News ID: 207
Reza Shah era was the time of fundamental reformations in the country. The reformations consist of a big range of positive and negative changes. Although the insights are sometimes paradoxical, but there's less doubt on the negative and anti-development actions of Shah. Even the supportive documents and resources have mentioned these actions. Although the documents from Den of Spies mostly cover Muhammadreza Shah era, but we can find information about Reza Shah era in some cases.
Publish Date : 15:27 - 2021 February 28

Irdc.ir: Reza Shah era was the time of fundamental reformations in the country. The reformations consist of a big range of positive and negative changes. Although the insights are sometimes paradoxical, but there's less doubt on the negative and anti-development actions of Shah. Even the supportive documents and resources have mentioned these actions. Although the documents from Den of Spies mostly cover Muhammadreza Shah era, but we can find information about Reza Shah era in some cases.


Centralism and building the structure of absolutism

Many analysts believe that Reza Shah was the first to found the absolute power in Iran. He centralized the government immediately, integrated the army and took the first steps to break down the power of religious groups. Of course some analysts believe that centralization is not against development, and is even a level of transition from traditional form of power to the modern structure. But the truth is that it had lots of drawbacks. For instance, during the process of reformations, many adversaries and critics, such as religious groups or tribes were oppressed or eliminated.


Oppressing the tribes and other power groups

Reza Shah oppressed the power groups violently, under the pretext of them being a threat for the central government, but in fact they were a threat to his personal power. Bakhtiaris were one of these groups, that their armed attacks had a great role in the victory of constitutionalists. Reza Shah broke them down and many of them were exiled.

Soraya Bakhtiari Esfandiari, Shah's second wife was from the tribe. She has mentioned the purpose of Reza Shah implicitly in her diaries: "‌ Muhammadreza always spoke of his father with respect. He told me proudly that in ten years, Iran developed more than 120 years of Qajars. His father built roads and hospitals, and sent the youth abroad to continue their education.... I could not dare to stop him and tell that he also had massacred the tribes to takeover their lands. He eliminated Bakhtiaris, which I was one of them, and now I'm married to a Pahlavi... "

Soraya believed that Reza Shah followed his personal cupidity other than his goal to make a centralized government. He called his actions" reformation" but he actually tookover the lands and the financial resources of the tribes for his own interest.


Reza Shah also debilitated the clerics

He believed that modernization becomes possible through elimination of the religion and traditions. He had a trip to Turkey, and without paying attention to the philosophy of political development, he came to the conclusion that religion is against development. He decided that the rituals, what clerics wear, and the places for religious marriages were blocks on the way of progress and he eventually put the clerics aside from their jobs. He started fighting against religion both legally and with violence. It seemed that the decisions were legally confirmed in the parliament, but the legislators were obeying Reza Shah, or directly chosen by him. After 1921 coup, the religious surveillance board on the constitution was eliminated. The board had the power to cancel the legislations against the religious beliefs.

Every change Reza Shah made in the name of reformation, was meant to limit the role of the clerics in education, social relationships, law, traditions and public morals. The power source of clerics was their influence on social and personal issues, cause Muslims come to them to check the legitimacy of their actions. So what Reza Shah did, not only hurt the position of the clerics, but also the social and cultural structure of the nation. Of course he had his supporters, especially among the associates of the West. In order to fortify the central government, he also oppressed the other power structures or made them his associate and took them under control. He didn't close the parliament but he ignored the constitution and made the parliament follow and confirm his decisions. The adversaries lost their presence in the political open space. Reza Shah built up a structure in which everything was decided by the dictator.


The final word

Many call Reza Shah the Father of Modern Reformations, but the fact is that he hurt the social and political structure in many ways. The power being only in his hands, stopped the political participation mechanisms, and many power groups which could be import factors in the process of progress, were eliminated.


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