their factory, company and so on. Afterwards, this exclusive class could recruit unemployed people in their company. Thanks to this theory wealth drop downwards by the trickle. However, in the reality this system did not realize wealth did not drop other class and hang on the upper class.12 According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1970s, Iran had the most unequal distribution of wealth among the Third World Countries. One of the most important elements of White Revolution is education mainly for rural people. As a result of this reform new and modernized primary schools, secondary schools, technical training schools and universities were established. As Table I indicates from 1953 to 1977 education system grew more than ten times. Besides this, state sent students abroad to have a well education especially to North America. Shah tried to train his followers for the help of the educational reform. However, when people became literate they understood that the Shahs system exploited them so these new literate or intellectual class could have an important role in the revolutionary movement.
9

Nikki R. Keddie and Yann Richard, Roots of Revolution: An Interpretive History of Modern Iran, p. 159. 10 Abrahamian, A History of Modern Iran, p. 183. 11 Asef Bayat, "Revolution Without Movement, Movement Without Revolution: Comparing Islam Activism in Iran and Egypt," Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol. 40, no. 1 (Jan., 1998), pp. 148-149, http://www.jstor.org/stable/179392 (accessed January 5, 2011). 12 Abrahamian, A History of Modern Iran. p. 183.

Table I: Educational Growth (Institutions and Students)13

Levelers Universities (Students) Technical Training Schools (Students) Secondary Schools (Students) Primary Schools (Students) 1953 4 (14,500) 36 (2,538) 527 (171,772) 5956 (746,473) 1977 16 (154,315) 800 (227,507) 1714 (741,000) 23476(4,078,000)

The other important reform of White Revolution is womens rights especially enfranchise. For the secularization of the state more than his father's idea, Shah forbade using veil in many areas particularly public places, schools, and so on. Moreover, he gave the right of divorce to women and forbade the married under the eighteen and polygamy for men within the scope of Law of Family Protection. In addition to this, Shah gave women the right of curettage. Many of mullahs especially Khomeini opposed these reforms because of not included in Sharia rules. Mohammed Reza Shah's modernizations were effective only in the short-run afterwards, these reforms created a complex and tensional society particularly against Shah. All these reforms made people more angry or dissatisfied towards the system on three grounds. Firstly, with the education and land reform new intellectual and urban working class grew who were against Shah permanently. Secondly, when oil boom occurred peoples expectations became higher; however, state did not satisfy these demands. Thirdly, after the womens rights ulema burst against the Shah who were under the pressure of Shah for years.14 The last but not the least important of element of Shah's modernizations is oneparty rule in the country. In March 1975, Shah abolished both the Melliyun and the Mardom parties, after that he established the Rastakhiz Party (Resurgence party) for this he wanted to control not only politicians but also all the society with the party's institutions. 15 The aim of this establishment of Rastakhiz Party was to reduce the social reaction within the society; however, party did not reach its aim and created the last piece of puzzle on the revolutionary movement. After the establishment Rastakhiz Party, the control of state rose upon the waged middle and urban labor classes and their associations. Furthermore, party wanted to control ulema and religious
13

Ervand Abrahamian, "Structural Causes of Iranian Revolution," MERIP Reports, no. 87, Iran's Revolution: The Rural Dimension (May, 1980), p. 22, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3011417 (accessed January 4, 2011). 14 Abrahamian, A History of Modern Iran. pp. 184-185. 15 Abrahamian, "Structural Causes of Iranian Revolution, p. 25.

associations so they announced Shah not only as a political leader but also as a religious leader. Therefore, they ignored the holy class. In 1976, Shah replaced the Islamic calendar with an "imperial" calendar, which began with the foundation of the Persian Empire more than 25 centuries earlier.16 These actions viewed as anti-Islamic and resulted in religious opposition. In spite of Shah tried to provide stability in the society and strengthen monarchy with the establishment of Rastakhiz Party, it increased public opinion against the Shah and cut off all connections between Shah and society.

IV. Ayatollahs Movement and Progression of Revolution

In the revolutionary movement, two figures were very important because of the rallying cry the society. First one is Ali Shariati, he was educated in France and very popular among intellectual and modern middle classes. He was one of the most important Shi'a thinkers of this century. He opposed the Shah and showed reaction with his writings. According to him, Iranian people's basic mission was save the Islam under the hand of property owners and mullahs. His aim was combining all Shi'a people against the shah dictatorship. For him the basic element of Shiism, opposing to any of oppressions especially, against the feudalism, capitalism or imperialism. On the other hand, the second and the most important figure was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the revolutionary movement. While Shariati was popular among intellectual and modern middle classes and used the Shiism against the Shah, Khomeini was popular among the ulema and traditional middle classes and his aim wanted to rallying cry people against the Shah under the roof of ulema class. For some people, Shariati was the real leader more than Khomeini on the revolutionary movement, but one of them was addressing to intellectuals, other was addressing traditional class. Shi'a Islam was one of the most important points on the Iranian Revolution, because it has both organizational and cultural effect on the society.17 In those times, both Shariati and Khomeini were important leaders among the Shi'a society.

16

Jahangir Amuzager, The Dynamics of the Iranian Revolution: The Pahlavis' Triumph and Tragedy (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1991), p. 272. 17 Theda Skocpol," Rentier State and Shi'a Islam in the Iranian Revolution," Theory and Society, vol. 11, no. 3 (May, 1982), pp. 275, http://www.jstor.org/stable/657269 (accessed January 6, 2011).

Iranian society hated the Shah Regime because of the reasons, which mentioned earlier in this text. The humiliating governmental broadcasts about Khomeini added fuel to the accumulation of the sentiments of antipathy towards the Shah Regimes fire and many protests commenced under the leadership of traditional clerics in the city of Qum, Tehran, Tabriz, and Mashed in 1978. The Shah Regime tried to suppress these demonstrations by the aid of the Regimes formal security organization, SAVAK. In September 1978, in a demonstration, which is called Black Friday, a few thousands of people were killed by SAVAK. This event was the turning point of the process of Revolution because the Shah lost his authority over the country and left from Iran.18 After fifteen days of the Shahs departure, Khomeini came back to Iran on 1 February 1979 and Islamic revolution was achieved. Henceforth, the Pahlavi dynasty concluded formally in Iran. The first performance of Ayatollah Khomeini was the appointment of Mehdi Bazargan as a prime minister. Afterwards, Iran Islamic Republic established by a referendum in March 1979. While Ebul Hasan Beni Sadr became the president of Iran in January 1980 elections, the parliament was consisted by two elections, which made in March and May 1980. The new Parliament declared the new constitution. The most important feature of this constitution was the theory of a collegially elected spiritual leader or guide, Velayet-e-Faqih. According to this, Faqih (the guide) nominates the members of Council of Guardians, which has power all over the governmental and legal institutions. However, the theory of Velayet-e- Faqih produced many problems among the Ulama.19 Ayatollah Khomeini wanted to solidify the Islamic Republic of Iran authority and hence he punished pro-Shah groups and the new Republics opposite groups, which had been effective in the process of revolution like Tudeh, Mojaheden-e Khalq and Fedaiyan-e Khalq.

18

Manouchehr Ganji, Defying Iranian Revolution: From Minister to the Shah to a Leader of Resistance (London: Praeger), pp. 14-20. 19 Tayyar Ar, Orta Dou Siyaset, Sava ve Diplomasi (Bursa: MKM(Marmara Kitap Merkezi) Yaynlar, 2008), pp. 528-529.

V. CONCLUSION
Iran Islamic Revolution did not emerge suddenly; this was the reaction of always expected. Although, Shahs always tried to carry their state and society upper level, they have never understood their people' demands, necessities etc. Indeed, society were not against of all Shah's reforms or modernizations, they did not close schools, factories after the revolution. However, these did not satisfy peoples demands in the 20th century; they wanted to participate in politics, better economic level and so on. On the other hand, they did not want to give up their cultural, religious history. They wanted to modernize however; they do not want to adopt any other culture even a little. There is no definite one cause because of the taking place of Iran Islamic Revolution. Although, many strategists argue that there are many different causes emerged in the revolutionary movement, three basic causes were important in the road to Islamic Revolution. Firstly, people realized the Shah exploited themselves and he did not allow any oppositional groups or parties against him, this was the political explanation in the revolutionary road. Secondly, especially after the land reform and oil boom people's political, economic and social expectations increased. However, Shah and his system did not satisfy peoples demands. Thirdly, culturally with the Shariati and Khomeini's Shi'a Islamic ideas increasing awareness among the society, people organized around the Shi'a Islam with the help of the Khomeini's idea. When people rallied around the Khomeini's idea, their only demanded overthrow the Shah and his system. They knew that after the revolt, they would found the republic, thus, they participate the politics, and they gain more equal social levels, economic levels and so on. That is true, because after the revolution they established republic and gained some rights, however, they also established the system of Velayet-e- Faqih who is upon the republic. The new system is worse than Shah system, because one person who known as Ayatollah has so much power if compare the Shah. In the paper, Iran ruled by republic however; in the reality ruled by dictatorship because of the Ayatollah much more power upon the republic. Although, the system of Velayet-e- Faqih is much power than the Shah system people do not against this system because this system reflects the Iran's culture, religion and value.

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