The Shah of Iran

Who was the shah of Iran?

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ruled as Shah of Iran from 1941 until he was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

What did the Shah do for Iran?

The Shah introduced 4 reforms to Iran.

• ❖ He transferred some land from big farmers to local peasants.
• ❖ He gave women the vote.
• ❖ He increased literacy rates and improved education.
• ❖ He increased the military. By 1975 Iran had the fifth largest army in the world.

Why was the Shah criticised by Iranians?

By the 1970s, there were many reasons why Iranians opposed and criticised the Shah.

• ❖ Many people, including mullahs (Muslim religious leaders), criticised the Shah for his life of wealth and luxury.
• ❖ Many Iranians remained very poor, and many villages did not have roads, water or electricity.
• ❖ Iranian society was very unequal. The richest tenth of the population spent 37.9% of Iran's expenditure, while the poorest tenth spent 1.3%.
• ❖ Many Iranians felt he was too close to the West and was being exploited by America.
• ❖ Muslim leaders criticised the Americanisation of Iranian society, seeing it as corrupt and sinful. American-style malls undermined the business of bazaar traders.
• ❖ The government was repressive and the secret police, SAVAK, spied on, arrested and tortured people.