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{{Infobox_Monarch | name =Reza Shah Pahlavi
{{Infobox_Monarch | name =Reza Shah Pahlavi


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'''Reza Shah''', also '''''Reza Pahlavi''''' ({{lang-fa|رضا پهلوی}} ''Rez̤ā Pahlavī''), ([[March 16]], [[1878]] &ndash; [[July 26]], [[1944]]), was [[Shah]] of [[Iran]]<ref name="Columbia_Encyclopedia"> The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition: [http://www.bartleby.com/65/re/RezaShah.html Reza Shah]</ref> from [[December 15]], [[1925]] until he was forced to abdicate by the [[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran]] in [[September 16]], [[1941]] by British and Soviet forces. <ref>Mohsen M. Milani (1994), The Making of Iran's Islamic Revolution: From Monarchy to Islamic Republic. ISBN 0813384761</ref> His reign lasted almost 16 years.
'''Reza Shah''', also '''Reza Pahlavi''',({{lang-fa|رضا پهلوی}} ''Rez̤ā Pahlavī'') ([[March 16]], [[1878]] &ndash; [[July 26]], [[1944]]), was [[Shah]] and dictator of [[Iran]]<ref> The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition</ref> from [[December 15]], [[1925]] until [[September 16]], [[1941]] when he was [[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran|forced to abdicate]] by British and Soviet forces. He established an authoritarian, corrupt,and repressive regime<ref>On Reza Shah's corruption, see Mohammad Gholi Majd, Great Britain and Reza Shah: The Plunder of Iran, 1921-1941 (University Press of Florida, 2001). </ref> that valued Persian nationalism, militarism, secularism and anti-communism combined with strict censorship and state propaganda. <ref> Michael P. Zirinsky; "Imperial Power and Dictatorship: Britain and the Rise of Reza Shah, 1921-1926", International Journal of Middle East Studies 24 (1992), 639-663, Cambridge University Press </ref><ref>All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror,
by Stephen Kinzer. John Wiley and Sons, 2003. 258 pages, ISBN 0-471-26517-9

</ref>.
He established an authoritarian regime that valued [[Iranian nationalism|nationalism]], [[militarism]], [[secularism]] and [[anti-communism]] combined with strict censorship and state propaganda. <ref> Michael P. Zirinsky; "Imperial Power and Dictatorship: Britain and the Rise of Reza Shah, 1921-1926", International Journal of Middle East Studies 24 (1992), 639-663, Cambridge University Press </ref><ref>All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror, by Stephen Kinzer. John Wiley and Sons, 2003. 258 pages, ISBN 0-471-26517-9</ref>
He tried some socio-economical reforms to westernize Iran, but his solutions were mostly superficial <ref> Richard W. Cottam, Nationalism in Iran, University of Pittsburgh Press, ISBN o-8229-3396-7</ref> .

He gave himself the title of 'King-of-kings' (Shahanshah), and 'the Great' (Kabir).
Reza Shah introduced many socio-economic reforms, reorganizing the army, government administration, and finances. <ref name="Columbia_Encyclopedia"/> However his attempts of modernisation reforms have been crticised for being "too fast". <ref> The Origins of the Iranian Revolution by Roger Homan. International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), Vol. 56, No. 4 (Autumn, 1980), pp. 673-677 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0020-5850%28198023%2956%3A4%3C673%3ATOOTIR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K&size=LARGE Link]</ref>


==Name==
==Name==
In the early stages of his life, Reza Shah was known as '''Reza Savad-Koohi''', because of his birth place (see below). Later on, when he joined the military, he became known as '''Reza Khan''', and later as '''Reza Khan Mirpanj''', his full military title at the time. Upon becoming minister of war, he was known as '''Reza Khan Sardar Sepah''', which in Persian roughly means ''Reza Khan, head of the armed forces''. Upon securing his position as the Shah of Persia, he chose the surname '''Pahlavi''' (surnames did not exist in Persia before this date, and were introduced as one of the modernization measures during his reign {{Fact|date=February 2007}}). From then on, he was referred to as '''Reza Shah Pahlavi'''. In December 1925, the Iranian parliament named Reza Khan the new Shahanshah (King of Kings) <ref>The Jewish Shah. Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction - Volume 6, Number 2, Fall 2004, pp. 49-65</ref>
In the early stages of his life, Reza Shah was known as '''Reza Savad-Koohi''', because of his birth place (see below). Later on, when he joined the military, he became known as '''Reza Khan''', and later as '''Reza Khan Mirpanj''', his full military title at the time. Upon becoming minister of war, he was known as '''Reza Khan Sardar Sepah''', which in Persian roughly means ''Reza Khan, head of the armed forces''. Upon securing his position as the Shah of Persia, he chose the surname '''Pahlavi''' (surnames did not exist in Persia before this date, and were introduced as one of the modernization measures during his reign {{Fact|date=February 2007}}). From then on, he was referred to as '''Reza Shah Pahlavi'''.


==Early life==
==Early life==

Revision as of 17:17, 8 March 2007

Reza Shah Pahlavi
Shah of Iran
ReignDecember 15, 1925 - September 16, 1941
PredecessorAhmad Shah Qajar
SuccessorMohammad Reza Pahlavi
IssueFatemeh, Shams, Mohammad, Ashraf, Ali, Gholam, Abdul, Ahmad, Mahmud, Fatimeh, Hamid Reza Pahlavi
HousePahlavi dynasty
FatherAbbas Ali Khan
MotherNoush Afrin

Reza Shah, also Reza Pahlavi,(Persian: رضا پهلوی Rez̤ā Pahlavī) (March 16, 1878 – July 26, 1944), was Shah and dictator of Iran[1] from December 15, 1925 until September 16, 1941 when he was forced to abdicate by British and Soviet forces. He established an authoritarian, corrupt,and repressive regime[2] that valued Persian nationalism, militarism, secularism and anti-communism combined with strict censorship and state propaganda. [3][4]. He tried some socio-economical reforms to westernize Iran, but his solutions were mostly superficial [5] . He gave himself the title of 'King-of-kings' (Shahanshah), and 'the Great' (Kabir).

Name

In the early stages of his life, Reza Shah was known as Reza Savad-Koohi, because of his birth place (see below). Later on, when he joined the military, he became known as Reza Khan, and later as Reza Khan Mirpanj, his full military title at the time. Upon becoming minister of war, he was known as Reza Khan Sardar Sepah, which in Persian roughly means Reza Khan, head of the armed forces. Upon securing his position as the Shah of Persia, he chose the surname Pahlavi (surnames did not exist in Persia before this date, and were introduced as one of the modernization measures during his reign [citation needed]). From then on, he was referred to as Reza Shah Pahlavi.

Early life

Reza Pahlavi was born in the city of Alasht in Savad Kooh county, Mazandaran in 1878. His father, Colonel Abbas Ali Khan, had been a member of the provincial army. When Reza Khan was fifteen years old, he joined the Persian Cossack Brigade, in which, years later, he would become a commander.

He also served in the Iranian Army, where he gained the rank of gunnery sergeant under Qajar Prince Abdol Hossein Mirza Farmanfarma's command. He rose through the ranks, eventually holding a comission as a Brigadier General in the Persian Cossack Brigade. He was the last and only Iranian commander of the Persian Cossack Brigade. He was also one of the last individuals to become an officer of the Nishan-e-Aqdas prior to the collapse of the Qajar dynasty in 1925.[6]

Rise to power

Main article: Iranian Constitutional Revolution

Overthrow of the Qajar dynasty

File:Reza Shah MoW.jpg
Reza Shah during his time as Minister of War.

On February 21, 1921, Reza Khan Mirpanj (Persian: رضا خان میرپنج) staged a coup d'état together with Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee, to get control over a country which had practically no functioning central government at the time.

Commanding a Russian-trained Cossack Brigade, Reza Khan marched his troops from Qazvin, 150 kilometres to the west of Tehran, and seized key parts of the capital city almost without opposition and forced the government to resign.[7]

With the success of the coup, Tabatabaee became the Prime Minister of Iran. Reza Khan's first role in the new government was as commander of the army, which, in April 1921, he combined with the post of Minister of War. At the same time, he took the title Reza Khan Sardar Sepah (رضا خان سردار سپه).

In 1921 there were a number of revolts against the coup. In May 1921, a soviet socialist republic was briefly established in Gilan by Mīrzā Kūchak Khān, a patriot from Rasht, as the prime minister. Kurds of Khorasan also revolted in the same year. [8]

According to some sources, the involvement of the British Empire through the office of General Edmund Ironside helped Reza Khan come to power in the 1920s. This was noted as early as March 1921 by the American embassy and relayed to the Iran desk at the Foreign Office [9] A British Embassy report from 1932 even states that the British put Reza Shah "on the throne". [10] [11] [12] [13][14]

Seizure of the Persian throne

Personal flag of Reza Shah from 1925 to 1944.

On October 26, 1923, Reza had seized control of Iran and forced the young Ahmad Shah Qajar to exile in Europe. As the Prime Minister, Reza Khan wanted to secure his power in opposition to any potential restoration of Qajar house. He now machinated for a republic and his military junta started a massive propaganda campaign for establishment of a republic.[15][16] However, the idea of a republic was fiercely opposed by the powerful clergymen, and the feudal landlords.[17]. Some leaders of the National Assembly of Iran, known as the Majlis, particularly Hassan Modarres and the young Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh forcefully opposed Reza Khan’s plan to consolidate his autocracy. His supremacy was imposed by 1925 with the subjugation of all tribal insurrections and nationalists’ unrest. He maneuvered against Qajar dynasty and in October forced the parliament to depose the young King. He assured the landlords and the conservative clergy that he would defend Islamic law and would not undertake any radical reform. The Majlis, convening as a constituent assembly on December 12, 1925, declared him the Shah.[7][15]

Three days later, on December 15, 1925, he took his imperial oath and thus became the first Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty. It was not until April 25, 1926 that Reza Shah would receive his coronation and first place the Imperial Crown on his head. At the same ceremony his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was proclaimed the Crown Prince of Persia – to rule after his father.[18]

Reign and modernization

Reza Shah at the opening ceremony of the University of Tehran's Faculty of Medicine.

During Reza Shah's sixteen years of rule, major developments, such as large road construction projects and the Trans-Iranian Railway were built, modern education was introduced and the University of Tehran was established.[19] The government sponsored European educations for many Iranian students. [20] These industrial reforms in Iran were often advantageous for British interest. For example, in spite of the fact that economically an east-west railway system was justifiable, Reza Khan constructed an uneconomical north-south system that was beneficial for the British who had a military presence in the south of Iran and wanted to transfer their troops to Russia and the Indian subcontinent as part of their strategic defence plan.[16]

Under Reza Shah's watch, the country changed its name as well. According to The New York Times, "At the suggestion of the Persian Legation in Berlin, the Teheran government, on the Persian New Year, March 21, 1935, substituted Iran for Persia as the official name of the country. It has been suggested that this decision was the result of the Nazi revival of interest in the Aryan race, cradled in ancient Persia. As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set forth in its memorandum on the subject, 'Perse,' the French designation of Persia, connoted the weakness and tottering independence of the country in the nineteenth century, when it was the chessboard of European imperialistic rivalry. 'Iran,' by contrast, conjured up memories of the vigor and splendor of its historic past."[21] The very name “Iran” means “Land of the Aryans”.

Along with the modernization of the nation [citation needed], Reza Shah was the ruler during the time of the Women's Awakening (1936-1941) where the issue of "unveiling" was couched in women's liberation, but was in fact a government controlled action to further the paternal image and give the appearance of modernity. The purpose of the Women’s Awakening was to create equilibrium between emancipating and controlling women because the Pahlavi regime prior to Reza Shah had brought male guardianship and modern Iranian womanhood to a critical point. Propaganda was used to explain that veils impeded physical exercise and the woman's ability to enter society in order to contribute to the progress of the nation. It was spoken of explicitly in religious terms, but more forcefully mentioned in pseudo-scientific and nationalistic terms. The unveiling issue and the Women's Awakening are linked to the Marriage Law of 1931 and the Second Congress of Eastern Women in Tehran in 1932.

By the mid-1930s, Reza Shah's constructive, but dictatorial style of rule had caused intense dissatisfaction to the Shi'a clergy throughout Iran, thus widening the gap between religion and government.[22] He forbade photographing aspects of Iran he considered backwards, like camels, he banned Iranian dress and chadors in favour of Western dress. [23] Women who resisted this compulsory unveiling had their veils forcibly removed. He dealt harshly with opposition: troops were sent to massacre protesters at mosques and nomads who refused to settle; newspapers were closed and liberals imprisoned.[23] He also used his power to vastly increase his fortune, becoming the biggest landowner in Iran, proprietor of nearly three thousand villages, as well as many factories and enterprises.[23]

By the late 1930s, Reza Shah had become increasingly despotic and disliked [24] . The parliament assented to his decrees [25]the free press was suppressed, and swift incarceration of the political leaders like Mossadegh and murder of some like Teymourtash, and Davar halted the formation of any democratic process. He treated the urban middle class, the managers and technocrats with iron-hand, as a result his state-owned industries remained unproductive and inefficient[26] . The bureaucracy fell apart before him since anyone could be whisked away to prison at any moment for disobeying his whims [27] He confiscated land from the Qajars and from the rivals to usurp it into his own estates. The corruption continued under his rule and even became institutionalized. Progress toward modernization was spotty and isolated [28]. He became totally dependent on his military force, and the army, wich in return regularly received up to 50 percent of the public revenue to guarantee its loyalty. [29]

Deposition and death

Nazi Germany, desirous of the Persian Gulf oil, courted Reza Shah throughout 1930s. They began to send a significant number of operatives into Iran, and helped him to develop an infant arms industry, and train his army, they built impressive edifices in Tehran to house the Iranian government, and they improved the railroads and other infrastructural projects. Furthermore, they convinced Reza of the Aryan origins of Persia. He changed the name of the country to Iran, mainly to signify the Aryan aspect of his regime. His futile hope was that by siding with victorious Germans he guarantees himself more power and fortune [30] Fearing that Reza Shah was about to align his petroleum-rich country with Nazi Germany during the war, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union occupied Iran and forced Reza Shah to abdicate in favour of his son (see also Persian Corridor).[31]

The Shah's son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, officially replaced his father on the throne on September 16, 1941. Reza Shah soon went into exile, first to Mauritius, then to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he died on July 26, 1944, aged 66. After his death, a mausoleum was built in his honor in Iran, where his body was buried. His son later designated the title "the Great" to be added to his name.

Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Reza Shah's mausoleum was destroyed under the direction of Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali, which was sanctioned by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.[32]

Family

Reza Shah's first wife, whom he married in 1894, was Maryam Khanum (died 1904). They had one daughter:

His second wife was Tadj ol-Molouk, by whom he had five children:

In 1922 (divorced 1923), Reza Shah married Turan (Qamar al Molk) Amir Soleimani (1904 – 1995), by whom he had one son:[33]

Reza Shah's fourth wife was Esmat Dowlatshahi (1904-1995), by whom he had five children:

See also

References

  1. ^ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition
  2. ^ On Reza Shah's corruption, see Mohammad Gholi Majd, Great Britain and Reza Shah: The Plunder of Iran, 1921-1941 (University Press of Florida, 2001).
  3. ^ Michael P. Zirinsky; "Imperial Power and Dictatorship: Britain and the Rise of Reza Shah, 1921-1926", International Journal of Middle East Studies 24 (1992), 639-663, Cambridge University Press
  4. ^ All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror, by Stephen Kinzer. John Wiley and Sons, 2003. 258 pages, ISBN 0-471-26517-9
  5. ^ Richard W. Cottam, Nationalism in Iran, University of Pittsburgh Press, ISBN o-8229-3396-7
  6. ^ Christopher Buyers, Persia, The Qajar Dynasty: Orders & Decorations
  7. ^ a b Error in Webarchive template: Empty url. para. 2, 3
  8. ^ On these postwar movements see especially Cottam, Richard W Nationalism in Iran: Updated through 1978, 2nd ed. Pittsburg. University of Pittsburg Press. 1979
  9. ^ Zirinsky M.P. Imperial Power and dictatorship: Britain and the rise of Reza Shah 1921-1926. International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 24, 1992. p.646
  10. ^ FO 371 16077 E2844 dated 8 June 1932
  11. ^ The Memoirs of Anthony Eden are also explicit about Britain's role in putting Reza Khan in power
  12. ^ Ansari, Ali M. Modern Iran since 1921. Longman. 2003 ISBN 0-582-35685-7 p.26-31
  13. ^ For fine discussions of this period and Ironsides's key role, see R.H. Ullman, Anglo-Soviet Relations 1917-1921, 3 (Princeton, 1972)
  14. ^ D. Wright, The English amongst the Persians (London, 1977), pp. 180-84. Ironside's diary is the main document
  15. ^ a b Nikki R Keddie (1981). Roots of Revolution; An Interpretive History of Modern Iran. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. Page 91. ISBN 0300026064. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ a b Makki Hossein (1324 (1945)). History of Iran in Twenty Years, Vol. II, Preparation for the Change of Monarchy. Tehran: Nasher Publication, Printed by Mohammad Ali Elmi. pp. PP 484-485. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  17. ^ ibid, keddie, page 91 and Makki page 497. See also Sullivan, William H, Mission to Iran, W.W.Norton and Company,1981 page48
  18. ^ "Timeline: Iran; A chronology of key events". bbc.co.uk. January 22, 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
  19. ^ [Suspect, POV, not pier reviewed, http://www.tufts.edu/as/stu-org/persian/irannew.html Iran]: Recent History, The Education System
  20. ^ Suspect, POV, not from Pier Reviewed Source,John Stanton, Iran's Reza Pahlavi: A Puppet of the US and Israel?
  21. ^ Oliver McKee Jr., New Names of Places: Change of Santo Domingo to Trujillo City Recalls Others, The New York Times, 26 June 1933, p. XX9.
  22. ^ Rajaee,Farhang, Islamic Values and World View: Farhang Khomeyni on Man, the State and International Politics, Volume XIII (PDF), University Press of America. ISBN 0-8191-3578-X
  23. ^ a b c Kapuściński, Ryszard. Shah of Shahs. Translated from Polish by William R. Brand and Katarzyna Mroczkowska-Brand. New York: Vintage International, 1992.
  24. ^ Nikki R. Keddie and Yann Richard, Roots of Revolution, 1981, Yale University, ISBN 0-300-02606-4
  25. ^ Barry Rubin, Paved with Good Intentions: The American Experience and Iran, Oxford University Press Inc. 1980, ISBN 0-14-00-5964-4 and Richard W Cottam, Nationalism in Iran, University of Pittsburgh Press 1979. ISBN 0-8229-3596-7
  26. ^ See: Barry Rubin Paved With Good Intentions: The American Experience and Iran, Oxford University Presss. Inc. 1980, and also Penguin Books 1981 pages 14 and 15
  27. ^ Barry Rubin, Paved with Good Intentions: The American Experience and Iran, Oxford University Press Inc. 1980, ISBN 0-14-00-5964-4
  28. ^ Nikki R. Keddie and Yann Richard, Roots of Revolution, 1981, Yale University, ISBN 0-300-02606-4
  29. ^ See: Barry Rubin Paved With Good Intentions: The American Experience and Iran, Oxford University Presss. Inc. 1980, and also Penguin Books 1981 pages 14 and 15
  30. ^ see William H. Sullivan, Mission to Iran, 1981, W.W. Norton & Company , New York, London.
  31. ^ Middle Eastern Timeline: Western World, Persian and Arab World: 1941
  32. ^ Obituary: Ayatollah Sadeq Khalkhali – Hardline cleric known as the "hanging judge" of Iran by Adel Darwish, The Independent, Nov 29, 2003.
  33. ^ History of Iran: Reza Shah Pahlavi at the Iran Chamber Society
Reza Shah
Born: 16 March 1878 Died: 26 July 1944
Regnal titles
Preceded by Shah of Iran
1925–1941 		Succeeded by
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