Iranian Revolution

The Iranian Revolution replaced the Pahlavi monarchy with a new political order centered on clerical leadership. Broad social participation-from clerics to merchants, students, workers, and secular activists-produced a transformative realignment of state authority.

Background

Rapid modernization, political repression, economic disparities, and perceptions of foreign influence shaped public dissatisfaction. Networks of clerics, intellectuals, and political groups mobilized through demonstrations, strikes, and religious gatherings.

Legacy

The revolution produced a new constitutional structure combining republican institutions with clerical oversight. It reshaped foreign policy, governance, and public life, and remains the defining event of contemporary Iranian history.

Key Moment