Causes Of The 1979 Iranian Revolution

In 1979, there was a revolution in Iran, resulting in the downfall of Shah Pahlavi’s regime. Before this, there was enough widespread dissension for Ayatollah Khomeini, a religious leader who wanted to overthrow the Shah, to rally the people of Iran and start a revolution. This mass unrest was caused by a multitude of societal, economic, and religious problems within Iran. Many people were not satisfied with the Shah’s rule and policies, and in part blamed him for their adversities. Ultimately, the Shah’s controversial interpretation of the Qur’an, westernization program, and failure to support middle classes were the main causes of the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
In the 1970’s, Shah Pahlavi’s anti-clerical ideology caused a great deal of unrest among Muslims in Iran. Many Iranians had put their faith in Islam, and therefore Muslim leaders. Unfortunately for the Shah, many of these religious leaders did not agree with his interpretations of the Qur’an. This left citizens to feel torn between believing in their religion or their country. With these radical religious ideas, the widespread dissatisfaction set the
foundation for heightened levels of political activity in Iran. Because the population of Muslims in Iran was so large, this social unrest did not go unnoticed by leaders of the rebellion who were trying to overthrow the Shah, such as Ayatollah Khomeini. Ultimately, this extensive discontent among Iranians because of contrasting religious ideas between the Shah and the people helped Khomeini jump-start the revolution.
The American influence in the Shah’s industrialization policies was another cause of discontent among Iranians under Shah Pahlavi’s rule.
Many believe that western interference played too-large of a role in the coup which returned the Shah to power after Mossadeq, the prime minister, was overthrown. The Shah became dependent on funds from western powers such as the US and chose to industrialize his nation. Many Iranians were anti-westernization because they felt that with it comes the loss of tradition and culture, as Khomeini declares: “Even the projects he [the Shah] carried out in the name of progress, pushed the country towards decadence.” Because so many people were opposed to this industrialization or opposed to American influences on their country, so many were willing to revolt behind Khomeini, causing even more discontent among the
Iranians.
In addition, the Shah failed to support working classes who suffered as a result of his modern policies, causing tension within the middle class. Firstly, both the middle and lower classes had no “pressure groups” which they could oppose the government’s decisions peacefully through. Because many modernization policies benefited only the upper classes, middle and lower class families had no way of expressing their discontent in a way that could be noticed without protests and revolts. Additionally, the quality of life for many urban, middle-class families had declined due to industrialization. The air in urban areas became very polluted, the streets became full of traffic, and the percentage of people with inadequate housing rose. The Shah’s apparent disregard for the lives and lifestyles of many families in the middle and lower classes lead to further unrest among Iranian citizens, ultimately leading to the fall of the Pahlavi Regime.