ایران Political and Economic Change

ایران Political and Economic Change

OVERVIEW Iran: In Farsi, land of the Aryans Aryan : Romanized from Sanskrit ārya, meaning noble Therefore, Iran land of the nobles Home to some of the earliest empires in the world, including the first large empire in world history

4000 YEARS OF HISTORY IN 1 SLIDE AND 9 BULLET POINTS Elamite Empire ( 2700 644 BCE) Median Empire (728 550 BCE) Achmaenid Empire (550 330 BCE) Seleucid Empire (306 c.150 BCE) Parthian Empire (247 BCE 224 CE) Sassanid Empire (224 642 CE) Islamic conquest of the Sassanids, 630 s A succession of dynasties that I m sure did something important, but we don t have time for now Safavid Empire, (1502 1722)

THE SAFAVIDS Established Iran s Shiite identity Tolerated Sunnis, People of the Book Claimed to be tied to Twelve Imams However, started as a militant Sufi order under Turkish/Mongolian rule; converted to Shi a by 1500 Adopted Persian language and customs Capital in Isfahan, a Persian-speaking city Bureaucracy staffed by Persian scribes

ECONOMIC WOES OF THE SAFAVIDS Lack of access to trade routes Silk Road trade routes had broken up Oceanic trade shifted to Indian, Atlantic Oceans, and Isfahan was landlocked, anyway Lack of arable land = lack of agriculture Lack of resources leads to decline in legitimacy

THE QAJARS (1794 1925) 1722: Afghan tribes invade Isfahan, ending the Safavid Empire. Disarray for half century before Turkish Qajars conquer. Divide between religion and government expands Shia clerics increase in power

THE QAJARS 19 TH -20 TH CENTURIES Lost land in the north(west) to Russia Capital moved to Tehran Sold oil-drilling rights to Britain Iran falls into serious debt Dependent on loans from European banks Iranians blamed the shah and his lavish lifestyle

REVOLUTION I: THE CONSTITUTION (1905-1909) Began with business owners and bankers, spread to the middle class Suspected the shah was basically handing their money over to Europe Iranically, Britain encouraged the shah to concede Protesters demanded a written constitution Constitutional features: Direct elections Separation of powers Laws made by an elected legislature Popular sovereignty A Bill of Rights Equality before the law Protections for those accused of crimes Freedom of expression

THE CONSTITUTION, CONT. Retained the monarchy Power offset by new legislative assembly, the Majles Which was, itself, offset by the Guardian Council Shiism declared the official state religion

NOT SO FAST, CONSTITUTION! Early 20 th century: Russia and Britain each claim a part of Iran, leaving one part for the Iranians themselves Majles paralyzed by polarization

THE PAHLAVIS (1925 1979) Colonel Reza Khan carries out a coup d etat, establishes his own Pahlavi dynasty His son, Muhammad Reza Shah, takes over in 1941 Authoritarian rule comes back to Iran (Majles weakened), but not without opposition Tudeh (Masses) Party -- Communists National Front, led by Muhammad Mosaddeq

REVOLUTION II: THE SHORT ONE Mossadeq and the National Front grow more powerful, thanks to Iranian middle-class nationalism Mossadeq elected prime minister in 1951 Advocated for nationalizing Iranian oil, monopolized by a British corporation Grew so powerful that the shah fled the country Things are looking up for Iranian democracy!

OR NOT. NEVER MIND. The British sponsor an overthrow of Mossadeq With help from the US, the shah is reinstalled Seeds of mistrust in Britain and the US are sown

PAHLAVINOMICS Oil! Oil turns Iran into a rentier state Majority of their income comes from foreign investment Iran becomes a one-product economy (oil 97% of GDP) White Revolution (1970s): anti-communist land distribution Government buys land, sells it to small farmer Controversial, because it also secularized by extending voting rights to women, restricting polygamy, and allowing women to work outside the home. Benefited the rich. Muhammed Reza Shah is the Porfirio (Richfirio) Diaz of Iran

REVOLUTION III: THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION 1979: Revolution against the shah, and against the US Iranian Hostage Crisis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7rauqqp_e8 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini: US as Great Satan Led by Khomeini, revolution aimed to establish a religious republic

THE NEW REPUBLIC Khomeini s new constitution built on a variety of philosophies Religious fundamentalism Anti-imperialism Lofty liberal principles, like gender equality, social justice, freedom of speech, etc. Things are looking up for Iranian democracy!

OR NOT. NEVER MIND. Almost immediately after, Saddam Hussein attacks Supplied with chemical and biological weapons from the US America s support of Hussein curbs the evolution of the republic The republic lashes back: Dissent oppressed, as often happens in wartime Regime becomes totalitarian, ultraconservative

POST-KHOMEINI Ali Khamenei becomes the new Supreme Leader Lacks Khomeini s academic credentials Some question his legitimacy, and those of the clerics in general Conservatism still strong today, though President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Most of the candidates for president are very conservative

THE ISLAMIC CULTURUAL REVOLUTION (1979-1989) Similar to Mao s Cultural Revolution in China To purify the country from secular values and behaviors Universities purged of liberals/western-leaning Opposition and civil society repressed

THE ISLAMIC REFORMATION Iranians now more accepting of democracy Comes from within, not forced upon them Islamic ideals already egalitarian, compatible with democracy Iran is the home of what is termed the Islamic Reformation: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/opinion/anislamic-reformation.html One writer points out, a Reformation of sorts already happened: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/opinion/anislamic-reformation.html

BIBLIOGRAPHY No God But God, by Reza Aslan http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/opinion/anislamic-reformation.html http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/04/opinion/anislamic-reformation.html http://www.iranchamber.com/history/historic_per iods.php The textbook, of course