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1. Tehran is the capital of the country of Iran, formerly known as Persia. It has been home to

many different rulers and empires, but is currently under the control of Ali Khamenei.

Some of the prominent leaders of the past include Ayatollah Khomeini and Shah Reza

Pahlavi.

2. The Pahlavi regime began looking towards modernization in the period between

1960-1963 as they wanted to emerge as a global power. However, this push for

modernization also began a period known as “The White Revolution” which occurred

during this same time. While the push for modernization had a positive economic impact,

the Iranian people suffered as societal norms changed for the worse. As a result, the

“revolution” was outlined by the emergence of various political parties that opposed these

changes. These emerging political factions were large factors that ultimately led to the

occurrence of the Islamic Revolution.

3. Under the Shah, Iran was campaigning to modernize and use their mass amounts of oil to

become a powerful country. They were well on their way to doing so, and many

important figures cropped up in Iran’s modernization plan. One of the most important

was Habib Elghanian. Elghanian was a PVC manufacturer, who built factories and

skyscrapers in Tehran during the time of modernization as well as donated for

infrastructures like roads and hospitals. Unfortunately, his plans were cut short by the

Iranian Revolution, and the exiling of the Shah. He was the first person to be executed by
 the new regime and his death sparked an outcry amongst the people of Iran. He is very

important because he symbolizes the quest for modernization under the Shah, and the

backward progression of Iran under the Muslim regime, both economically and in terms

of human rights, as he was executed without access to a fair trial or a lawyer.

4. The Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, took power in Iran

after driving the Shah out of Iran. This moment marked Iran’s independence from the

Western World, and from this moment on it was a struggle for Iran. Forty years later and

the impacts of the revolution are still clear. Iran’s economy is struggling, inflation is up to

28 percent, oil prices are way down, and Iran is cutting back on support for its citizens.

The quality of life in Iran is bad, the government is very powerful, and suppresses free

speech by jailing those who oppose them, and closing opposition media such as

newspapers. This is important as it shows how the Iranian revolution, and cutting

themselves off from foreign help/relations has held Iran down, by not allowing it to

modernize in time and making them dependent on selling oil to succeed economically.

5. Prior to the Islamic Revolution in Iran, women certainly did not have a complete set of

rights, however, they had many more freedoms such as the right to vote and the ability to

dress freely. In the first few years following the revolution, women in Iran kept many of

their rights as a tool for the mullahs (leaders of the Islamic revolution, and new regime)

to gain their support. However, the imperial rule of the mullahs over the provinces

impeded the progression of human rights and eventually, they became more corrupt than

the last regime.

6. In the first year following the revolution, Iran was left in political chaos. There wasn’t a

definite leader in place to instantly replace the shah, and people from the far left and right
 were in a struggle for power. Ayatollah Khomeini, the main revolutionary leader, saw it

best to use the Americans as a scapegoat for their predicament.

7. Iran, known as Persia until the 1900s is rich with natural resources, especially oil. This oil

is highly important in an industrialized world and became crucial during WWI and

WWII. Iran was invaded and surrendered to the British almost immediately. They gained

their independence and were once again occupied by a World Power, this time the US

during the Cold War. After once again fighting for their independence, they sought to

modernize. As progress was made, the wealth imbalance grew and discontent brewed.

The Muslims in Iran viewed this as Anti-Islam, so they staged a revolt against the Shah.

This was important because it led to massive conflict in Iran lasting over 400 days, which

effectively halted the modernization of Iran and prohibited it from economic and

technological advancement for decades to come.

8. Prior to the Islamic Revolution, Iran was ruled under a monarchy led by Reza “Shah”

(king) Pahlavi. The Shah spearheaded a large period and economic growth and rapid

industrialization throughout Iran. However, his push for modernization divided Iranian

society and was a major contributor to his ultimate downfall by the Islamic Revolution.