Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (in Persian: ??????? ??? ?????) (October 26 1919 – July 27, 1980), was the last reigning Shah of Iran to date, ruling from 1941 until 1979. He is also known by the deferential title Aryamehr (meaning "Light of the Aryans").

Reign of Mohammad Reza Shah

Deposition of his Father

In 1941, Germany broke the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact and invaded the Soviet Union, which quickly realigned with Britain. Although Iran had declared neutrality, the British and the Soviets occupied Iran and forced the Shah to abdicate in favour of his son. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi replaced his father on the throne on September 16, 1941. It was hoped that the younger man would be more open to influence. Iran became a major conduit for British and later American aid to the USSR. This massive supply effort became known as the "Persian Corridor", and marked the first large-scale US involvement in Iran.

Related Topics:
1941 - Soviet Union - Abdicate - September 16 - American - Persian Corridor

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Consolidation of power

At the end of World War II, political unrest dogged Iran and in 1953 the nation's nationalist prime minister, Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, forced the Shah to flee the country. He was quickly escorted back to power and fired Mossadegh through a counter-coup, led by General Fazlollah Zahedi with support from the CIA.

Related Topics:
1953 - Nationalist - Prime minister - Mohammed Mossadegh - Coup - Fazlollah Zahedi - CIA

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With Iran's great oil wealth, Mohammad Reza Shah became the pre-eminent leader of the Middle East, and self-styled "Guardian" of the Persian Gulf. He later abolished the multi-party system of government so that he could rule through a one-party regime (under the Rastakhiz (Genesis of the Iranian Nation) party) in autocratic fashion, which he claimed was a response, among other things, to the Soviet Union's support of Communist uprisings, through Iran's leftist Tudeh Party. The Shah also authorized the creation of the secret police force, SAVAK, infamous for its ruthless persecution of dissidents, and is believed to have overseen its operation personally.

Related Topics:
Middle East - Persian Gulf - Rastakhiz - Tudeh Party - SAVAK

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He made major changes to curb the power of certain ancient elite factions by expropriating large and middle-sized estates for the benefit of more than four million small farmers. In the White Revolution, he took a number of major modernization measures, including extending suffrage to women, much to the discontent and opposition of the Islamic clerics. He instituted exams for Islamic theologians to become established clerics ("mullahs"), which were widely unpopular and broke centuries-old religious traditions.

Related Topics:
White Revolution - Mullah

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His policies led to strong economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s but at the same time, opposition to his autocratic rule increased. His good relations with Israel and the United States were moreover a reason for fundamentalist Islamic groups to attack his policies. On January 16, 1979 he and his wife were forced to flee Iran a second time (after 1953) following a year of extreme turmoil and public protests leading up to the Iranian revolution. Following the Shah's departure into exile, conservative Muslims led by the Ayatollah Khomeini, who had returned from exile in France, gained the leadership of the ongoing revolution and transformed the "Empire of Iran" into an Islamic Republic.

Related Topics:
1960s - 1970s - January 16 - 1979 - Iranian revolution - Muslims - Ayatollah Khomeini - France - Iran - Islamic Republic

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Exile and Death

The exiled monarch had become unpopular in much of the world, especially in the liberal West, ironically his original backers and those who had most to lose from his downfall. He travelled from country to country in his second exile seeking what he hoped would be a temporary residence. First he went to Egypt, and got an invitation and warm welcoming from president Anwar el-Sadat. He later lived in Morocco, the Bahamas, and Mexico. But his non-Hodgkins lymphoma began to grow worse, and required immediate and sophisticated treatment. Reluctantly, President Jimmy Carter allowed the Shah to make a brief stopover in the United States to undergo medical treatment. The compromise was extremely unpopular with the new revolutionary leadership in Iran, which vilified the Shah in order to legitimise its own claims to power, and demanded his return to Iran to face a show trial and execution. This resulted in the capture of a number of American diplomats, military personnel and intelligence officer in what became known as the Iran hostage crisis. Once the Shah's course of treatment had finished, the American government, eager to avoid further controversy, pressed the former monarch to leave the country. He left the United States and lived for a short time in Panama. Finally he went back to Egypt where he died in Cairo on July 27, 1980. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi is buried in the ar-Rifai Mosque in Cairo, a mosque of great symbolic value. The last royal rulers of two great ancient empires are buried here, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi of Iran and King Farouk of Egypt. Baksheesh is required to view the royals tombs, which lie off to the left of the entrance.

Related Topics:
Egypt - Anwar el-Sadat - Morocco - Bahamas - Mexico - Non-Hodgkins lymphoma - Jimmy Carter - United States - Show trial - Iran hostage crisis - Panama - Cairo - July 27 - 1980 - Ar-Rifai Mosque - Farouk - Baksheesh

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Shortly after his overthrow, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi wrote an autobiographical memoir entitled Answer to History (ISBN 0812827554), which was translated from the original French (Réponse à l'histoire) into both English and Persian (Pasukh bih Tarikh) as well as other languages, and was later published posthumously in 1980. The book is his personal account of his reign and accomplishments, as well as his perspective on issues related to the Iranian Revolution and Western foreign policy toward Iran. Most notably, the Shah places blame for the wrongdoings of SAVAK and the failures of various democratic and social reforms (particularly through the White Revolution) upon Amir Abbas Hoveyda and his administration.

Related Topics:
Iranian Revolution - SAVAK - White Revolution - Amir Abbas Hoveyda

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