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From the Choices Program www.choices.edu Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, and Revolution 1 Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, and Revolution WWW .CHOICES .EDU ■ WATSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES , BROWN UNIVERSITY ■ CHOICES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION PROGRAM ■ Acknowledgments CHOICES Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, and Revolution was developed by the Choices for the 21st Century Education for the 21st Century Program with the assistance of the research staff of the Watson In- Education Program stitute for International Studies, scholars at Brown University, and January 2008 other experts in the field. We wish to thank the following scholars for their invaluable input: Director Susan Graseck Engin D. Akarli Joukowsky Family Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History and Professor of History, Brown University Curriculum Editor Andy Blackadar Ali Gheissari Professor of History, University of San Diego Curriculum Writer Sarah Kreckel Mariam Habibi Professor of History, New York University in Paris; Office Manager IB History Teacher, International School of Paris Anne Campau Prout Jo-Anne Hart Associate Professor, Lesley University; Outreach Coordinator Adjunct Associate Professor of International Studies (Research), Jillian McGuire Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University Professional Development Director Shahriar Mandanipour Former Visiting Fellow Mollie Hackett International Writers Program, Brown University Program Associate Linda B. Miller Sarah Massey Professor of Political Science, Emerita, Wellesley College; Adjunct Professor of Interna- tional Studies (Research), Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University Staff Associate Moniro Ravanipour Jessica de la Cruz Former Visting Fellow International Writers Program, Brown University Videographer/Editor Julia Liu We wish to thank Philip Benson, International Baccalaureate teacher at the American Community School in Beirut, Lebanon, and Mariam Habibi, International Baccalaureate teacher at the The Choices for the 21st Century Education Program develops International School of Paris for their assistance in developing curricula on current and historical this unit. international issues and offers workshops, institutes, and Thanks also to Kacey Dewing of St. Mary’s School in Medford, in-service programs for high Oregon for her contributions and suggestions. school teachers. Course materials place special emphasis on the All maps by Alexander Sayer Gard-Murray. importance of educating students in their participatory role as We wish to thank the Carnegie Corporation of New York for its citizens. generous support of this unit. The statements made and views The Choices for the 21st Century expressed are solely the responsibility of the Choices Program. Education Program is a program of the Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, and Revolution for International Studies is part of a continuing series on public policy issues. New units at Brown University. are published each academic year, and all units are updated regu- Barbara Stallings larly. Director, Watson Institute for International Studies Visit us on the World Wide Web — www.choices.edu Contents Introduction: The End of an Era 1 Part I: From Cyrus to Reza Shah 2 Early Iran 2 Islam and the Safavids 4 The Qajar Dynasty (1794-1925) 6 The Constitutional Revolution of 1906-1911 9 Reza Shah (1925-1941) Pahlavi Dynasty 12 Part II: Mossadegh to Khomeini 16 Mohammad Mossadegh and Oil Nationalization 16 Royal Dictatorship 21 The White Revolution: “Plagued by the West” 22 1979: Iranians Debate Their Future 27 Options in Brief 29 Option One: Develop a Social Democracy 30 Option Two: Build a Socialist Future 32 Option Three: The Guardianship of the Jurist 34 Epilogue: The Islamic Republic 36 Iran’s New Constitution 36 War with Iraq 39 Iran after Khomeini 42 Chronology 45 Supplementary Resources 46 THE CHOI C ES FOR T HE 21S T CEN T URY EDU C A T ION PROGRAM is a program of the Watson Institute for Inter- national Studies at Brown University. CHOI C ES was established to help citizens think constructively about foreign policy issues, to improve participatory citizenship skills, and to encourage public judgement on policy issues. The Watson Institute for International Studies was established at Brown University in 1986 to serve as a forum for students, faculty, visiting scholars, and policy practitioners who are committed to analyzing con- temporary global problems and developing initiatives to address them. © Copyright January 2008. First edition. Choices for the 21st Century Edu- cation Program. All rights reserved. ISBN 1-60123-21-4. WWW .CHOICES .EDU ■ WATSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES , BROWN UNIVERSITY ■ CHOICES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION PROGRAM ■ Iran Through the Looking Glass: ii History, Reform, and Revolution Iran Today Armenia Azerbaijan Uzbekistan Yerevan Baku Turkmenbashi Turkmenistan Turkey Nebitdag Charjew Gyzylarbat Van Caspian Astara Tabriz Ardebil Sea Ashgabat Lake Mary Orumiyeh Urmia Tejen Rasht Bandar-e Bojnurd Zanjan Torkeman Gorgan Mahabad Saragt Irbil Sarakhs Qazvin Sari Mashhad Shahrud Tehran Karkuk Sanandaj Eslamslahr Semnan Gushgy Hamadan Qom Herat Bakhtarun Arak Kashan Khorramabad Baghdad Ilam Iran Afghanistan Birjand Esfahan Dezful Iraq Farah Shahr-e Kord Yazd Bafq Ahvaz An Nasiriyah Al Basrah Khorrmshahr Abadan Yasuj Kerman Umm Oasr Kuwait Shiraz Zahedan Sirjan Bam Bandar-e Pakistan Saudi Arabia Bushehr Nok Kundi Bazman Iran Kangan Bandar-e Abbas International Boundary Persian Gulf Strait of Hormuz National Capital Bahrain Bandar-e Provinces Capital Lengeh Qatar Jask Railroad Doha Dubai Road Bandar Beheshti Gwadar Gulf of 0 250 Kilometers Abu Dhabi Oman 0 250 Miles no defined Muscat Arabian De Facto United Arab boundary Boundary Sea Emirates Oman A Note on Terms At the urging of scholars we have used Shi‘i to refer to one of the branches of Islam in these read- ings. Shi‘a is the plural form that refers to Shi’is collectively. ■ CHOICES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION PROGRAM ■ WATSON INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES , BROWN UNIVERSITY ■ WWW .CHOICES .EDU Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, and Revolution 1 Introduction: The End of an Era n January 16 1979, the shah [king] of Iran slogan. Fight for people’s freedom Oboarded a plane and left the country that and struggle against imperialism and he had ruled for thirty-eight years. The shah exploitation.” claimed he was going on an extended vaca- —Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleqani, Leading tion. Iran was in the midst of a revolution Shi‘i Cleric, January 18, 1979 and in truth, the shah knew his days as Iran’s monarch were over. The fact that he carried a This unity would not last. The Iranian container of Iranian soil in his pocket suggest- Revolution would quickly become more than ed that he knew he would never return. At the a fight for freedom from the shah. It would time of his departure, most Iranians saw the become the scene of ideological conflict and shah as a corrupt and repressive leader who uncertainty as Iranians struggled to define the was a puppet of the United States. future of Iran. Iranians were ready to replace the unjust The Iranian people were no strangers to and corrupt monarchy, but just what kind of political uncertainty. In the twentieth century government Iranians would choose remained alone, Iranians lived through three revolu- unsettled. While most Iranians agreed it was tions, two coups d’état, and three abdications. time for the shah to go, his departure marked Its geographic location and oil resources made the beginning of a fierce debate about Iran’s it highly desirable to Russia, Great Britain, and future. Many Iranians imagined an Iran with the United States, who wished to control and a parliamentary system and laws modeled on influence its politics. Western nations. Others hoped for a govern- As you read in the coming