MONGABAY.COM
Mongabay.com seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics, and finance on conservation and development (more)
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
|
|
Iran
Index
The shah and his family, with eldest son, Reza, Cyrus Pahlavi standing in rear. (Photo
taken in the mid-1970s)
The Revolution replaced the old political elite, which had
consisted of the Pahlavi family, wealthy families of the former
Qajar dynasty, and wealthy industrialists and financiers, with a
new political elite of Shia clergy and lay politicians of middle
and lower middle class origin. The roots of most members of this
new elite lay in the bazaar middle class
(see Urban Society
, ch.
2). Thus, the values of the new elite and the attitudes they
professed were the ones most esteemed by the bazaar: respect for
entrepreneurial skill, distrust of capitalist methods, and
religious conservatism. Since the Revolution, they have striven to
create a political order that incorporates their shared vision of
an ideal society based upon Islamic principles.
Although the new political elite has been relatively united as
to the overall goals envisaged for the Islamic Republic, its
members have been deeply divided over various political, social,
and economic policies deemed appropriate for achieving long-term
objectives. These divisions have been manifested in political
developments and struggles in the years since 1979. This period has
been characterized by four phases, each dominated by distinct
political issues. The first phase coincided with the provisional
government of Prime Minister Bazargan, from February to November
1979. The next phase, which lasted until June 1981, was marked by
the political rise and fall of Bani Sadr. During the third phase,
which ended in December 1982, the government survived a major armed
insurrection. During the next phase, which began in 1983, the
political elite has been involved in the process of consolidating
the theocratic regime, and that process was continuing in late
1987.
Data as of December 1987
|
|