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Introduction to Iran

Introduction to Iran. By Nivien Saleh University of St. Thomas nsaleh@stthom.edu. Geography, demography, economics. Iran in the Middle East. Map of the Middle East: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/middle_east_pol01.jpg Accessed 02/20/08.

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Introduction to Iran

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  1. Introduction to Iran By Nivien Saleh University of St. Thomas nsaleh@stthom.edu

  2. Geography, demography, economics

  3. Iran in the Middle East Map of the Middle East: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/middle_east_pol01.jpg Accessed 02/20/08

  4. Comparison of Middle Eastern countries from the 2007 CIA World Factbook:

  5. Comparison of proved oil reserves from the 2008 CIA World Factbook:

  6. Petroleum sector facilities

  7. Population density Houston’s population density is 1430 per square kilometer

  8. Ethnoreligious distribution

  9. Difference between sunnis and shiites • World-wide distribution: • Sunnis constitute 85% of Muslims, • Shiis constitute 15%. • Major doctrinal dispute: • Sunnis believe that the successor of Muhammad was to be elected by the community. • Shiites believe that the successor of Muhammad was to be his descendent. • Manifestation of this dispute: • 10th Moharram: Hussein’s death is mourned.

  10. Distribution of sunnis and shiites in the Middle East

  11. Bits of history

  12. Are Iranians barbarians? • Flooded by sound bytes of fanatic mullahs and mistreated women, we have a very stunted view of Iranians. • A common measure for judging the sophistication of a society is the length of its historical record. • Iranians have a very long record.

  13. Achaemenians: • 6th century BC: Cyrus the Great formed the first great Persian Empire. • Covered Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Anatolia, and Central Asia. • 490 BC, Achaemenians fought the Greeks in the battle of Marathon. Source: http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/History/hakhamaneshian/achaemenid_army.htm

  14. Achaemenians: • 6th century BC: Cyrus the Great formed the first great Persian Empire. • Covered Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Anatolia, and Central Asia. • 490 BC, Achaemenians fought the Greeks in the battle of Marathon. Source: http://www.iranchamber.com/history/persepolis/persepolis1.php Persepolis

  15. Parthians: • Iranian nomads from the vicinity of the Caspian Sea • 2nd century, BC, they began forming their empire. • At its height it extended from India to Armenia. • They were the great rivals of Rome: They defeated Crassus at Carrhae (Haran in Turkey) in 53 BC. Source: http://www.iranchamber.com/history/parthians/parthians.php

  16. Sassanids: • Sassanids defeated the Parthians in AD 224. • Sassanids competed with the Byzantine Empire. • The Sassanid Empire collapsed when Arabs defeated the Iranian armies in the battles of Qadisiya (Iraq, 637) and at Nahavand (Iran, 641). Source: http://www.iranchamber.com/history/sassanids/sassanids.php

  17. Sassanids: • Sassanids defeated the Parthians in AD 224. • Sassanids competed with the Byzantine Empire. • The Sassanid Empire collapsed when Arabs defeated the Iranian armies in the battles of Qadisiya (Iraq, 637) and at Nahavand (Iran, 641). Source: http://www.iranchamber.com/history/sassanids/sassanids.php Rock relief depicting the triumph ofShapur I over the Roman Emperor Valerian

  18. What famous poets did Iranian culture produce? • Rumi (1207–1273). • Persian poet, Islamic jurist, and theologian. • Lived in Anatolia which at that time was ruled by the Seljuq dynasty. Shahram Shiva reads the Rumi poem “Seven Pearls”: Myspace version - Shiva’s web site

  19. How did Iran become shiite? • Modern Iran originated with the rise of the Safavid dynasty in the sixteenth century. • Shah Ismail, the first Safavid ruler (ruled 1501-1524) did two things: • He made the minority faith of Twelver shi’ism,into the state religion. • He united territory that roughly match the boundaries that exist today.

  20. How did Iran become shiite? Source: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/Safavid_Empire_1501%E2%80%931722_(AD).PNG/300px-Safavid_Empire_1501%E2%80%931722_(AD).PNG&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_dynasty&h=208&w=300&sz=49&hl=en&start=16&um=1&tbnid=pzhkG7uDneXkRM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsafavid%2Bempire%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

  21. What were the historical circumstances that surrounded the discovery of oil? • Safavids fell to Afghan invaders in 1722. • After 70 years of anarchy, Qajar tribe consolidated its power and ruled Iran until 1925. • From outside, Britain and Russia encroached. • Inside, government was shaken by the Babi (=Bahai) movement. • The rulers sold concessions to foreigners. • 1901 William Knox d’Arcy bought 60 year concession to explore and drill for oil. • 1908 oil was discovered, Knox d’Arcy was bankrupt. • 1909 the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) took over his shares. • WWI: British government partly nationalized APOC. • 1917: APOC acquires British Petroleum Company. • 1930s: Oil income becomes a significant factor in Iran’s economy.

  22. How did the Pahlevis come to power? • Reza Savad-Koohi commanded a Kossack brigade. • 1921: He assumed power. • Named himself commander in chief of the military. • 1925: He ascended to the throne and called himself Pahlevi. • He developed reforms to lessen the power of the clergy and increase his own. • 1941: British and Soviets force his abdication. • Muhammad Reza becomes the shah. Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Rezashah.jpg

  23. How did the Pahlevis come to power? • Reza Savad-Koohi commanded a Kossack brigade. • 1921: He assumed power. • Named himself commander in chief of the military. • 1925: He ascended to the throne and called himself Pahlevi. • He developed reforms to lessen the power of the clergy and increase his own. • 1941: British and Soviets force his abdication. • Muhammad Reza becomes the shah.

  24. How did the Mullahs take over? • After the 1953 coup of his prime minister, the shah built a system of personal control. • SAVAK repressed weak opposition groups. • The shah became heavily dependent on the U.S. • His nickname: Gendarme of the Middle East. • 1963: He launched the “White Revolution.” • It undermined the clergy’s control over family law and education and family. • Khomeini started criticizing him. • 1973: Oil income became a cascade. • Income disparities widened. • Gains were squandered. • Late 1970s: Iran fell in economic crisis. • 1978: Riots broke out in Qom and spread across the country. • More and more called for an end to the monarchy. • Secular opposition forces joined the anti-shah movement. • Khomeini leads the movement from outside Iran. • Jan. 1979: Shah fled, Khomeini returned from exile. • April 1979: Iran became the “Islamic Republic.” • Then radical forces took over, secular forces were marginalized.

  25. Who were the supreme leaders? Ayatollah Khomeini. In office 1979-1989.

  26. Who were the supreme leaders? Ayatollah Khamenei. In office since 1989.

  27. Who were the presidents? Ayatollah Khamenei. 1981-1989.

  28. Who were the presidents? Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani. 1989-1997.

  29. Who were the presidents? Seyed Muhammad Khatami. 1997-2005.

  30. Who were the presidents? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since 2005.

  31. Axis of evil? Great satan? Bones of contention between Iran and the U.S.

  32. Iranian grievances with the U.S.: • 1953 coup against Mossadegh

  33. Iranian grievances with the U.S.: • 1953 coup against Mossadegh • U.S. support for Iraq during Iran-Iraq War Sources: http://www.iranchamber.com/history/iran_iraq_war/iran_iraq_war2.php

  34. American grievances with Iran: • Iran hostage crisis Excerpt from: Persepolis By Marjane Satrapi

  35. American grievances with Iran: • Iran hostage crisis Source: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/30/international/hostage.184.1.bw.450.jpg

  36. American grievances with Iran: • Iran hostage crisis • Lebanon hostage crisis Imad Mughniyya

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