Iranian monarchy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Shah of Iran” redirects here. For a list of Persian monarchs, see List of kings of Persia.

What is known as the Iranian monarchy went through many transformations over the centuries, from the days of the Persian Empire to the establishment of modern day Iran.

The Shah was the hereditary ruler, though the title, when used by Westerners today, generally refers to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shahanshah. According to royal order of precedence, the Shahanshah was equal in status to an Emperor, though, from the time of the Arab invasion of Iran until 1967, when Farah Pahlavi was crowned empress, the monarch's wife usually bore the title of Malika (Queen consort).

The modern Iranian monarchy was established in 1501 after the Safavid dynasty came to power under Shah Ismail I, and ended the so-called "fourth era" of political fragmentation.

For most of its existence, Iran has been ruled by absolute monarchy, though it was in the control of various dynasties. During the Persian Constitutional Revolution in 1905-11, Iran became a constitutional monarchy, which it remained until 1925. After the fall of the Qajar dynasty at that time, Reza Shah, a soldier, came to power and declared himself the new shah.

The monarchy was abolished in 1979 when a revolution, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, pressured the last Pahlavi shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, into exile, and established an Islamic Republic.