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Iran: Complex Republic on the Plateau

Iran: Complex Republic on the Plateau. Population : about 72 million Ethnic Make-Up : 50% Persian, 20% Azerbaijani, 10% Kurdish, remaining 20% are Gilaki, Afghani, Arab, Lur, Baluchi, and Turkmen Religions : 88% Shia, 10% Sunni, plus small numbers of Bahai, Christian and Zoroastrian

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Iran: Complex Republic on the Plateau

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  1. Iran: Complex Republic on the Plateau • Population: about 72 million • Ethnic Make-Up: 50% Persian, 20% Azerbaijani, 10% Kurdish, • remaining 20% are Gilaki, Afghani, Arab, Lur, Baluchi, and Turkmen • Religions: 88% Shia, 10% Sunni, plus small numbers of Bahai, • Christian and Zoroastrian • well preserved sequence of human occupance, from Paleolithic • sites (40,000 years ago) to modern times: • Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great and others (551-331 BC) • Sassanid Empire (226-641 AD / establishes Zoroastrianism) • Arab Muslim invasion starts in 630s, leads to conquest in 641 AD • after collapse of Abbasid Empire in 1258 AD and due to invasion • by Mongols and Tatars, Iran suffered political fragmentation and • cultural disruption

  2. however “Persian personality” survives • in 16th century the Safavid dynasty developed, national unity is based on Shia Islam

  3. Qajar, a new dynasty with Turkish tribal origins, comes into • power at the end of the 18th century • under Qajar rule, Iran lost both territory and vigor

  4. in 1925 Reza Shah founded the Pahlavi dynasty and set a new course for modern Iran • Reza Shah refused to allow Iranian territory to be used during WWII and was forced to abdicate in 1941 • His son was ousted briefly by nationalistic and anti-Western movement under Mossadegh between 1951-1953 • Mohammed Reza Shah regains power with help of CIA and rules as autocrat with the help of a secret police (SAVAK)

  5. Shah’s attempt of “White Revolution” (1962 / modeled after Turkey) • land reforms, public ownership, voting rights for women, education, etc. • opposition by landowners and religious leaders • continued repressive regime / perceived “selling out to the West” • Ayatollah Khomeini at the head of a theocratic revolution in 1979 • he lived in exile in Iraq 1963-1976 and in France from 1976-1979 • Khomeini died in 1989 / society reshaped by conservative Islamic ideals • Council of (Constitutional) Guardians made up of conservative clergy • struggles for open society & reforms by Khatami (1997 & 2001) • Ahmadinejad • Grand Ayatollah (2005-2013) Rouhani • Hoseyni Khamenei since 2013

  6. these days Iran resurfaces in the news because of such issues as: • its potential threat to the State of Israel • its possibility to close the Strait of Hormuz if the situation escalates in regard to embargoes & geopolitics • the question of its nuclear program and whether or not it is peaceful (note that until the Iraq-Iran war of 1980-1988 the Islamic clergy in Iran opposed nuclear weapons, considering them as sinful) • continued push for more democracy by its citizens (“green revolution”) • Today’s big questions are: • Will there be a war with Iran and who will pay for its consequences? • Will the people of Iran be successful in their push for more democracy? • Will we repeat the mistakes (and rhetoric) of our wars against Iraq?

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