Name: Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi
Title: Shah of Iran, He was the second and last monarch of the House
of Pahlavi of the Iranian monarchy. Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
held several imperial titles: His Imperial Majesty, Shahanshah
(King of Kings), Emperor), Aryamehr (Light of the Aryans) and
Bozorg Arteshtārān (Head of the Warriors).
Birth: 26 October 1919 in Tehran
Death: July 27, 1980, aged 60 in Cairo, Egypt
Region: Iran
Religion / Political: Muslim
Notable ideas: While a Muslim himself, the Shah gradually lost support from the Shi’a clergy of Iran, particularly due to his strong policy of modernization, secularization and conflict with the traditional class of merchants known as bazaari, and recognition of Israel. Clashes with the religious right, increased communist activity and a 1953 period of political disagreements with Mohammad Mossadegh, eventually leading to Mossadegh’s ousting, caused an increasingly autocratic rule. In 2000, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright stated:
“In 1953 the United States played a significant role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran’s popular Prime Minister, Mohammed Massadegh. The Eisenhower Administration believed its actions were justified for strategic reasons; but the coup was clearly a setback for Iran’s political development. And it is easy to see now why many Iranians continue to resent this intervention by America in their internal affairs.”
