20th Century Iranian History - Research Paper Example

Iran Insert Insert of Iran Introduction Iran is a country in Western Asia. It borders Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and across the Caspian Sea, Russia, Armenia to the northwest. To the Northeast, it borders Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan in the East, Iraq and Turkey to the West. It is the largest nation, by land mass in the region with inhabitants numbering 78 million. Iran holds a geostrategic importance because of its central location, oil resources, and also because of the Strait of Hormuz. Fundamentally important for oil shipments and transportation. The following is a research paper submitted to the committee assigned to Iran to assess the current impact of globalization. Some of the current issues facing Iran both locally and internationally are clearly outlined. The pressures facing the country as it seeks part and belonging to a global community are also included. Furthermore, this paper aims to research and examine the Iranian history of the 20th century identifying the major events during that period that may have a direct impact on its development. Reviewing the current economic system and how it reflects the country’s history and culture. 20th Century Iranian History While civilization in Iran dates back to 2800 BC, the Persian Empire peaked during the sixth century under the rule of Cyrus the Great. Two centuries later, the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, overcome the Persians leading to the emergence of western thought over the east. Persians were converted to Islam in the seventh century AD (Eldon & Hooglund, 2008). More than 800 years later, the Safavid dynasty embraced the Shia branch of Islam causing a lasting rift with the majority Sunnis. Different forces struggled for power over the course of the next centuries. By the turn of the new century, Iran was embroiled in a bifurcated struggle. On one hand, the Iranians struggle to maintain their national independence in the face of growing colonial pressures. Iran’s geostrategic importance made it a central focus of the colonial game between Great Britain and Russia. The country was carved up into spheres of influence. The Russians had supremacy over the north, while Britain had supremacy in the South of the country. At the same time, another struggle was taking shape within its borders. The country was undergoing a constitutional revolution (1905-1911). The revolution started by disputes over sugar prices finally led to public protests of the revolution. By January 1906, the Shah agreed to their demands that included the formation of the house of justice. Despite this development. The Shah did not honor any of his promises leading to greater unrest and feelings of discontent. There was another violent protest involving more than 12,000 Iranians demanding the formation of a parliament. The Shah finally gave in issuing a decree leading to the formation of a national parliament or Majlis. The parliament had the task of writing a constitution The course of a constitutional revolution remained rocky throughout the years. Internal differences amongst revolutionaries, reluctance by the Shahs to cede power to parliament and colonial interests in maintaining control over key structures of governance severely hampered Iran’s experience with the democratic process. The Shahs did not adhere to their roles, however, and British and Russian interference became increasing perilous. In 1924, a military commander, Reza Khan seized control and through parliament deposes the Shahs. He adopted the family name Pahlavi and his eldest son is proclaimed crown prince (Eldon & Hooglund, 2008). Reza undertakes a modernization approach which ultimately leads to slower progress because the country is poor and was isolated. In 1935, the country adopted Iran as its official name replacing Persia. During the Second World War period, Russia and Britain occupied the country in fear of the ruler favoring the Germans. They forced him to cede leadership to his son. A decade later, with a new prime minister, Iran’s petroleum and oil reserves were nationalized angering Britain. The British, together with America successfully orchestrated a coup d’état of the prime minister’s government, arresting him in 1958. Such actions stoked anti-American sentiments in the country. Hough it gave a chance for Mohammed Pahlavi to take complete and unrestrained power. His excessive powers were seen in his violent and autocratic rule. This gave rise to the focal religious figure, Ayatollah Khomeini, who was swiftly exiled. By the late 1970s, strikes and protest erupted which marked the beginning of the Islamic revolution. This led to the Shah’s departure the following year, marking the end of his rule. Khomeini returned to the country; a referendum was held making Iran an Islamic republic; and a theocratic constitution adopted. Khomeini became the supreme ruler. The anti-American sentiment peaked when Americans were held hostage for more than 400 days in the American embassy. The country elected Abolhasan Bani-Sadr as the president of the Islamic republic and begins modernization programs. The supreme leader passed on in 1989, and he was succeeded by President Khamenei, while Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani takes over the presidency until the election of Mohammed Khatami in 1997 after defeating the conservative elite. Economy Iran’s economy is mainly composed of oil and energy products. These two form the main source of foreign exchange for the country. With the more than 45 percent of the government budget coming from oil and natural gas revenues. The economy was mainly controlled by the state, but recently there have been plans to move towards free markets. Small scale agriculture, trading and other service ventures are also part of the economy. Tourism is a major earner with more than 2.9 million tourists visiting in the year 2009. Manufacturing is also crucial to the economy. With car manufacturing, transportation, construction material, home appliances, food and agricultural products, petrochemicals among others. Culture Iran’s prized possession is its culture. The Persian culture has long been a predominant regional culture. The Persian culture has influenced India, China and roman civilization considerably. The effects of the culture are felt in Africa and as far as Western Europe. The influence has also been carried forward to the Islamic world. Much of what is known as Islamic learning, for example, literature, philosophy, architecture is based on practices taken from the Persians. Politics The political system of Iran is based upon the 1979 constitution, and it comprises severally connected governing structures (Hirschl, 2011). The supreme leader is responsible for delineating and supervising the general policies of the republic. The supreme leader presides over the military and security operations. The heads of judiciary, the commanders of both the military and police, state media, the guardian council are chosen by the leader. The supreme leader is voted by an assembly of experts. The highest state seat is the president who is responsible for implementation of the constitution and exercise of executive powers. There is also the Iranian legislature comprised of 290 members. Conclusion Iran has had a turbulent history during the 20th century. From a democracy in the 1950s to an authoritarian regime that toppled the democratic one to the present religious fundamentalist regime toppling the authoritarian while taking an anti-Western stance (Diamond & Plattner, 2014). The country seems to have many challenges in the global arena. The country seems to be a reclusive state. The nature is perhaps due to fear of outside influence and occupation witnessed during the early 1900s and the late 1950s. There has been numerous interference from the Russians, Britain and America. Therefore, the state is distrustful of foreigners. This is perhaps informs the current distrust between both the country and the Western in terms of Iran’s nuclear ambition. Iran is a country with immense influence over the Middle East but because of its leadership and history, there is no international cooperation in using it to bring about meaningful development and peace throughout the region. References Arjomand, S. A. (2013). The Islam and Democracy Debate after 2011. Constellations 20.2, 297-311. Diamond, L., & Plattner, M. F. (2014). Democratization and Authoritarianism in the Arab World. New York: JHU Press. Eldon, G., & Hooglund, E. J. (2008). Iran: A Country Study. Washington D.C: Library of Congress. Hirschl, R. (2011). Constitutional theocracy. 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