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 Iranian Revolution
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

● Historical context of the Iranian Revolution

● Key events of the Iranian Revolution
● Aftermath and legacy of the Irsanian Revolution

Let’s find out more about

FACT FILE
the Iranian Revolution!

Iranian Revolution, also

called Islamic Revolution,
was a series of events that
resulted in Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's
overthrow of the Pahlavi
dynasty and the
establishment of an Islamic
republic under the reign of
Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini, a leader of one of
the revolt's factions.
Various leftist and Islamist
organisations, as well as
student movements,
supported the revolution.
Iranian Revolution
 HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Iran, formerly known as Persia, was never a colony of another country, but
the colonial powers took a very close interest in it. During the 19th
century, its location to the south of the Russian Empire had led to conflict
with that country over the lands around the border. Britain also wanted to
exert control over Iran’s leadership due to its proximity to India, the jewel
in the crown of the British Empire. Britain feared that its rule in India could
be undermined if Russia was able to control Iran.

However, Iran became even more important to the industrialised world

when a vast amount of oil was discovered there in 1908 by a British
company. The company had negotiated exclusive rights to look for,
extract, and sell Iranian oil with the Shah, the ruler of Iran.

● This oil would become vital to the

British Empire and later to its war
efforts, strengthening Iran’s ties
with the west.
● The Shah’s willingness to share
Iran’s natural resources with other
nations, and the westernisation
that this led to in Iranian society,
was not welcomed by all sectors
of the population.
● Many felt that Iran’s culture was
being weakened and corrupted by
its increasing ties with
non-Muslim countries, a sentiment
that was particularly strong
among the powerful clergy.
Reza Shah

In 1921, a military officer called Reza Khan overthrew the government in

response to the weakness of the Shah and his signing of the
Anglo-Persian Agreement, which many believed would make Iran (then
still called Persia) a puppet state of Britain. By 1925, Khan had been given
the title of Shah and became the first ruler of the Pahlavi dynasty.
 THINK ABOUT THIS! ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 11-14

VOCABULARY. Identify the definition of the following words from

1 the resource. (X marks)

WESTERNISATION:

THEOCRACY:

COMMUNISM:

INFLATION:
 THINK ABOUT THIS! ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 14-16

EFFECTS. Identify the effects of the Iranian Revolution in the

1 following aspects. (X marks)

RELIGION MONARCHY
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