Pahlavism
Political party
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pahlavism (Iranian Persian: پهلویسم, romanized: Pahlavism [pæhlæˈviːsm]) was the political ideology associated with the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran (1925–1979). It combined state-led modernization,[3] Iranian nationalism emphasizing the country's pre-Islamic past,[4] and a strong centralized state. While often characterized as pro-Western, scholars note that in its later phase the ideology incorporated increasing emphasis on cultural authenticity and elements of state anti-Western rhetoric.[5]
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- Monarchism (Iranian)
- Secularism (Iranian)
- Anti-communism
- Anti-Khomeinism
- Iranian nationalism
- Westernization
- Pre-1979:
- Conservatism (Iranian)
- Anti-Mosaddeghism
- Authoritarian capitalism
- Factions (post-1979):
- Liberalism (Iranian)[1]
- Ultranationalism (alleged)[2]
Pahlavism پهلویسم | |
|---|---|
| |
| Leader | Reza Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Reza Pahlavi |
| Founded | 1920s |
| Membership | |
| Ideology |
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History
Origins
Under Reza Shah, Pahlavism consisted in practical reforms rather than a clearly articulated ideology. Amin Banani noted in 1959 (after Reza Shah's death):
Unlike Kemal Ataturk, whose reforms he emulated freely, [Reza Shah] made no public utterances, wrote no articles, left no testaments the total of which could be considered his program or the ideological core of his revolution. We cannot speak of Pahlavism as we do of Kemalism.[6]
Development under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Under Reza Shah's son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Pahlavism evolved into a more visible ideology. During the later decades of his reign, it was expressed through royal ceremonies, such as his belated coronation and the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire, and the establishment of the Rastakhiz Party as a single party.[7]
During this period, the Shah modified state discourse in response to growing societal and intellectual criticism of Pahlavi Westernization. These adjustments emphasized Iranian cultural authenticity and contributed to the incorporation of anti-Western rhetoric into the state's official ideology.[5]
Pahlavism was ultimately displaced following the Iranian Revolution, which established a new political order fundamentally opposed to the Pahlavi monarchy.
Characteristics
In its modernist orientation, Pahlavism has been compared to the Kemalism of Turkey, the Baathism of Syria and Iraq, and the more recent Heydarism of the Republic of Azerbaijan.[8]
According to M. Hakan Yavuz, "secular-authoritarian ideologies associated with Kemalism, Pahlavism, and Baathism elided the more pluralist forms of Islamic revival and reform".[9]
Quoting Zhand Shakibi, "Pahlavism professed the importance of the 1906 Constitution but did not advocate the type of free elections characterizing the West's liberal democracies."[10]
Relationship with the West
Pahlavism initially embraced Western models of state-building, legal reform, and modernization. However, particularly during the later reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, state discourse increasingly emphasized cultural authenticity and resistance to perceived Western cultural domination, incorporating elements of state-led anti-Western rhetoric, as a reaction to increasing social and intellectual criticism of Pahlavi Westernization.[5]