Description
Book SynopsisThe 1920s saw the creation of numerous new monarchies and regimes in the Middle East. This book gives a detailed history of the new regime change in Iran in the 1920s. Using U.S. State Department archives, Mohammad Gholi Majd first describes the overthrow of the Qajar dynasty, which ruled Iran since the 1790s, and its replacement by the Pahlavi monarchy in 1925. He then describes the consolidation of the new regime and suppression of the opposition between 1926 and 1930. By 1931, resistance to the Pahlavi regime and the harsh response thereto set the stage for a long struggle between the Pahlavi monarchy and the Ulama that ended with the Islamic Revolution in 1979. This book is the first detailed and documented history of Iran during 1919-1930 in the English language.
Trade ReviewIn his recent book, Majd undertakes the task of retelling the fundamental political changes in Iran during the 1920s, beginning with the Anglo-Persian Convention in 1919 and ending with Reḍā Šāh’s 'expanded reign of terror'. The slightly larger first part of the book (chapters two to ten) recounts the events leading to the overthrow of the Qājār monarchy and the establishment of the Pahlavi dynasty. The last five chapters focus on the consolidation of Reḍā Šāh’s rule and its increasingly dictatorial character, evident e.g. in his attacks on the Shi‘i clergy and the tribal population. The book follows Majd’s previous publications in strongly emphasizing British influence on the events in Persia and making extensive use of American archival material . . . [H]e fills the pages with long quotations from records of the US State Department. . . .[T]he author makes a valuable source accessible through his extensive verbatim citations. Since the cited correspondence often goes beyond a mere account of events, it also sheds light on social and cultural changes during the early Pahlavī period. Furthermore, the almost exclusively chronological order of the documents allows the reader to closely follow the course of events which were reported in a very detailed way from the perspective of diplomats representing American interests in the region. And finally, the appendant index is a helpful tool to directly consult the material for specific aspects. * Abstracta Iranica *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction and Overview Chapter 2 The Anglo-Persian Convention Chapter 3 Resignation and Flight of Vossough-ed Dowleh Chapter 4 Prelude to Coup d'Etat: cabinets of Moshir-ed-Dowleh and Sepahdar Chapter 5 Coup d'Etat and Onset of Military Dictatorship Chapter 6 Kaleidoscopic Ministries and the Strengthening of Dictatorship, 1921-1923 Chapter 7 The "Republican Movement" and the Imbrie Murder Chapter 8 The "Liberation" of Arabistan Chapter 9 The Regency Affair Chapter 10 Abolition of Qajar Monarchy and the Advent of Reza Shah Pahlavi Chapter 11 A Shaky Throne: Corruption, Mutiny, Rebellion and Assassination Plot Chapter 12 An Oppressive Dictatorship, 1926-1928: Rising Unpopularity of Reza Shah Chapter 13 Waging War on the Shia Clergy Chapter 14 Waging War on the Tribes Chapter 15 An Expanded Reign of Terror Part 16 Index
