Reza Shah's Iran

Question 1

Anglo-Iranian Agreement of 1919

Answer 1

Who: The Shah and Brits
Why: To increase oil profits and to secure his regime
What: Britain supplies government advisers, officers, and arms to Iranian army, gives loans for those supplies, and develop infrastructure. Iran lowers import tariffs.
When: 1919
Where: Iran
Aftermath: Iranians demonstrate, the Majlis don’t pass it, and the 1921 coup

Question 2

1921 Iranian Coup

Answer 2

Who: Revolutionaries (Clerics, Bazaaris, intellectuals, and now the military) v Imperialists and the Shah
Why: Because of the Anglo-Persian Agreement of 1919
What: A bloodless coup led by Reza Khan and 3000 troops, ends Qajar dynasty in 1925, Reza becomes Shah
When: 1921
Where: Tehran/Persia

Question 3

Reza Shah

What: (PAMNF)

Answer 3

Who: Coup leader, authoritarian
When: 1921-1940s
Where: Persia
What: Consolidated power from all over Iran through the military, bureaucracy, and patronage.
Used authoritarianism through a large army implementing martial law, curtail dissent, and fake elections.
Sought to ‘modernize’ Iran through securalism over sharia law, public school system, and criminalizing Islamic clothes
Built national identity over ethnic/religious
#1 Feminist Ally

Question 4

Iranian Decolonization

Answer 4

Reza Shah overturned D’Arcy concession of 1901
In 1933 changed royal payment from Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. from 16%-20%
Brits are still there, but weaker
Bolsheviks have no territorial interests, but do form alliance with Reza Shah

Question 5

Reza Shah and Authoritarianism

Answer 5

1. Uses money to firm up the army
2. Declares Martial Law
3. Unifies army and police
4. Curtails press freedom/dissenters
5. Had elections with just his supporters

Question 6

Reza Shah’s Three Strong Institutions

Answer 6

1. The Army
   - conscription 18-21, doubled salaries, grew 7x, increased taxes
2. Bureaucracy
   - ensured allegiance, grew 13x
3. Patronage
   - in bureaucracy and land allocation, exacerbated inequality

Question 7

Reza Shah’s Modernization Strategy

Answer 7

1. Used secular philosophy to disempower Shi’a clergy, abandoned sharia law
2. Uses public schools to take education away from clergy, established university
3. Criminalizes Islamic clothes - must wear western attire

Question 8

Reza Shah’s Nationalism

Answer 8

1. Imposed it over religion or ethnic identity
2. Produced new national symbols
   - Pre-Islamic achievements
   - Name Change
   - Country now called Iran
3. Banned minority languages, reduced Arabic words

Question 9

Feminism in Iran

Answer 9

1. Shah banned the veil in the late 1920s
2. Allowed women more education (with male permission)
3. Divorce law sanctioned polygamy for men - women couldn’t divorce

Question 10

Major Changes under Reza Shah

Answer 10

1. Centralized by force
2. Shi’a Muslims lose nearly all power
3. His authoritarianism and power have diffused