Reza Shah Pahlavi: Founder of Modern Iran

Early Life and Military Career

Reza Khan was born on March 15, 1878, in the village of Alasht in the Savadkuh region of Mazandaran Province, Iran. Born into a family with military traditions, his father Abbas Ali Khan served in the Persian army. After his father's death when Reza was just eight months old, he was raised by his mother and uncle in Tehran.

At the age of 15, Reza Khan joined the Persian Cossack Brigade, an elite military unit trained and commanded by Russian officers. His imposing physical presence, standing over six feet tall, combined with his natural leadership abilities and tactical intelligence, led to rapid advancement through the ranks. By 1911, he had risen to the rank of brigadier.

The 1921 Coup and Rise to Power

In February 1921, Reza Khan led a coup d'etat alongside journalist and politician Seyyed Zia al-Din Tabatabaei. The coup was bloodless, with Reza Khan's Cossack forces marching into Tehran and taking control of key government buildings. While Zia became Prime Minister initially, Reza Khan's control of the military made him the real power behind the throne.

Over the next four years, Reza Khan consolidated power, serving first as Minister of War and then as Prime Minister in 1923. He systematically suppressed regional rebellions, unified the country's armed forces under central command, and built a reputation as the strong leader Iran needed after years of foreign interference and internal weakness.

Founding the Pahlavi Dynasty

On December 12, 1925, the Constituent Assembly formally deposed the last Qajar Shah, Ahmad Shah Qajar, and offered the crown to Reza Khan. He was crowned as Reza Shah Pahlavi on April 25, 1926, choosing the name "Pahlavi" to connect his new dynasty to the ancient Pahlavi language and the pre-Islamic glory of Persia.

The choice of the name Pahlavi was deeply symbolic. It referenced the Middle Persian language used during the Sassanid Empire and evoked the grandeur of ancient Persia before the Arab conquest. This connection to pre-Islamic Iranian identity would become a hallmark of Pahlavi ideology.

Modernization Reforms

Reza Shah embarked on an ambitious program of modernization, seeking to transform Iran from a semi-feudal society into a modern nation-state. His reforms touched nearly every aspect of Iranian life:

• Infrastructure: Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea, along with thousands of kilometers of roads.
• Education: Establishment of public schools throughout the country and the founding of Tehran University in 1934.
• Legal Reform: Adoption of a new civil code based on French law, reducing the power of religious courts.
• Dress Reform: Mandatory Western dress for men and the controversial unveiling decree for women in 1936.
• Economic Development: State-controlled industrialization, including textile mills, sugar refineries, and cement factories.

Renaming Persia to Iran

In 1935, Reza Shah requested that foreign nations refer to the country by its native name, Iran, rather than the Greek-derived "Persia." This change reflected the nationalist ideology of the Pahlavi era, emphasizing the Aryan heritage suggested by the name Iran, which means "Land of the Aryans."

Abdication and Exile

During World War II, Reza Shah attempted to maintain Iranian neutrality, but his refusal to expel German nationals and his perceived pro-German sympathies led to the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in August 1941. The Allies, needing a secure supply route to the Soviet Union, forced Reza Shah to abdicate in favor of his young son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Reza Shah was exiled, first to Mauritius and then to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he died on July 26, 1944. His remains were eventually returned to Iran in 1950 and interred in a grand mausoleum in Ray, south of Tehran.

Legacy

Reza Shah Pahlavi's legacy remains complex and contested. His supporters credit him with transforming Iran from a weak, fragmented nation into a unified modern state with infrastructure, education, and industry. His critics point to his authoritarian methods, suppression of dissent, and forced cultural changes that alienated religious communities.

What remains undeniable is that Reza Shah fundamentally altered the trajectory of Iranian history. He established a dynasty that would rule until 1979, created institutions that persist to this day, and articulated a vision of Iranian nationalism that continues to influence political discourse in Iran and among the Iranian diaspora.