Pahlavi

The last of the Persian dynasties prior to the revolution, which changes the government from a monarchy to a theocracy, thereby retarding growth and development of the Iranian people by a century or two.

A dynasty that ruled Iran from 1953 to 1979, when it was toppled by the Islamic Revolution.

An enlightened, progressive, and pro-Western regime that was generously enforced on the Iranians by the US following CIA led coup of democratically elected nationalist Mossadeq.

The Pahlavi regime practiced benevolent policies which included the torturing and execution of political opposition; hording billions of dollars from oil revenues while most of the populations lived in shanty towns; use of secret police (SAVAK) to terrorize all those opposing the Shah.

Then inexplicably all sections of Iranians united against Shah Pahlavi and overthrew him, installed instead an Islamic state, and began to randomly hate the US. Those ungrateful Iranians clearly don't know how to return a kind favor.

Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the son of Reza Khan who would later be known as Reza Shah or Reza Pahlavi, was the last Shah (King) of Iran who abicated as a result of a pseudo-revolution which occured in the country in the years of 1978 and 1979 which brought the Ayatollahs into power and turned Iran from a Constitutional Monarchy to a Theocratic Republic. Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was the greatest ruler of Iran since Cyrus the Great, despite of his limitations of civil liberties and political freedoms. He's despised by traditional Muslims because he limited their influence and power during his reign.

Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, aka "Shahanshah Aryamehr" means "King of Kings" was the Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979. He was educated in Switzerland and was familiar with the western ideas. In 1941, Britain and USSR occupied Iran and forced Reza Shah the Great to resign in favor of his son. Later the young Shah became the most important ally to the West in the Middle East.

With Iran's great oil wealth, Mohammad Reza Shah became the pre-eminent leader of the Middle East, and Guardian of the Persian Gulf. He abolished the multi-party system of government such that he could rule through a one-party regime in autocratic fashion. He made major changes to curb certain ancient elite factions by breaking up all large and middle-sized estates for the benefit of more than six million small farmers. In what was called 'the White Revolution', he took a number of populist measures, including extending suffrage to women, to favour the people. He instituted exams for Islamic theologians to become established priests ("Mullahs"), which were widely unpopular and broke centuries old religious traditions.

His policies led to strong economic growth during the 1960s and 1970s but at the same time, opposition to his autocratic rule increased. On January 18, 1979, he and his family left Iran because he didn't wanted to rule when his people didn't appreciate goodness. Following the Shah's departure, conservative Muslims led by the Ayatollah Khomeini who had returned from French exile staged a revolution, abolished the monarchy and sadly established an Islamic Republic.

In the same time, Shah of Iran was diagnosed with a deadly cancer and finally and after two years of exile, in which traveling from country to country seeking what he hoped in his exile, would be merely a temporary residence. He was welcomed by President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, and remained there until his death on June 27, 1980. He is interred at Al-Refai Mosque in Egypt.