In the meantime, a similar process
was under way in Persia.
Under the Qajar dynasty
(1794 –1925), the country had
not been very successful in resisting
Russian advances in the
Caucasus or resolving its domestic
problems. To secure themselves
from foreign influence,
the shahs moved the capital
from Tabriz to Tehran, in a
mountainous area just south of
the Caspian Sea. During the
mid-nineteenth century, one modernizing
shah attempted to introduce political
and economic reforms but was
impeded by resistance from tribal
and religious—predominantly Shi’ite
—forces. To buttress its rule, the dynasty
turned increasingly to Russia and
Great Britain to protect itself from its
own people.
Eventually, the growing foreign presence
led to the rise of an indigenous nationalist
movement. Its efforts were
largely directed against Russian advances
in the northwest and growing
European influence in the small modern
industrial sector, the profits from
which left the country or disappeared into the hands of
the dynasty’s ruling elite. Supported actively by Shi’ite religious
leaders, opposition to the regime rose steadily
among both peasants and merchants in the cities, and in
1906, popular pressures forced the reigning shah to grant
a constitution on the Western model.
As in the Ottoman Empire and Qing China, however,
the modernizers had moved before their power base was
secure. With the support of the Russians and the British,
the shah was able to retain control, and the two foreign
powers began to divide the country into separate spheres
of influence. One reason for the growing foreign presence
in Persia was the discovery of oil reserves in the southern
part of the country in 1908. Within a few years, oil exports
increased rapidly, with the bulk of the profits going
into the pockets of British investors.
In 1921, a Persian army officer by the name of Reza
Khan (1878–1944) led a mutiny that seized power in
Tehran. The new ruler’s original intention had been
to establish a republic, but resistance from traditional
forces impeded his efforts, and in 1925, the new Pahlavi
dynasty, with Reza Khan as shah, replaced the now defunct
Qajar dynasty. During the next few years, Reza
Khan attempted to follow the example of Mustapha Kemal
Atatürk in Turkey, introducing a number of reforms
to strengthen the central government, modernize the
civilian and military bureaucracy, and establish a modern
economic infrastructure.
Unlike Atatürk, Reza Khan did not attempt to destroy
the power of Islamic beliefs, but he did encourage the establishment
of a Western-style educational system and
forbade women to wear the veil in public. To strengthen
the sense of nationalism and reduce the power of Islam,
he restored the country’s ancient name, Iran, and attempted
to popularize the symbols and beliefs of pre-
Islamic times. Like his Qajar predecessors,
however, Reza Khan was hindered
by strong foreign influence. When the
Soviet Union and Great Britain decided
to send troops into the country
during World War II, he resigned in
protest and died three years later.
World History
