Isabella Carter
Iran was a monarchy from the 7th century BCE until 1979. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1906 under the Qajar dynasty, but during the rule of Reza Shah, it underwent a period of autocracy from 1925 to 1941. After Reza Shah's abdication in 1941, Iran returned to being a constitutional monarchy and active parliamentary democracy until the 1970s. The Pahlavi dynasty, founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, ruled Iran as a constitutional monarchy from 1925 until 1953, and as an autocratic monarchy until 1979. The monarchy was abolished after the 1979 Revolution, and the Islamic Republic of Iran was established under the leadership of Ruhollah Khomeini. Today, there are still Iranian monarchists who advocate for the restoration of the constitutional monarchy, including the former Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, who has suggested that the monarch should be elected.
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What You'll Learn
Iran's monarchy was abolished after the 1979 Revolution
Iran's monarchy was abolished following the 1979 Revolution, which overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty and ended the country's long history of monarchy. The revolution, also known as the Islamic Revolution, was a series of events that culminated in the fall of the Imperial State of Iran and its head, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
The revolution was led by the religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who returned to Iran from exile in February 1979 and was greeted by millions of supporters. The monarchy was officially abolished on February 11, 1979, and Khomeini assumed leadership, establishing the Islamic Republic of Iran under his Supreme Leadership. The new government began drafting the present-day Constitution of the Islamic Republic, which was approved by a referendum in March 1979, with 98% voting in favour.
The 1979 Revolution was the culmination of decades of popular discontent, economic turmoil, and an increasingly repressive regime. It brought together Iranians from various social groups, including clergy, landowners, intellectuals, and merchants. The revolution was marked by widespread protests, strikes, and civil resistance, with millions demanding the removal of the Shah and the return of Khomeini. The Shah, who had become increasingly autocratic, fled the country in January 1979, leaving his duties to the Regency Council and Shapour Bakhtiar, the opposition-based prime minister.
The success of the revolution surprised many, as it occurred in a country experiencing relative prosperity and without the customary causes of revolutionary sentiment, such as defeat in war or financial crisis. The revolution transformed Iran's political system, ending the monarchy and establishing an Islamic republic. While some Iranian monarchists have advocated for the restoration of the monarchy, the idea of an elected monarch has also been proposed, blurring the lines between a monarchy and a republic.
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The Pahlavi dynasty was the last Iranian royal dynasty
Iran was a monarchy from the 7th century BCE until 1979. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1906 under the Qajar dynasty. The Pahlavi dynasty was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling from 1925 until 1979, when it was overthrown as part of the Islamic Revolution, which ended the Iranian monarchy and established the current Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Pahlavi dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier. Reza Shah came to power following a coup d'état against the Qajar dynasty in 1921. In 1925, Iran's Majlis deposed Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last ruler under the Qajar dynasty, and declared Reza Shah the new shah of the Imperial State of Persia (later Iran). Reza Shah ruled until 1941 when he was forced to abdicate by the Allies due to his expansion of trade with Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
Reza Shah's son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, succeeded him as Shah. During his reign, Iran remained a constitutional monarchy and active parliamentary democracy, although the Shah retained extensive legal executive powers. The Pahlavi regime was marked by the use of secret police, torture, and executions to stifle political dissent. In the late 1970s, the Shah pushed forward democratic reforms designed to restore the constitutional monarchy, but these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
In 1978, a revolution broke out, culminating in the Shah fleeing the country in January 1979. The Islamic Republic of Iran was established in April 1979, officially abolishing the monarchy. The Pahlavi dynasty lasted for approximately 53 years and consisted of just two rulers: Reza Shah Pahlavi and his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
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The Shah's government collapsed and the Second Revolution began
Iran was a monarchy from the 7th century BCE until 1979, when the Shah's government collapsed and the Islamic Republic of Iran was established. The Shah's government collapsed due to a combination of factors, including increasing opposition from religious and political leaders, economic instability, and the Shah's own health issues.
In the late 1970s, the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, faced growing opposition to his rule. The Shah had launched the White Revolution, a broad government program that included land reform, infrastructure development, voting rights for women, and the reduction of illiteracy. While these programs were applauded by many, they were criticized by religious leaders who saw them as a Westernization of Iran. The benefits of the economic growth were also not distributed evenly, and inflation and stagnation of buying power furthered discontent among the lower and middle classes.
The religious leader Ruhollah Khomeini, living in exile in Paris, became a focal point for this opposition. In 1978, anti-Shah demonstrations broke out in Iran's major cities, and on September 8, 1978, the Shah's security forces fired on demonstrators, killing hundreds. Two months later, thousands rioted in Tehran, destroying symbols of Westernization. On December 11, 1978, a group of soldiers mutinied and attacked the Shah's security officers, and the Shah fled the country on January 16, 1979, seeking treatment for terminal cancer.
During his exile, Khomeini coordinated the opposition, demanding the Shah's abdication. In April 1979, a referendum resulted in the declaration of an Islamic republic in Iran. The new provisional revolutionary government officially abolished the monarchy and declared Iran to be a republic. This marked the beginning of the Second Revolution, with the end goal of establishing the Islamic Republic of Iran under the Supreme Leadership of Ruhollah Khomeini.
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The Islamic Republic of Iran was established in 1979
Iran was a monarchy from the 7th century BCE until 1979. It first became a constitutional monarchy in 1906 under the Qajar dynasty, but underwent a period of autocracy during the years 1925–1941 during the rule of Reza Shah, who, after staging a coup d'état, founded the Pahlavi dynasty. After Reza Shah's abdication in 1941, the Iranian National Assembly was restored to power, and Iran remained a constitutional monarchy and active parliamentary democracy until 1979.
In the late 1970s, the Shah pushed forward with democratic reforms designed to restore the constitutional monarchy. However, several uprisings in 1978 and 1979, as well as the Shah's terminal cancer diagnosis, led to the Shah fleeing the country with his family. The Islamic Republic of Iran was established in April 1979, under the Supreme Leadership of the religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The monarchy was officially abolished, bringing to an end Iran's long history of monarchy.
Since the Islamic Republic was established, there have been calls to restore the constitutional monarchy. The Pahlavi dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1925 until 1979, has supporters who want to see it revived. However, the former Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, has stated that the matter should be decided by Iranians themselves in a national referendum. Pahlavi has also expressed a preference for an elective monarchy over a hereditary one.
While some Iranian monarchists have welcomed Pahlavi's comments, others have questioned his reluctance to lead a potential constitutional monarchy. It is unclear which type of governmental system he will ultimately endorse.
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Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, advocates for an elected monarch
Iran was a monarchy or composed of multiple smaller monarchies from the 7th century BCE until 1979. It first became a constitutional monarchy in 1906 under the Qajar dynasty, but underwent a period of autocracy during the years 1925–1941 during the rule of Reza Shah. After Reza Shah's abdication in 1941, the Iranian National Assembly was restored to power. During the years 1941 to 1953, Iran remained a constitutional monarchy and active parliamentary democracy with Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi retaining extensive legal executive powers. However, the era of constitutional monarchy gradually came to an end as the Shah increasingly exercised his executive powers unilaterally, thus leading towards the development of autocracy. By the early 1970s, with most political parties having been banned, Iran had effectively become a one-party state under the royalist Rastakhiz Party.
In 1979, a revolution broke out that forced the shah to flee the country and abolished the monarchy, establishing the Islamic Republic of Iran under the Supreme Leadership of Ruhollah Khomeini. Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, has called for an end to the Islamic Republic government and the reinstatement of democracy in the nation. Pahlavi, whose family was exiled from Iran following the 1979 revolution, has a large fan base in Iran and abroad. He has long campaigned for a secular and democratic Iran rather than a restoration of the monarchy, advocating for human rights, democracy, and unity among Iranians in and outside Iran. He has stated that the Iranian people should decide on the future form of the government, and has called for a separation of religion and state in Iran and free and fair elections.
In an exclusive TV interview with VOA Persian in Washington in April 2021, Pahlavi called on Iranians to consider creating an elected monarch position as part of any system that replaces the Islamic republic, while downplaying the prospect that he would serve in such a role. Pahlavi supporters want him to head a revived Iranian monarchy, but he has stated that the matter is for Iranians themselves to decide in a national referendum. Pahlavi has said that he will continue to advocate for the rights of the Iranian people and stand with them against their Islamist rulers.
Pahlavi has faced criticism from some dissident activists who do not see him as the leader of the opposition, and there is debate over whether he intends to endorse a monarchical or republican form of government. Pahlavi has also defended some of his father's policies, arguing that many of the prisoners held by SAVAK, the secret police, domestic security and intelligence service under the last monarch, were among thousands of Soviet KGB agents active in Iran.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Iran is not a constitutional monarchy. Iran was a monarchy from the 7th century BCE until 1979 when the monarchy was abolished after the 1979 Revolution.
Iran is currently an Islamic republic, established in April 1979 under the Supreme Leadership of Ruhollah Khomeini.
Yes, there have been efforts to restore the monarchy in Iran. Iranian monarchists have advocated for the restoration of the constitutional monarchy, and some have called for an elected monarch position. However, the country's Islamist rulers have shown no signs of giving up power.
