Unit 9: Revolution and Religion: The Islamic Republic of Iran
The Islamic Revolution in Iran from 1978–79 shares many similarities with the 20th century revolutions we have studied, but in this revolution religion played a central role. In the late 1970s, a broad coalition of religious leaders, students, workers, and middle-class Iranians challenged the political power of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran's secular, autocratic leader. In 1978, they organized a series of strikes and demonstrations that forced the Shah to flee the country.
After his departure, Iran's theocratic leaders appointed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as the new supreme religious leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Khomeini consolidated power by arresting and persecuting members of the secular political groups that had initially supported the revolution. As with the Shah, Khomeini did not tolerate any political or social dissent. He used state institutions to eliminate dissent and imposed a fundamentalist, socio-religious political system on the nation.
In this unit, we study the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and compare the Iranian experience with earlier revolutions in the United States, France, Mexico, and Russia.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 7 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- provide a concise historical narrative of the Iranian Revolution;
- identify the most important groups who participated in the revolution and analyze their ideological and political goals;
- analyze the role played by religious ideas, practices, and institutions in the Iranian Revolution and its aftermath; and
- critically evaluate how Iranian women were affected by the Revolution and its aftermath, and what roles they played in the revolutionary events.
- provide a concise historical narrative of the Iranian Revolution;
9.1: Origins of the Iranian Revolution
Watch this lecture. What long-term causes of the Iranian Revolution does O'Brien identify? What were the immediate triggers that precipitated the outbreak of the Revolution? How does the situation in pre-revolutionary Iran in the 1970s compare to pre-revolutionary France in the late 18th century and pre-revolutionary Mexico in the early 20th century? What are the most important differences?
Listen to this lecture and focus on the following questions: how does Bulliet situate Iran in the Middle East? How does he characterize the commonalities between Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan? Why are these commonalities important in understanding the Iranian Revolution in the broader regional context?
Read this essay, focusing on the tensions between religion and politics in the years leading up to 1979.
Read this essay and focus on the following questions: what was the structure of Iranian society in the decades leading up to the revolution? How did tensions among social groups contribute to the eruption of the revolution?
9.2: Diverse Currents in Twentieth-Century Islam
Shi'a Islam in Iran is only one among many currents in the Muslim world, and it is essential to understand it in a broader context. Think about the diversity of Muslim beliefs and religious practices. Be sure you understand the "Eight Major Islamic Tendencies". How do they differ from one another?
9.3: Revolutionary Events
Watch this lecture to understand the most important events and turning points of the revolution in Iran.
Listen to this analysis, which focuses less on the revolutionary events themselves and more on a broad analytical framework of the revolution. According to Bulliet, why was the revolution in Iran an Islamic one?
- Read these essays, focusing on the different groups who participated in the revolution.
Read these essays, focusing on the process whereby power passed into the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini and the Revolutionary Council.
Read these essays. Were there similarities between the use of violence in revolutionary Iran and during the French and Bolshevik Revolutions? How was the use of violence justified in each case?
9.4: Revolutionary Ideas and Documents
Read pages 29–35 from "The Form of Islamic Government". How does the vision of government presented here differ from that advocated by the French and the American Revolutionaries?
Read pages 33–37. How does Khomeini describe women in relation to men? How does he define their rights?
Unit 9 Assessment
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.
