Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi,
Shah of Iran,
Shah of Persia (
Persian: محمدرضا شاه پهلوی ;
[mohæmˈmæd reˈzɒː ˈʃɒːhe pæhlæˈviː]; 26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980), ruled
Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the
Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979. He was the second and last monarch of the
House of Pahlavi of the
Iranian monarchy. Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi held several titles: His Imperial Majesty,
Shahanshah (King of Kings,[SUP]
[1][/SUP] Emperor),
Aryamehr (Light of the
Aryans) and Bozorg Arteshtārān (Head of the Warriors,[SUP]
[2][/SUP]
Persian: بزرگ ارتشتاران).
Mohammad Reza Shah came to power during
World War II after an
Anglo-Soviet invasion forced the abdication of his father
Reza Shah. During his reign, the Iranian oil industry was
nationalized under Prime Minister
Mohammad Mosaddegh, and Iran marked the anniversary of
2,500 years of continuous monarchy since the founding of the
Persian Empire by
Cyrus the Great. The Shah's
White Revolution, a series of economic and social reforms intended to transform Iran into a global power, succeeded in modernizing the nation, nationalizing many natural resources, and extending
suffrage to women.
A secular Muslim himself, the Shah gradually lost support from the
Shi'a clergy of Iran, particularly due to his strong policy of
modernization, secularization, conflict with the traditional class of merchants known as
bazaari, and recognition of
Israel. Various additional controversial policies were enacted, including the banning of the
communist Tudeh Party, and a general suppression of political dissent by Iran's
intelligence agency,
SAVAK.
Amnesty International reported that in 1978 Iran had as many as 2,200
political prisoners, a number which multiplied rapidly as a result of the revolution.[SUP]
[citation needed][/SUP]
Several other factors contributed to strong opposition to the Shah among certain groups within Iran, the most notable of which were the
U.S. and UK backed coup d'état against Mosaddegh in 1953, clashes with
Islamists, and increased communist activity. By 1979, political unrest had transformed into a revolution which, on 16 January, forced the Shah to leave Iran. Soon thereafter, the Iranian monarchy was formally abolished, and Iran was declared an
Islamic republic. Facing likely
execution should he return to Iran, he died in exile in
Egypt, whose President,
Anwar Sadat, had granted him
asylum.
In the 1990s and the decade following 2000, the Shah's reputation has staged something of a revival, with many Iranians looking back on his era as a time when Iran was more prosperous[SUP]
[3][/SUP][SUP]
[4][/SUP] and the government less oppressive.[SUP]
[5][/SUP] Journalist
Afshin Molavi reports even members of the uneducated poor - traditionally core supporters of the revolution that overthrew the Shah - making remarks such as 'God bless the Shah's soul, the economy was better then;' and finds that "books about the former Shah (even censored ones) sell briskly," while "books of the Rightly Guided Path sit idle."[SUP]
[6][/SUP]
Later years
Foreign relations
The Shah of Iran was the first Muslim leader to recognize the
State of Israel, although when interviewed on CBS 60 Minutes by reporter
Mike Wallace, he criticized
American Jews for their presumed control over US media and finance.[SUP]
[31][/SUP]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Reza_Pahlavi
Was the Shah a Western/American/Israeli Puppet ?
