The Iranian Revolution

Essay # 27816

History > Middle Eastern
Political Science > Non-U.S.
Religion and Theology > Islam

A discussion of whether the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that can also be labeled the "Iranian Islamic Revolution".

1,394 words () | 4 sources | MLA | 2003 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes whether the Iranian Revolution of 1979 that brought about the end of the Pahlavi dynasty, can also be described as the "Iranian Islamic Revolution". It examines how, for over two decades, political analysts and theorists have attempted not only to identify its causes but the very nature of the motives behind the revolution. It evaluates how the addition of the word "Islamic" implies an unquestionable religious nature to the events leading to the abdication of a once thought indestructible monarch and looks at the events leading up to the revolution.

From the Paper:

"Political alienation of the masses from state policy reached a climax when the Shah eliminated Iran's two-party system in March 1975 in favor of a more easily controlled one-party system. The objective in the creation of the Rastakhiz (Resurgence) party and its actual accomplishments are rather contradictory. While its aim was to promote Iranian nationalism and further secure the state within society, the "Resurgence party weakened the whole regime, cut the monarchy further off from the country, and intensified resentment among diverse groups." The resentment built up by this situation of political exclusion coinciding with inequitable economic development (i.e. uneven income distribution) spells disaster for any regime, according to Abrahamian such was the case for the Pahlavi dynasty."