Pahlavi dynasty: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Iranian imperial dynasty (1925–1979)}}

{{History of Greater Iran}}'''The Pahlavi dynasty''' (in Persian: دودمان پهلوی) of [[Iran]] began with the crowning of [[Reza Pahlavi|Reza Shah Pahlavi]] in [[1925]] and ended with the [[Iranian Revolution]] of [[1979]], and the subsequent collapse of the ancient tradition of [[Iranian monarchy]].

{{About|the Iranian royal dynasty|the country under its rule|Pahlavi Iran}}

{{pp-move}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox family

| name = Pahlavi

| type = [[Royal house]]

| coat_of_arms = The Imperial Coat of Arms of Iran.svg

| coat_of_arms_size = 200px

| alt = Coat of arms of the Imperial State of Iran

| coat_of_arms_caption = [[Arms of dominion]] of the [[Shah]]s, and therefore [[coat of arms]], of [[Pahlavi Iran]] from 1932. The emblem of the dynasty is the mountain and sun in the blue circle in the middle.

| image =

| image_size =

| alt2 =

| image_caption =

| parent_family = <!-- Family (or house, clan) from which the family in subject is descended -->

| country = [[Pahlavi Iran|Imperial State of Iran]]

| region = <!-- Main current ___location - please note, countries that are merely associated with titles should be indicated in "titles" -->

| early_forms =

| etymology = <!-- Etymology; name origin and/or meaning -->

| origin = [[Mazandaran province|Mazandaran]]

| founded = {{Start date and age|1925|12|15|df=y}}

| founder = [[Reza Shah|Reza Shah Pahlavi]]

| current_head = [[Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran|Reza Pahlavi]]

| final_ruler = [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]]

| final_head = <!-- I.e. last person with family name or else subject to end of continuous consistency -->

| titles = <!-- If multiple ones, please consider using {{tlx|Template:Collapsible list}} -->

| styles = <!-- Styles (manners of address) -->

| members =

| connected_members = <!-- Notable members in selection, only if relevant in infobox and readability-wise applicable -->

| other_families =

| distinctions = <!-- Primarily associated distinctions such as orders, prizes, awards, etc. -->

| traditions = [[Shia Islam]]

| motto = {{lang|fa|مرا داد فرمود و خود داور است}}<br />{{transliteration|fa|Marā dād farmud o Khod dāvar ast}}

| motto_lang = [[Persian language|Persian]]

| motto_trans = [God] ordered me, and he himself is the judge

| heirlooms = <!-- Inheritances; antiques, mementos, jewelry, etc. -->

| estate = <!-- Residence, seat, etc. -->

| properties =

| dissolution = <!-- {{End date|YYYY}}, removal of public status applicable primarily to royal and aristocratic houses -->

| deposition = {{End date and age|1979|02|11|df=y}} ([[Iranian Revolution]])

| cadet_branches = <!-- Branches families - if multiple ones, please consider using {{tlx|Template:Collapsible list}} -->

| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}}, website of the family association/foundation/memorial, etc. -->

| footnotes =

}}

The '''Pahlavi dynasty''' ({{langx|fa|خاندان پهلوی}}) was an [[List of monarchs of Iran|Iranian royal dynasty]] that was the [[Pahlavi Iran|last to rule Iran]] before the country's monarchy was overthrown by the [[Iranian Revolution]] in 1979. It was founded in 1925 by [[Reza Shah|Reza Shah Pahlavi]], a non-aristocratic Iranian soldier of [[Mazanderani people|Mazanderani]] origin,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Aghaie|first=Kamran Scot|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=egGgUM_YdL8C&dq=Reza+shah+is+Mazanderani&pg=PA49|title=The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi'i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran|date=1 December 2011|publisher=University of Washington Press|isbn=978-0-295-80078-3|language=en}}</ref> who took on the name of the [[Pahlavi scripts]] of the [[Middle Persian|Middle Persian language]] from the [[Sasanian Empire]] of [[Muslim conquest of Persia|pre-Islamic Iran]].{{cn|date=August 2025}} The dynasty largely espoused this form of [[Iranian nationalism]] rooted in the pre-Islamic era (notably based on the [[Achaemenid Empire]]) during its time in power, especially under its last king [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=کوروش |first1=نوروز مرادی |last2=نوری |first2=مصطفی |title=سندی نویافته از نیای رضاشاه |journal=پیام بهارستان |date=1388 |volume=د۲،س ۱،ش۴ |url=http://ensani.ir/file/download/article/20101205103251-0%20(51).pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=معتضد |first1=خسرو |title=تاج های زنانه |date=1387 |publisher=نشر البرز |___location=تهران |isbn=9789644425974 |pages=46 47 48 49 50 51 جلد اول |edition=چاپ اول}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=نیازمند |first1=رضا |title=رضاشاه از تولد تا سلطنت |date=1387 |publisher=حکایت قلم نوین |___location=تهران |isbn=9645925460 |pages=15 16 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 39 40 43 44 45 |edition=چاپ ششم}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=زیباکلام |first1=صادق |title=رضاشاه |date=1398 |publisher=روزنه،لندن:اچ انداس |___location=تهران |isbn=9781780837628 |pages=61, 62 |edition=اول}}</ref>

The dynasty replaced the [[Qajar family|Qajar dynasty]] in 1925 after the [[1921 Persian coup d'état|1921 coup d'état]], beginning on 14 January 1921 when 42-year-old soldier Reza Khan was promoted by British General [[Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside|Edmund Ironside]] to lead the British-run [[Persian Cossack Brigade]].<ref name="GhaniGhanī2001">{{cite book|author1=Cyrus Ghani|author2=Sīrūs Ghanī|title=Iran and the Rise of the Reza Shah: From Qajar Collapse to Pahlavi Power|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VGZItY9kL0AC&pg=PA147|date=6 January 2001|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-86064-629-4|pages=147–}}</ref> About a month later, under British direction, Reza Khan's 3,000–4,000 strong detachment of the Cossack Brigade reached [[Tehran]].<ref name=Zirinsky/><ref>Brysac, Shareen Blair. "A Very British Coup: How Reza Shah Won and Lost His Throne." ''World Policy Journal'' 24, no. 2 (2007): 90–103. Accessed 8 August 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40210096</ref> The rest of the country was taken by 1923, and by October 1925 the [[Majlis]] agreed to depose and formally exile [[Ahmad Shah Qajar]]. The Majlis declared Reza Pahlavi as the [[List of monarchs of Iran|Shah of Iran]] on 12 December 1925, pursuant to the [[Persian Constitution of 1906]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ajoudani.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=27|title=Mashallah Ajudani|work=Ajoudani|access-date=17 January 2013|archive-date=22 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022170922/http://ajoudani.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=27|url-status=dead}}</ref> Initially, Pahlavi had planned to declare the country a republic, as his contemporary [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] had done in [[Turkey]], but he abandoned the idea in the face of British and clerical opposition.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Curtis|first1=Glenn E.|last2=Hooglund|first2=Eric|author-link2=Eric Hooglund|title=Iran: A Country Study: A Country Study|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yPf_f7skJUYC&pg=PA27|publisher=Government Printing Office|isbn=978-0-8444-1187-3|page=27}}</ref>

==Birth of the Pahlavi dynasty==

[[Image:pahlavi_coat_of_arms.jpg|thumb|175px|left|The Pahlavi Dynasty Coat of Arms]]

In [[1921]] Reza Khan (later [[Reza Shah Pahlavi]]), an officer in Iran's only military force ([[Persian Cossack Brigade]]) used his troops to support a coup against the government of [[Qajar dynasty]]. Within four years he had established himself as the most powerful person in the country by suppressing rebellions and establishing order. In 1925 a specially convened assembly deposed [[Ahmad Shah Qajar]], the last ruler of the Qajar dynasty, and named Reza Khan, who earlier had adopted the surname Pahlavi, as the new shah.

The dynasty ruled Iran for 28 years as a form of [[constitutional monarchy]] from 1925 until 1953, and following [[1953 Iranian coup d'état|the overthrow of the elected prime minister]], for a further 26 years as a more autocratic monarchy until the dynasty was overthrown in 1979.

Reza Shah had ambitious plans for modernizing Iran. These plans included developing large-scale industries, implementing major infrastructure projects, building a cross-country railroad system, establishing a national public education system, reforming the judiciary, and improving health care. He believed a strong, centralized government managed by educated personnel could carry out his plans.

[[Image:The Pahlavis stamp.jpg|thumb|150px|left|The Pahlavi dynasty comemmorated on this Iranian stamp.]]

==Family background==

He sent hundreds of Iranians, including his son, to Europe for training. During 16 years from 1925 and 1941, Reza Shah's numerous development projects transformed Iran into an urbanized country. Public education progressed rapidly, and new social classes were formed. A professional middle class and an industrial working class had emerged.

{{See also|Pahlavi family tree}}

[[File:Celebration-of-Persia-2500-anniversary-391756974997.jpg|thumb|[[Farah Pahlavi|Farah]], [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Mohammad Reza]] and [[Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran|Crown Prince Reza]] depicted in a [[card stunt]] at the [[2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire]]]]

In 1878, Reza Khan was born at the village of [[Alasht]] in [[Savadkuh County]], Mazandaran Province. His parents were Abbas Ali Khan and Noushafarin Ayromlou.<ref name="Afkhami2008">{{cite book|author=Gholam Reza Afkhami|title=The Life and Times of the Shah|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pTVSPmyvtkAC&pg=PP2|access-date=2 November 2012|date=27 October 2008|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-25328-5|page=4}}</ref><ref name=Zirinsky>{{cite journal|last=Zirinsky|first=Michael P.|title=Imperial power and dictatorship: Britain and the rise of Reza Shah, 1921-1926|journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies|year=1992|volume=24|issue=4|pages=639–663|url=http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=history_facpubs&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.com%2Fscholar%3Fstart%3D20%26q%3Dlife%2Bof%2Bshah%2Bmohammed%2Breza%26hl%3Den%26as_sdt%3D0%2C5#search=%22life%20shah%20mohammed%20reza%22|access-date=2 November 2012|doi=10.1017/s0020743800022388|s2cid=159878744 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> His mother was a Muslim immigrant from [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] (then part of the [[Russian Empire]])<ref>{{cite book |quote="(..) His mother, who was of Georgian origin, died not long after, leaving Reza in her brother's care in Tehran. (...)."|title=The Life and Times of the Shah|first1= Gholam Reza |last1=Afkhami |publisher= University of California Press | date = 2009 |page=4 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |quote="(...) His mother, Nush Afarin, was a Georgian Muslim immigrant (...)."|title=The Pahlavi Dynasty: An Entry from Encyclopaedia of the World of Islam |author= GholamAli Haddad Adel |publisher= EWI Press | date = 2012 |page=3 |display-authors=etal}}</ref> whose family had emigrated to mainland [[Qajar Iran]] after Iran was forced to cede all of its territories in the [[Caucasus]] following the [[Russo-Persian Wars]] several decades prior to Reza's birth.<ref>Homa Katouzian. [https://books.google.com/books?id=FzVANM0p29kC&dq=reza+shahs+mother+georgian&pg=PA269 "State and Society in Iran: The Eclipse of the Qajars and the Emergence of the Pahlavis"] I.B.Tauris, 2006. {{ISBN|978-1845112721}} p 269</ref> His father was a [[Mazanderani people|Mazandarani]], commissioned in the 7th [[Savadkuh County|Savadkuh]] Regiment, and served in the [[Anglo-Persian War]] in 1856.

==Heads of the House of Pahlavi==

{{Legend|#EBEBEB| – In pretence}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

!Number!! Picture

!Name!! Family relations !! Lifespan !! Assumed title !! Relinquished title

|-

! | I

| [[File:Reza Shah portrait (3x4 cropped).jpg|80px|Reza Shah]]

| {{small|[[Shah]]}}<br>[[Reza Shah|'''Reza Pahlavi''']]

|—

| 1878–1944

| 15 December 1925

| 16 September 1941<br><small>([[Reza Shah#World War II and forced abdication|abdicated]])</small>

|-

! rowspan="2" | II

| rowspan="2" | [[File:Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi 1973 (3x4 cropped).jpg|80px|Mohammad Reza Shah]]

| rowspan="2" | {{small|[[Shah]]}}<br>[[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|'''Mohammad Reza Pahlavi''']]

| rowspan="2" | Son of Reza Pahlavi

| rowspan="2" | 1919–1980

| rowspan="2" | 16 September 1941

| 11 February 1979<br><small>([[Iranian revolution|''deposed'']])</small>

|-

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | 27 July 1980<br><small>([[Death|''died'']])</small>

|-

! | —

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | [[File:Shahbanu of Iran (3x4 cropped).jpg|80px]]

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | {{small|[[Shahbanu]]}}<br>[[Farah Pahlavi|'''Farah Pahlavi ''']]<br>({{nee|Diba}})

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | Third wife and widow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | 1938–current

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | 27 July 1980<br>

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | 31 October 1980<br><small>(''regency expired'')</small>

|-

! | III

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | [[File:Crown Prince of IRAN Reza PAHLAVI EP-146067A AR2 (cropped).jpg|80px|Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran]]

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | {{small|[[Crown Prince]]}}<br>[[Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran|'''Reza Pahlavi''']]{{efn|name=Reza_II|"'''Reza II'''" [[Pretender|in pretense]].}}

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | Son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Farah Pahlavi

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | 1960–current

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | 31 October 1980<br>

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" | ''Incumbent''

|}

{{notelist}}

== Consorts ==

By the mid-1930s Reza Shah's dictatorial style of rule caused dissatisfaction among some groups, particularly the clergy who were opposed to his reforms. In 1935 [[Reza Shah|Reza Pahlavi]] issued a decree asking foreign delegates to use the term ''Iran'' in formal correspondence, in accordance with the fact that "Persia" was a term used by Western peoples for the country called "Iran" in Persian. After some scholars protested, his successor, [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], announced in 1959 that both Persia and Iran were acceptable and could be used interchangeably.

{{Legend|#EBEBEB| – In pretence}}

[[Image:Reza.jpg|right|thumb|left|[[Reza Shah Pahlavi]]]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

!Number

! Picture

! Name

! Father

! Lifespan

! Marriage

! Became consort

! Ceased to be consort

! [[List of monarchs of Persia|Spouse]]

|-

!I

| [[File:Taj ol-Molouk - queen of Persia (3x4 cropped).jpg|80px]]

| [[Tadj ol-Molouk|'''Tadj ol-Molouk''']]

| [[Teymūr Khan Ayromlou]]

| 1896–1982

| 1916

| rowspan=2|15 December 1925

| rowspan=2|16 September 1941

(''husband abdicated'')

| rowspan="2" |[[Reza Shah|Reza Pahlavi]]

|-

!II

| [[File:Esmat Dowlatshahi (3x4 cropped).jpg|80px]]

| [[Esmat Dowlatshahi|'''Esmat Dowlatshahi''']]

| Gholam Ali Mirza Dowlatshahi

| 1905–1995

| 1923

|-

!III

|[[File:Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt by Armand (3x4 cropped).jpg|80px]]

|[[Fawzia of Egypt|Princess '''Fawzia of Egypt''']]

|[[Fuad I of Egypt]]

|1921–2013

|1939

|16 September 1941

|17 November 1948

(''[[Divorce|divorced]]'')

| rowspan="4" |[[Mohammad Reza Shah|Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]]

|-

!IV

|[[File:Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari-045 (3x4 cropped).jpg|80px]]

|[[Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary|'''Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary''']]

|[[Khalil Esfandiary-Bakhtiary]]

|1932–2001

| colspan="2" |12 February 1951

|15 March 1958

(''divorced'')

|-

! rowspan="2" |V

| rowspan="2" |[[File:Shahbanu of Iran (3x4 cropped).jpg|80px]]

| rowspan="2" |[[Farah Diba|'''Farah Diba''']]

| rowspan="2" |Sohrab Diba

| rowspan="2" |1938–current

| colspan="2" |21 December 1959<br><small>(''as queen consort'')</small>

| 11 February 1979<br><small>(''[[1979 Iranian revolution|husband was deposed]]'')</small>

|-

| colspan="2" |26 October 1967<br><small>(''as [[Shahbanu|empress consort]]'')</small>

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" |27 July 1980<br><small>([[widow]]ed)</small>

|-

| colspan="9" style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" |''Office vacant from 27 July 1980 to 12 June 1986''

|-

!VI

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" |[[File:MG-1587 (cropped).jpg|80px]]

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" |[[Yasmine Etemad-Amini|'''Yasmine Etemad-Amini''']]

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" |Abdullah Etemad-Amini

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" |1968–current

| colspan="2" style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" |12 June 1986

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" |''Incumbent''

| style="background-color: #EBEBEB;" |[[Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran|Reza Pahlavi]]

|}

== Heirs ==

Reza Shah tried to avoid involvement with [[United Kingdom|Britain]] and the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] (USSR; formed from the Russian Empire in 1917). Even though many of his development projects required foreign technical expertise, he avoided awarding contracts to British and Soviet companies. Although Britain, through its ownership of the [[Anglo-Iranian Oil Company]], controlled all of Iran's oil resources, Reza Shah preferred to obtain technical assistance from Germany, France, Italy, and other European countries. This made problems for Iran after 1939, when Germany and Britain became enemies in World War II. Reza Shah proclaimed Iran as a neutral country, but Britain insisted that German engineers and technicians in Iran were spies with missions to sabotage British oil facilities in southwestern Iran. Britain demanded that Iran expel all German citizens, but Reza Shah refused, claiming this would adversely impact his development projects.

[[File:Prince Alireza Pahlavi.jpg|thumb|[[Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1922)|Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi]], the heir presumptive until his death in 1954]]

The <!--Given this constitution was passed when the Qajars were still in power, I imagine this is the result of an ammendment, which one and when was it passed?--> [[Persian Constitution of 1906|1906 constitution of Iran]] specifically provided that only a male who was not descended from the [[Qajar family|Qajar dynasty]] could become the [[heir apparent]].<ref name="Dareini">{{cite book |last1=Dareini |first1=Ali Akbar |title=The rise and fall of the Pahlavi dynasty |year=1999 |isbn=81-208-1642-0 |page=446 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |quote=2. The Shah gives another account for his separation with Fawzia. "For reasons still obscure to medical science, Queen Fawzia bore only one child; thus unfortunately no male heir issued from our marriage. Under the Persian Constitution the crown must pass by direct line of descent to a male heir. This rules out not only my daughter but also my three sisters. The Constitution further stipulates that no one descended from the previous Qajar dynasty is eligible to become king. Since two of my father’s wives were of Qajar blood, my half-brothers who are their sons are ineligible. In fact I had only one brother not related to the Qajar line, and to my sorrow he was to die in an aeroplane crash in 1954. With these limitations it is no wonder that my advisors felt it important for my wife to bear a son. It is true that the Constitution might have been amended, but the dimate of opinion seemed opposed to tampering with the provisions relating to the royal succession. Besides, I was young and, quite apart from the constitutional factor, I wanted more children. When Queen Fawzia went to Egypt on an extended stay, we decided on a divorce." Please see Mission for My Country His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahiavi, Hutchinson and Co. (Publishers) Ltd., London, 1961–1968; pp. 219–220}}</ref> This made all half-brothers of [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Mohammad Reza]] ineligible to become heirs to the throne.<ref name="Dareini"/> Until his death in 1954, the Shah's only full brother [[Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1922)|Ali Reza]] was his [[heir presumptive]].<ref name="Dareini"/> The constitution also required the Shah to be of [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] descent, meaning that his father and mother are Iranian.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hoyt|first1=Edwin Palmer |title=The Shah: The Glittering Story of Iran and Its People|publisher=P. S. Eriksson|year=1976 |isbn=9780839777533|page=49}}</ref>

=== Line of succession in February 1979 ===

== Second World War ==

{{Tree list}}

[[Image:Coronation.jpg|right|thumb|The Pahlavi coronation.]]

* [[File:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] ''[[Reza Shah Pahlavi]] (1878–1944)''

Following [[Germany]]'s invasion of the [[USSR]] in June 1941, Britain and the Soviet Union became allies. Both turned their attention to Iran. Britain and the USSR saw the newly opened Trans-Iranian Railroad as an attractive route to transport supplies from the Persian Gulf to the Soviet region. In August 1941, because Reza Shah refused to expel the German nationals, [[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran|Britain and the USSR invaded Iran]], arrested him and sent him into exile, taking control of Iran's communications and coveted railroad. In 1942 the United States, an ally of Britain and the USSR during the war, sent a military force to Iran to help maintain and operate sections of the railroad. Securing Iran's oil resources and a supply corridor for themselves. The British and Soviet authorities allowed Reza Shah's system of government to collapse and limited the constitutional government interfaces. They permitted Reza Shah's son, [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]] to succeed to the throne.

**{{Tree list/final branch}}[[File:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] '''[[Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi]]''' (1919–1980)

***'''(1)''' [[Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran|Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi]] (b. 1960)

***{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(2)''' [[Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1966)|Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi]] (1966)

**{{Tree list/final branch}} ''[[Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1922)|Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi]] (1922–1954)''

***{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(3)''' [[Patrick Ali Pahlavi|Prince Patrick Ali Pahlavi]] (b. 1947)

****{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(4)''' Prince Davoud Pahlavi (b. 1972)

****{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(5)''' Prince Houd Pahlavi (b. 1973)

****{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(6)''' Prince Mohammad Pahlavi (b. 1976)

{{Tree list/end}}

=== Current line of succession ===

In January 1942 they signed an agreement with Iran to respect Iran's independence and to withdraw their troops within six months of the war's end. In 1943 at the [[Tehran Conference]], the United States reaffirmed this commitment. In 1945, the USSR refused to announce a timetable to leave Iran's northwestern provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, where Soviet-supported autonomy movements had developed.

{{Tree list}}

* [[File:Simple silver crown.svg|15px]] ''[[Reza Shah Pahlavi]] (1878–1944)''

**{{Tree list/final branch}}[[File:Simple gold crown.svg|15px]] '''[[Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi]]''' (1919–1980)

***'''(1)''' [[Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran|Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi]] (b. 1960)

***{{Tree list/final branch}} ''[[Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1966)|Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi]] (1966–2011)''

**{{Tree list/final branch}} ''[[Ali Reza Pahlavi (born 1922)|Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi]] (1922–1954)''

***{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(2)''' [[Patrick Ali Pahlavi|Prince Patrick Ali Pahlavi]] (b. 1947)

****{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(3)''' Prince Davoud Pahlavi (b. 1972)

****{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(4)''' Prince Houd Pahlavi (b. 1973)

*****{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(5)''' Prince Rafaël Pahlavi (b. 2006)

****{{Tree list/final branch}} '''(6)''' Prince Mohammad Pahlavi (b. 1976)

{{Tree list/end}}

=== List of crown princes ===

The USSR withdrew its troops in May 1946, but tensions continued for several months. This episode was one of the precipitating events of the emerging [[Cold War]], the postwar rivalry between the United States and its allies, and the USSR and its allies.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

!colspan=2| Name !! Portrait !! Relationship to monarch !! Became heir !! Ceased to be heir; reason

|-

|colspan="6" |''Office vacant from 15 December 1925 to 24 April 1926''

|-

! | 1

| [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]] || [[File:Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (3x4 cropped).jpg|80px|Mohammad Reza Shah]] || Eldest son || 25 April 1926<ref name="LOC">{{Cite book |last1 = Curtis |first1 = Glenn |url = https://archive.org/details/irancountrystudy00curt_2/page/195 |last2 = Hooglund |first2 = Eric |title = Iran, a country study |place = Washington, D.C., US |publisher = Library of Congress |date = April 2008 |page =186 |isbn = 978-0-8444-1187-3 }}</ref> || 16 September 1941<br>

(''Became king'')

|-

|colspan="6" |''Office vacant from 16 September 1941 to 26 October 1967''

|-

! | 2

| [[Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran|Reza Pahlavi II]] || [[File:Reza Pahlavi Crown Prince of Iran 1973 (3x4 close cropped).jpg|80px|Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran]] || Eldest son || 1 November 1960 (''proclaimed'')<ref name="LOC"/>

----

26 October 1967 (''designated'')<ref name="LOC"/>

|| 11 February 1979<br>

(''Father deposed'')

|}

==Royal jewels==

Iran's political system became increasingly open. Political parties were developed, and in 1944 the [[Majlis]] election was the first genuinely competitive election in more than 20 years. Foreign influence remained a very sensitive issue for all parties. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), which was owned by the British government, continued to produce and market Iranian oil. In the beginning of 1930s some Iranians began to advocate nationalization of the country's oil fields. After 1946 this became an increasingly popular political movement.

{{Main|Pahlavi Crown|Empress's Crown|Iranian Crown Jewels}}

== The Cold War Monuments==

{{Main|Mausoleum of Reza Shah|Shahyad Tower}}

[[Image:Farah.jpg|thumb|right|[[Farah Diba]], Iran's last Empress, as she appeared during the visit of US president [[Richard Nixon]] to [[Iran]] on May 30, 1972.]]

[[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]] replaced his father on the throne on [[September 16]], [[1941]]. He wanted to continue the reform policies of his father, but a contest for control of the government soon erupted between the shah and an older professional politician, the nationalistic [[Mohammad Mosaddegh]].

Despite his vow to act as a constitutional monarch who would defer to the power of the parliamentary government, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi increasingly involved himself in governmental affairs. He concentrated on reviving the army and ensuring that it would remain under royal control as the monarchy's main power base. In [[1949]] an assassination attempt on the Shah, attributed to the pro-Soviet [[Tudeh Party]], resulted in the banning of that party and the expansion of the Shah's constitutional powers.

In [[1951]], the [[Majlis]] named [[Mohammad Mossadegh]] as new prime minister by a vote of 79-12, who shortly after nationalized the British-owned oil industry (see [[Abadan Crisis]]). Mossadegh was opposed by the Shah who feared a resulting oil embargo imposed by the west would leave Iran in economical ruin. The Shah fled Iran but returned when the [[United Kingdom]] and [[United States]] staged a coup against Mossadegh in August 1953 (see [[Operation Ajax]]). Mossadegh was then arrested by pro-Shah army forces.

[[Image:Soraya shah wife.jpg|thumb|left|Empress Soraya on the cover of an Italian magazine.]]

In the context of regional turmoil and the Cold War, the Shah established himself as an indispensable ally of the West. Domestically, he advocated reform policies, culminating in the 1963 program known as the [[White Revolution]], which included land reform, extension of voting rights to women, and the elimination of illiteracy. Major plans to build Iran's infrastructure were undertaken, a new middle class began flourishing and in less than two decades Iran became the undisputable major economical and military power of the Middle East.

However, these measures and the increasing arbitrariness of the Shah's rule provoked religious leaders who feared losing their traditional authority, and intellectuals seeking democratic reforms. These opponents criticized the Shah for his reforms or for violation of the constitution, which placed limits on royal power and provided for a representative government.

The Shah saw himself as heir to the kings of ancient Iran, and in 1971 he held a [[2,500 year celebration of Iran's monarchy|celebration of 2,500 years of Persian monarchy]]. In [[1976]] he replaced the lunar [[Islamic calendar]] (year 1355) with a solar "Imperial" calendar (year 2595), which began with the foundation of the Persian Empire more than 25 centuries earlier. These actions were viewed as un-[[Islamic]] and resulted in more religious opposition by the clergy.

== Collapse of the dynasty ==

{{main article|Iranian Revolution}}

The Shah's government suppressed its opponents with the help of Iran's security and intelligence organization, [[SAVAK]]. Such opponents included members of the Communist Tudeh party, who tried to assassinate the Shah and his son on multiple occasions.

By the mid-[[1970]]s, relying on increased oil revenues, the Shah began a series of even more ambitious and bolder plans for the progress of his country and the march toward the "Great Civilization". But his socioeconomic advances increasingly irritated the clergy. Islamic leaders, particularly the exiled cleric [[Ayatollah]] [[Ruhollah Khomeini]], were able to focus this discontent with an ideology tied to Islamic principles that called for the overthrow of the Shah and the return to Islamic traditions, called the [[Iranian Revolution|Islamic revolution]]. The Shah's government collapsed following widespread uprisings in [[1978]] and [[1979]]. The Shah fled the country, seeking medical treatment to Egypt, Panama and finally resettled with his family in [[Egypt]] as a guest of [[Anwar Sadat]]. Upon his death his son Crown Prince [[Reza Cyrus Pahlavi]] succeeded him as Head of the Pahlavi Dynasty.

==Use of titles==

{{unreferenced section|date=June 2021}}

*[[Shah|Shâh]]: Emperor, followed by Shâhanshâh of Iran, with style ''His Imperial Majesty''

*[[Shahbanu|Shahbânu]]: Shahbânu or Empress, followed by first name, followed by "of Iran", with style ''Her Imperial Majesty''

*Valiahd: Crown Prince of Iran, with style ''His Imperial Highness''

*Younger sons: Prince (Shâhpūr, or King's Son), followed by first name and surname (Pahlavi), and style ''His Imperial Highness''.

*Daughters: Princess (Shâhdokht, or King's Daughter), followed by first name and surname (Pahlavi), and style ''Her Imperial Highness''.

*Children of the monarch's daughter/s use another version of Prince (Vâlâ Gohar, "of superior essence") or Princess (Vâlâ Gohari), which indicate descent in the second generation through the female line, and use the styles ''His Highness'' or ''Her Highness''. This is then followed by first name and father's surname, whether he was royal or a commoner. However, the children by the last Shah's sister Fatemeh, who married an American businessman as her first husband, are surnamed Pahlavi Hillyer and do not use any titles.

==See also==

*Shah: Regnal name, followed by Shahanshah of Iran, with style ''His Imperial Majesty''

{{Portal|Iran|Monarchy|Modern history}}

*[[List of Shia dynasties]]

*[[List of Muslim states and dynasties]]

*[[Imperial Standards of Iran]]

*[[Monarchism in Iran]]

{{wikt|Pahlavi}}

==References==

*Shabanou: Shahbanou or Empress, followed by first name, followed by "of Iran", with style ''Her Imperial Majesty''

{{reflist}}

*Eldest son: Crown Prince of Iran, with style ''His Imperial Highness''

*Younger sons: Prince (Shahpur, or King's Son), followed by first name and surname (Pahlavi), and style ''His Imperial Highness''.

*Daughters: Princess (Shahdokht, or King's Daughter), followed by first name and surname (Pahlavi), and style ''Her Imperial Highness''.

*Children of the monarch's daughter/s use another version of Prince (Vala Gohar) or Princess (Vala Gohari), which indicate descent in the second generation through the female line, and use the styles ''His Highness'' or ''Her Highness''. This is then followed by first name and father's surname, whether he was royal or a commoner. However, the children by the last Shah's sister Fatemeh, who married an American businessman as her first husband, are surnamed Pahlavi Hillyer and do not use any titles.

==See also==

*Crown Prince [[Reza Cyrus Pahlavi]]

*Abdolhossein [[Teymourtash]]

*[[Ey Iran]]

*[[List of kings of Persia]]

*[[Anglo-Iranian Oil Company]]

*[[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran]]

*[[Persian Corridor]]

*[[Tehran Conference]]

*[[Trans-Iranian Railway]]

*[[Middle East Theatre of World War II]]

*[[Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr.]]

*[[Iranian Revolution]]

*[[Iran-France relations]]

== External links ==

* {{Commons category-inline|Pahlavi dynasty}}

*[http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Persia/pahlavi2.htm The Pahlavi Dynasty]

*[http://www.payvand.com/news/06/mar/1090.html What Really Happed to the Shah of Iran], Payvand News, March 10, 2006.

{{s-start}}

{{s-royalhouse|House of Pahlavī||1925|1979|}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Qajar dynasty|House of Qâjâr]]}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Dynasty|Ruling house]] of [[Iran]]|years=15 December 1925 – 11 February 1979}}

{{s-vac|reason=[[Iranian Revolution|Monarchy abolished]]<br />'''[[Interim Government of Iran (1979)|Republic declared]]'''}}

{{s-end}}

{{Pahlavi dynasty}}

[[Category:Iranian heads of state]]

{{Iran topics}}

[[Category:Royal families|Pahlavi]]

{{People executed by the Islamic Republic of Iran}}

[[Category:History of Iran]]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1925 establishments]]

[[Category:1979 disestablishments]]

[[Category:Muslim dynasties]]

[[Category:Muslim history]]

[[Category:Pahlavi dynasty| ]]

[[fa:دودمان پهلوی]]

[[Category:Iranian royalty|*]]

[[fr:Dynastie Pahlavi]]

[[ko:팔라비 왕조]]

[[it:Dinastia Pahlavi]]

[[he:שושלת פהלווי]]

[[nl:Pahlavi]]

[[ja:パフラヴィー朝]]

[[no:Pahlavi-dynastiet]]

[[pl:Pahlawi]]

[[pt:Dinastia Pahlavi]]

[[ru:Пехлеви]]