In connection with recent events in the Middle East, I became interested in the history of Iran. I found a more or less short and clear story, which I want to share with you. I hope it will be interesting! Let's go!
Iran or Persia? These days we can often hear a story about a country in the southwestern part of Asia called Persia. In ancient times, this state was the center of a huge empire, the territory of which stretched from Egypt itself to the Indus River.
The name "Iran" became relevant in 1935, when the official change of one name to another took place. However, the concept of "Persian" has still been preserved - both in Russian and in most European languages. Everyone remembers Persian carpets, loves Persian cats. Such riches hardly fit the concept of "Iranian", such a phrase would grate on the ear.
Geography It is worth saying that at one time the state of Persia did not have clear borders. It is quite problematic to determine which country is now located on these lands. Even modern Iran is only approximately located on the territory of Ancient Persia. The fact is that in certain periods this empire was located in most of the world known at that time. But there were also worse years, when the territory of Persia was divided among local rulers who were hostile to each other.
The relief of most of the territory of today's Persia is a high (1200 m) plateau, which is crossed by a chain of rock ridges and individual peaks rising to 5500 m. In the northern and western parts of this area are the Elbrus and Zagros mountain ranges. They are located in the shape of the letter "V", framing the plateau. To the west of Persia was Mesopotamia. This is the birthplace of the most ancient civilizations on Earth. At one time, the states of this empire significantly influenced the culture of the then emerging country of Persia.
History Persia (Iran) is a country with a great past. Its history includes wars of conquest and defense, uprisings and revolutions, as well as brutal suppression of all political uprisings. But at the same time, Ancient Iran is the birthplace of great people of that time, who brought the country's art and culture to a flourishing stage, and also built amazingly beautiful buildings, the architecture of which still amazes us with its magnificence. The history of Persia has a large number of ruling dynasties. It is simply impossible to count them all. Each of these dynasties put into effect its own laws and rules, which no one simply dared to violate.
Historical periodsPersia has experienced a lot on the path of its formation. But the main milestones of its development are considered to be two periods. One of them is pre-Muslim, and the second is Muslim. Islamization of Ancient Iran was the cause of fundamental changes in its political, social and cultural spheres. However, this does not mean the disappearance of the old spiritual values. Not only were they not lost, but they also significantly influenced the new culture that arose in the country at the turn of two historical periods. In addition, many pre-Muslim rituals and traditions have been preserved in Iran to this day.
The Reign of the Achaemenids As a state, Ancient Iran began its existence with Cyrus II. This ruler became the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty, which was in power from 550 to 330 BC. Under Cyrus II, the two largest Indo-Asian tribes, the Persians and the Medes, were united for the first time. This was the period of Persia's greatest power. Its territory extended to Central and Asia Minor, the Indus Valley and Egypt. The most important archaeological and historical monument of the Achaemenid era are the ruins of the capital of Persia - Persepolis.
The tomb of Cyrus II is located here, as well as an inscription carved by Darius I on the Behistun Rock. Persepolis was burned by Alexander the Great during his campaign to conquer Iran. This conqueror put an end to the great Achaemenid Empire. Unfortunately, there are no written records from this era. They were destroyed by order of Alexander the Great.
Hellenistic Period From 330 to 224 BC, Persia was in decline. Its culture degraded along with the country. During this period, Ancient Iran was under the rule of the then ruling Greek dynasty of the Seleucids, being part of the state of the same name. The culture and language of Persia changed. They were influenced by the Greeks. At the same time, Iranian culture did not perish. It influenced the immigrants from Hellas. But this only happened in those areas where there were no self-sufficient and large Greek communities.
Parthian Kingdom Years passed, the power of the Greeks in Persia came to an end. The history of Ancient Iran entered a new stage. The country became part of the Parthian Kingdom. The Arsacid dynasty, which considered itself the descendants of the Achaemenids, ruled here. These rulers liberated Persia from Greek power, and also protected it from the invasion of the Romans and the raids of the nomads. During this period, the Iranian folk epic was created, a large number of stories with heroic characters appeared. One of them was Rustem. This Iranian hero is in many ways similar to Hercules. During the Parthian period, the feudal system was strengthened. This weakened Persia. As a result, it was conquered by the Sassanids. A new stage in the history of Ancient Iran began.
The Sassanid StateBetween 224 and 226 AD, the last Parthian king, Artabanus V, was overthrown. The Sassanid dynasty seized power. During this period, the borders of Ancient Iran were not only restored, but also expanded to the western regions of China, including Punjab and Transcaucasia. The dynasty was in constant conflict with the Romans, and one of its representatives, Shapur I, even managed to capture their emperor Valerian. The Sassanid dynasty also waged constant wars with Byzantium. During this period, cities developed in Persia, and the central government was strengthened. Zoroastrianism also emerged at that time, becoming the official religion of the country. During the Sassanid era, the four-stage system of the existing administrative division and the stratification of all layers of society into 4 estates were developed and approved. During the Sassanid era, Christianity penetrated Persia, which was negatively received by the Zoroastrian priests. At the same time, some other opposition religious movements emerged. Among them are Mazdakism and Manichaeism. The most famous representative of the Sassanid dynasty was Shah Khosrow I Anushirvan. The literal translation of his name means "with an immortal soul." His reign lasted from 531 to 579. Khosrow I was so famous that his fame remained for many centuries after the fall of the Sassanid dynasty. This ruler remained in the memory of descendants as a great reformer. Khosrow I showed great interest in philosophy and science. Some Iranian sources even compare him to Plato's "philosopher king." The Sassanids were significantly weakened by constant wars with Rome. In 641, the country lost a major battle to the Arabs. The Sassanid stage of Iranian history ended with the death of the last representative of this dynasty - Yazdegerd III. Persia entered the Islamic period of its development.
The rule of local dynastiesThe Arab Caliphate gradually expanded to the east. At the same time, its central government in Baghdad and Damascus could no longer maintain strict control over all the provinces. This led to the emergence of local dynasties in Iran. The first of them was the Tahirids. Its representatives ruled from 821 to 873 in Khorasan. This dynasty was replaced by the Saffarids. Their dominance in the territory of Khorasan, southern Iran and Herat lasted throughout the second half of the ninth century. Then the throne was seized by the Samanids. This dynasty proclaimed itself the descendants of the Parthian military leader Bahram Chubin. The Samanids held the throne for more than fifty years, extending their power over significant territories. The country of Iran during their reign stretched from the eastern outskirts of the highlands to the Aral Sea and the Zagros Range. The center of the state was Bukhara. A little later, two more families ruled in Persia. In the second half of the tenth century, it was the Ziyarids. They controlled the territory of the Caspian coast. The Ziyarids were famous for their patronage of art and literature. During the same period, the Bund dynasty was in power in central Iran. They conquered Baghdad and Fors, Khuzestan and Kerman, Ray and Hamadan. Local Iranian dynasties achieved power in the same way. They seized the throne by raising an armed rebellion.
The Ghaznavid and Seljuk Dynasties Beginning in the eighth century, Turkic nomadic tribes began to penetrate the Iranian plateau. Gradually, the way of life of these people became sedentary. New settlements arose. Alp-Tegin, one of the Turkic tribal leaders, began to serve the Sassanids. In 962, he came to power and ruled the newly created state, the capital of which was the city of Ghazni. Alp-Tegin founded a new dynasty. The Ghaznavites held power for a little over a hundred years. One of its representatives, Mahmud of Ghaznavi, kept the territory from Mesopotamia to India under his constant control. The same ruler settled the Oghuz Turkic tribe in Kharasan. Subsequently, their leader Seljuk rebelled and overthrew the Ghaznavid dynasty. The city of Rey was declared the capital of Iran. The Seljuk dynasty was a devout Muslim. It subjugated all local rulers, but during its reign it waged constant wars for many years. During the years of Seljuk rule, architecture flourished. Hundreds of madrassas, mosques, public buildings and palaces were built during the dynasty's reign. But at the same time, the reign of the Seljuks was hampered by constant uprisings in the provinces, as well as invasions of other Turkic tribes, who were advancing towards the western lands. Constant wars weakened the state, and by the end of the first quarter of the twelfth century it began to disintegrate.
Mongol ruleThe invasion of Genghis Khan's troops did not pass by Iran. The history of the country tells us that in 1219 this commander managed to seize Khorezm, and then, moving west, plundered Bukhara, Balkh, Samarkand, Nashapur and Merv. His grandson, Hulagu Khan, again entered Iran in 1256 and, having taken Baghdad by storm, destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate. The conqueror took the title of Ilkhan, becoming the founder of the Hulaguid dynasty. He and his successors adopted the religion, culture and way of life of the Iranian people. Over the years, the position of the Mongols in Persia began to weaken. They were forced to wage constant wars with feudal rulers and representatives of local dynasties. Between 1380 and 1395, the territory of the Iranian plateau was captured by Amir Timur (Tamerlane). He also conquered all the lands adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. The descendants of the great commander preserved the Timurid state until 1506. Then it was subordinated to the Uzbek dynasty of the Sheibanid.
History of Iran from the 15th to the 18th centuries Wars for power continued in Persia over the following centuries. Thus, in the 15th century, the Ak-Koyundu and Kara-Aoyundu tribes fought among themselves. In 1502, Ismail I seized power. This monarch was the first representative of the Safavids, an Azerbaijani dynasty. During the reign of Ismail I and his successors, Iran revived its military power and became an economically prosperous country. The Safavid state remained strong until the death of its last ruler, Abbas I, in 1629. In the east, the Uzbeks were expelled from Harasan, and in the west, the Ottomans were defeated. Iran, whose map showed its impressive territories, subjugated Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It existed within these borders until the nineteenth century. Wars were waged on the territory of Persia against the Turks and Afghans, who sought to conquer the country. These were the times when the Afshar dynasty was in power. The southern lands of Iran were under the rule of the dynasty founded by Zandov Kerim Khan from 1760 to 1779. Then it was overthrown by the Turkic tribe of the Qajars. Under the leadership of their leader, they conquered the lands of the entire Iranian plateau.
The Qajar DynastyAt the very beginning of the nineteenth century, Iran lost provinces located in the territory of modern Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. This was the result of the fact that the Qajar dynasty was never able to create a strong state apparatus, a national army and a unified system of tax collection. The power of its representatives turned out to be too weak and was unable to resist the imperial desires of Russia and Great Britain. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the lands of Afghanistan and Turkestan came under the control of these great powers. Iran involuntarily became an arena for Russian-British confrontation. The last of the Qajar dynasty was a constitutional monarch. The dynasty was forced to accept this main law under the pressure of strikes in the country. Two powers, Russia and Great Britain, spoke out against the constitutional regime of Iran. In 1907, they signed an agreement on the division of Persia. Its northern part went to Russia. Great Britain exerted its influence in the southern lands. The central part of the country was left as a neutral zone.
Iran in the early 20th century The Qajar dynasty was overthrown in a coup d'état. It was led by General Reza Khan. A new dynasty, the Pahlavis, came to power. This name, which means "noble, brave" in Parthian, was intended to emphasize the Iranian origin of the family. During the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi, Persia experienced its national revival. This was facilitated by numerous radical reforms carried out by the government. Industrialization began. Large investments were allocated for the development of industry. Highways and railways were built. Oil was actively developed and extracted. Sharia courts were replaced by legal proceedings. Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, Persia began extensive modernization. In 1935, the state of Persia changed its name. What country is its current successor? Iran. This is the ancient self-name of Persia, which means "country of the Aryans" (the highest white race). After 1935, the pre-Islamic past began to revive. Small and large cities of Iran began to be renamed. Pre-Islamic monuments were restored in them.
The overthrow of the tsarist powerThe last Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty ascended the throne in 1941. His reign lasted for 38 years. In conducting his foreign policy, the Shah was guided by the opinion of the United States. At the same time, he supported the pro-American regimes that existed in Oman, Somalia and Chad. One of the most prominent opponents of the Shah was the Islamic cleric Kma Ruhollah Khomeini. He led the revolutionary activity against the existing government. In 1977, US President Jimmy Carter forced the Shah to ease the repressions against the opposition. As a result, numerous parties criticizing the existing regime began to appear in Iran. An Islamic revolution was being prepared. The activities carried out by the opposition exacerbated the protest moods of Iranian society, which spoke out against the country's domestic policy, the oppression of the church and the pro-American foreign policy.
The Islamic Revolution began after the events of January 1978. It was then that the police shot at a demonstration of students protesting against a slanderous article about Khomeini published in a state newspaper. The unrest continued for a year. The Shah was forced to introduce martial law in the country. However, it was no longer possible to keep the situation under control. In January 1979, the Shah left Iran. After his flight, a referendum was held in the country. As a result, on April 1, 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran was established. In December of the same year, an updated constitution of the country was published. This document confirmed the supreme authority of Imam Khomeini, which after his death was to be transferred to his successor. According to the constitution, the President of Iran stood at the head of political and civil power. Together with him, the Prime Minister and the Advisory Council - the Menjlis - ruled the country. According to the law, the President of Iran was the guarantor of the adopted constitution.
Iran today Persia, known since time immemorial, is a very colorful state. What country today can so accurately correspond to the saying "The East is a delicate matter"? This is confirmed by the entire existence and development of the state in question. The Islamic Republic of Iran, without a doubt, is unique in its originality. And this distinguishes it from other Asian countries. The capital of the Republic is the city of Tehran. This is a huge metropolis, one of the largest in the world.
Iran is a unique country with a large number of attractions, cultural monuments and its own peculiarities of the way of life. The republic has 10% of the world's reserves of black gold. It is thanks to its oil fields that it is among the top ten leading exporters of this natural resource. Persia - what kind of country is it now? Highly religious. Its printing houses publish more copies of the Holy Quran than all other Muslim countries. After the Islamic Revolution, the republic took a course towards universal literacy. Education is developing here at an accelerated pace.
Iran or Persia? These days we can often hear a story about a country in the southwestern part of Asia called Persia. In ancient times, this state was the center of a huge empire, the territory of which stretched from Egypt itself to the Indus River.
The name "Iran" became relevant in 1935, when the official change of one name to another took place. However, the concept of "Persian" has still been preserved - both in Russian and in most European languages. Everyone remembers Persian carpets, loves Persian cats. Such riches hardly fit the concept of "Iranian", such a phrase would grate on the ear.
Geography It is worth saying that at one time the state of Persia did not have clear borders. It is quite problematic to determine which country is now located on these lands. Even modern Iran is only approximately located on the territory of Ancient Persia. The fact is that in certain periods this empire was located in most of the world known at that time. But there were also worse years, when the territory of Persia was divided among local rulers who were hostile to each other.
The relief of most of the territory of today's Persia is a high (1200 m) plateau, which is crossed by a chain of rock ridges and individual peaks rising to 5500 m. In the northern and western parts of this area are the Elbrus and Zagros mountain ranges. They are located in the shape of the letter "V", framing the plateau. To the west of Persia was Mesopotamia. This is the birthplace of the most ancient civilizations on Earth. At one time, the states of this empire significantly influenced the culture of the then emerging country of Persia.
History Persia (Iran) is a country with a great past. Its history includes wars of conquest and defense, uprisings and revolutions, as well as brutal suppression of all political uprisings. But at the same time, Ancient Iran is the birthplace of great people of that time, who brought the country's art and culture to a flourishing stage, and also built amazingly beautiful buildings, the architecture of which still amazes us with its magnificence. The history of Persia has a large number of ruling dynasties. It is simply impossible to count them all. Each of these dynasties put into effect its own laws and rules, which no one simply dared to violate.
Historical periodsPersia has experienced a lot on the path of its formation. But the main milestones of its development are considered to be two periods. One of them is pre-Muslim, and the second is Muslim. Islamization of Ancient Iran was the cause of fundamental changes in its political, social and cultural spheres. However, this does not mean the disappearance of the old spiritual values. Not only were they not lost, but they also significantly influenced the new culture that arose in the country at the turn of two historical periods. In addition, many pre-Muslim rituals and traditions have been preserved in Iran to this day.
The Reign of the Achaemenids As a state, Ancient Iran began its existence with Cyrus II. This ruler became the founder of the Achaemenid dynasty, which was in power from 550 to 330 BC. Under Cyrus II, the two largest Indo-Asian tribes, the Persians and the Medes, were united for the first time. This was the period of Persia's greatest power. Its territory extended to Central and Asia Minor, the Indus Valley and Egypt. The most important archaeological and historical monument of the Achaemenid era are the ruins of the capital of Persia - Persepolis.
The tomb of Cyrus II is located here, as well as an inscription carved by Darius I on the Behistun Rock. Persepolis was burned by Alexander the Great during his campaign to conquer Iran. This conqueror put an end to the great Achaemenid Empire. Unfortunately, there are no written records from this era. They were destroyed by order of Alexander the Great.
Hellenistic Period From 330 to 224 BC, Persia was in decline. Its culture degraded along with the country. During this period, Ancient Iran was under the rule of the then ruling Greek dynasty of the Seleucids, being part of the state of the same name. The culture and language of Persia changed. They were influenced by the Greeks. At the same time, Iranian culture did not perish. It influenced the immigrants from Hellas. But this only happened in those areas where there were no self-sufficient and large Greek communities.
Parthian Kingdom Years passed, the power of the Greeks in Persia came to an end. The history of Ancient Iran entered a new stage. The country became part of the Parthian Kingdom. The Arsacid dynasty, which considered itself the descendants of the Achaemenids, ruled here. These rulers liberated Persia from Greek power, and also protected it from the invasion of the Romans and the raids of the nomads. During this period, the Iranian folk epic was created, a large number of stories with heroic characters appeared. One of them was Rustem. This Iranian hero is in many ways similar to Hercules. During the Parthian period, the feudal system was strengthened. This weakened Persia. As a result, it was conquered by the Sassanids. A new stage in the history of Ancient Iran began.
The Sassanid StateBetween 224 and 226 AD, the last Parthian king, Artabanus V, was overthrown. The Sassanid dynasty seized power. During this period, the borders of Ancient Iran were not only restored, but also expanded to the western regions of China, including Punjab and Transcaucasia. The dynasty was in constant conflict with the Romans, and one of its representatives, Shapur I, even managed to capture their emperor Valerian. The Sassanid dynasty also waged constant wars with Byzantium. During this period, cities developed in Persia, and the central government was strengthened. Zoroastrianism also emerged at that time, becoming the official religion of the country. During the Sassanid era, the four-stage system of the existing administrative division and the stratification of all layers of society into 4 estates were developed and approved. During the Sassanid era, Christianity penetrated Persia, which was negatively received by the Zoroastrian priests. At the same time, some other opposition religious movements emerged. Among them are Mazdakism and Manichaeism. The most famous representative of the Sassanid dynasty was Shah Khosrow I Anushirvan. The literal translation of his name means "with an immortal soul." His reign lasted from 531 to 579. Khosrow I was so famous that his fame remained for many centuries after the fall of the Sassanid dynasty. This ruler remained in the memory of descendants as a great reformer. Khosrow I showed great interest in philosophy and science. Some Iranian sources even compare him to Plato's "philosopher king." The Sassanids were significantly weakened by constant wars with Rome. In 641, the country lost a major battle to the Arabs. The Sassanid stage of Iranian history ended with the death of the last representative of this dynasty - Yazdegerd III. Persia entered the Islamic period of its development.
The rule of local dynastiesThe Arab Caliphate gradually expanded to the east. At the same time, its central government in Baghdad and Damascus could no longer maintain strict control over all the provinces. This led to the emergence of local dynasties in Iran. The first of them was the Tahirids. Its representatives ruled from 821 to 873 in Khorasan. This dynasty was replaced by the Saffarids. Their dominance in the territory of Khorasan, southern Iran and Herat lasted throughout the second half of the ninth century. Then the throne was seized by the Samanids. This dynasty proclaimed itself the descendants of the Parthian military leader Bahram Chubin. The Samanids held the throne for more than fifty years, extending their power over significant territories. The country of Iran during their reign stretched from the eastern outskirts of the highlands to the Aral Sea and the Zagros Range. The center of the state was Bukhara. A little later, two more families ruled in Persia. In the second half of the tenth century, it was the Ziyarids. They controlled the territory of the Caspian coast. The Ziyarids were famous for their patronage of art and literature. During the same period, the Bund dynasty was in power in central Iran. They conquered Baghdad and Fors, Khuzestan and Kerman, Ray and Hamadan. Local Iranian dynasties achieved power in the same way. They seized the throne by raising an armed rebellion.
The Ghaznavid and Seljuk Dynasties Beginning in the eighth century, Turkic nomadic tribes began to penetrate the Iranian plateau. Gradually, the way of life of these people became sedentary. New settlements arose. Alp-Tegin, one of the Turkic tribal leaders, began to serve the Sassanids. In 962, he came to power and ruled the newly created state, the capital of which was the city of Ghazni. Alp-Tegin founded a new dynasty. The Ghaznavites held power for a little over a hundred years. One of its representatives, Mahmud of Ghaznavi, kept the territory from Mesopotamia to India under his constant control. The same ruler settled the Oghuz Turkic tribe in Kharasan. Subsequently, their leader Seljuk rebelled and overthrew the Ghaznavid dynasty. The city of Rey was declared the capital of Iran. The Seljuk dynasty was a devout Muslim. It subjugated all local rulers, but during its reign it waged constant wars for many years. During the years of Seljuk rule, architecture flourished. Hundreds of madrassas, mosques, public buildings and palaces were built during the dynasty's reign. But at the same time, the reign of the Seljuks was hampered by constant uprisings in the provinces, as well as invasions of other Turkic tribes, who were advancing towards the western lands. Constant wars weakened the state, and by the end of the first quarter of the twelfth century it began to disintegrate.
Mongol ruleThe invasion of Genghis Khan's troops did not pass by Iran. The history of the country tells us that in 1219 this commander managed to seize Khorezm, and then, moving west, plundered Bukhara, Balkh, Samarkand, Nashapur and Merv. His grandson, Hulagu Khan, again entered Iran in 1256 and, having taken Baghdad by storm, destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate. The conqueror took the title of Ilkhan, becoming the founder of the Hulaguid dynasty. He and his successors adopted the religion, culture and way of life of the Iranian people. Over the years, the position of the Mongols in Persia began to weaken. They were forced to wage constant wars with feudal rulers and representatives of local dynasties. Between 1380 and 1395, the territory of the Iranian plateau was captured by Amir Timur (Tamerlane). He also conquered all the lands adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. The descendants of the great commander preserved the Timurid state until 1506. Then it was subordinated to the Uzbek dynasty of the Sheibanid.
History of Iran from the 15th to the 18th centuries Wars for power continued in Persia over the following centuries. Thus, in the 15th century, the Ak-Koyundu and Kara-Aoyundu tribes fought among themselves. In 1502, Ismail I seized power. This monarch was the first representative of the Safavids, an Azerbaijani dynasty. During the reign of Ismail I and his successors, Iran revived its military power and became an economically prosperous country. The Safavid state remained strong until the death of its last ruler, Abbas I, in 1629. In the east, the Uzbeks were expelled from Harasan, and in the west, the Ottomans were defeated. Iran, whose map showed its impressive territories, subjugated Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It existed within these borders until the nineteenth century. Wars were waged on the territory of Persia against the Turks and Afghans, who sought to conquer the country. These were the times when the Afshar dynasty was in power. The southern lands of Iran were under the rule of the dynasty founded by Zandov Kerim Khan from 1760 to 1779. Then it was overthrown by the Turkic tribe of the Qajars. Under the leadership of their leader, they conquered the lands of the entire Iranian plateau.
The Qajar DynastyAt the very beginning of the nineteenth century, Iran lost provinces located in the territory of modern Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. This was the result of the fact that the Qajar dynasty was never able to create a strong state apparatus, a national army and a unified system of tax collection. The power of its representatives turned out to be too weak and was unable to resist the imperial desires of Russia and Great Britain. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the lands of Afghanistan and Turkestan came under the control of these great powers. Iran involuntarily became an arena for Russian-British confrontation. The last of the Qajar dynasty was a constitutional monarch. The dynasty was forced to accept this main law under the pressure of strikes in the country. Two powers, Russia and Great Britain, spoke out against the constitutional regime of Iran. In 1907, they signed an agreement on the division of Persia. Its northern part went to Russia. Great Britain exerted its influence in the southern lands. The central part of the country was left as a neutral zone.
Iran in the early 20th century The Qajar dynasty was overthrown in a coup d'état. It was led by General Reza Khan. A new dynasty, the Pahlavis, came to power. This name, which means "noble, brave" in Parthian, was intended to emphasize the Iranian origin of the family. During the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi, Persia experienced its national revival. This was facilitated by numerous radical reforms carried out by the government. Industrialization began. Large investments were allocated for the development of industry. Highways and railways were built. Oil was actively developed and extracted. Sharia courts were replaced by legal proceedings. Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, Persia began extensive modernization. In 1935, the state of Persia changed its name. What country is its current successor? Iran. This is the ancient self-name of Persia, which means "country of the Aryans" (the highest white race). After 1935, the pre-Islamic past began to revive. Small and large cities of Iran began to be renamed. Pre-Islamic monuments were restored in them.
The overthrow of the tsarist powerThe last Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty ascended the throne in 1941. His reign lasted for 38 years. In conducting his foreign policy, the Shah was guided by the opinion of the United States. At the same time, he supported the pro-American regimes that existed in Oman, Somalia and Chad. One of the most prominent opponents of the Shah was the Islamic cleric Kma Ruhollah Khomeini. He led the revolutionary activity against the existing government. In 1977, US President Jimmy Carter forced the Shah to ease the repressions against the opposition. As a result, numerous parties criticizing the existing regime began to appear in Iran. An Islamic revolution was being prepared. The activities carried out by the opposition exacerbated the protest moods of Iranian society, which spoke out against the country's domestic policy, the oppression of the church and the pro-American foreign policy.
The Islamic Revolution began after the events of January 1978. It was then that the police shot at a demonstration of students protesting against a slanderous article about Khomeini published in a state newspaper. The unrest continued for a year. The Shah was forced to introduce martial law in the country. However, it was no longer possible to keep the situation under control. In January 1979, the Shah left Iran. After his flight, a referendum was held in the country. As a result, on April 1, 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran was established. In December of the same year, an updated constitution of the country was published. This document confirmed the supreme authority of Imam Khomeini, which after his death was to be transferred to his successor. According to the constitution, the President of Iran stood at the head of political and civil power. Together with him, the Prime Minister and the Advisory Council - the Menjlis - ruled the country. According to the law, the President of Iran was the guarantor of the adopted constitution.
Iran today Persia, known since time immemorial, is a very colorful state. What country today can so accurately correspond to the saying "The East is a delicate matter"? This is confirmed by the entire existence and development of the state in question. The Islamic Republic of Iran, without a doubt, is unique in its originality. And this distinguishes it from other Asian countries. The capital of the Republic is the city of Tehran. This is a huge metropolis, one of the largest in the world.
Iran is a unique country with a large number of attractions, cultural monuments and its own peculiarities of the way of life. The republic has 10% of the world's reserves of black gold. It is thanks to its oil fields that it is among the top ten leading exporters of this natural resource. Persia - what kind of country is it now? Highly religious. Its printing houses publish more copies of the Holy Quran than all other Muslim countries. After the Islamic Revolution, the republic took a course towards universal literacy. Education is developing here at an accelerated pace.