After the royal land and social reforms, Iran quickly progressed in all aspects of material and social achievements, but politically remained a brutally repressive police-state. Starting in the mid 1960’s, the Shah took full control of the helms of country, with a feeble premier -- Amir Abbas Hoveida -- rubber stamping all his wishes. Hoveida was raised in Lebanon and had spent most of his adult life in Europe, hence, could never grasp the subtleties of dealing with the colourful Persian and Muslim characters. His father had been a Baha’i, and Hoveida was rumoured a homosexual.
Although at a personal level, Hoveida was kind and humane, all that baggage plus his obvious inefficacy made him quite unsuitable to the role of the head of Iranian government. Most Persian nobility were reeling in pain, just to watch his 13 years of uninterrupted premiership; whereas the grandees like Alam, Amini, Zahedi and Qavam had been dismissed within 1 or 2 years. Perhaps, they had forgotten that from time immemorial; the Shahs of Iran had favoured the services of spineless eunuchs, who implemented any and all of their “grand ideas”; and could be thrown to the mob, when things did not work!
On the positive side, during the 1964 to 1977 period, the urban and industrial growth transformed Tehran and the other major cities from the dark ages, when people did not have clean drinking water, sanitation or electricity; to modern metropolitans with all the basic amenities, schools, hospitals, factories and universities.
In contrast, the rural situation did not improve significantly, as most of the newly freed Raieyat (serfs) did not have the required financial means to make efficient use of their small land plots. Moreover, the improved medical conditions in the rural areas created a population boom among the village families, who were used to having 5 or 6 children, with only 2 or 3 surviving. Better health care lowered the child and mother mortalities, but being religious, the rural couples remained averse to any birth control. That combination doubled the backward countryside population within the Hoveida years.
Like many other third world countries, the totally uneven urban/rural development created a massive migration of destitute villagers, who could not find meaningful employment in their backward environment, and sought a better chance in the sprawling city construction sites. Most, who could not afford the city rents, had to live in the ever growing slums and shanty towns. The local population growth plus that human deluge quadrupled most city populations within the 1953-1978 period.
During the great oil boom of the 1970’s, the irrational exuberance of the Iranian upper classes and the unquenchable greed of the royalty played havoc with the domestic economy. Hoveida’s half-baked plans for hasty modernization and the Shah’s expensive upgrades for the army, created a number of economical and social dislocations. That deluge of projects, which were unnaturally fuelled by the soaring oil prices, played havoc with the fledging Iranian economy and infrastructure; creating cyclic booms and busts, deficiencies and speculations, inflation and hoarding.
The Shah’s military background made him eager to build his army as strong and well equipped as possible, in order to prevail over all internal and external advisories. However, progressively, his pride aged into egomania and his anxiety escalated to paranoia. Soon, he wanted to establish a truly Persian empire worthy of the Cyrus and the Darius; forcefully enlist all the populace in his grandiose schemes; and even torment the aloof western countries that apparently were not paying him enough respect!
Despite the desperate appeals of his American allies, the Shah’s aggressive stands in the OPEC effectively lead the oil surge following the 1973 Arab embargo, into a full-fledged price explosion. That propelled the Iranian crude oil income from $800 million in 1970 to $18 billion (22 times higher) in 1975, but soon created a worldwide recession and a price bust!
Sadly, instead of creating a thoughtful long-term plan for all that windfall fortune, the Shah simply channelled a third of it into massive military purchases and the rest into poorly planned grandiose projects, which could not be accommodated within the frail existing infrastructure. Consequently, the soaring and unaccounted for demands on electricity, housing and transportation exploded into chronic blackouts, rent and real-estate explosions and serious port and delivery bottlenecks; all leading to frequent shortages of everything!
Intoxicated by the oil windfall and daydreaming that he was the greatest king since Cyrus; the Shah embarked on a range of idiotic measures, which were almost designed to enrage the populace. His grandiose ‘imperial’ make over of Iran, started with a $200 million dollar imperial gala to celebrate 2,500 years of monarchy in Iran. He then changed the Islamic calendar to a peculiar imperial one, which was never used before anywhere in the world! Finally in 1975, during a surprise televised speech, the Shah ordered all the Iranians to either join a new imperial party (Rastakheez) or get their passports and leave ‘his’ country! At the same time, the secret police (Savak) kept its torturous chokehold on the Iranian intellectuals, which led to the arrest, torture and early demise of many scholars, authors and students.
On the cultural side, the Shah and Hoveida had set aside all pretences regarding any respect towards the religious and ethical sensitivities of the 95% Muslim population. The state-run television, the government-censured cinemas and the Pahlavi-sponsored Shiraz ‘art festival’ would routinely broadcast such explicit sexual content, which was insulting and demeaning to the general populace. In reaction, the bulk of religious masses turned to their traditional congregations and mosques for spiritual support and guidance. This was particularly true in case of the migrant rural families who could not adjust to the fast, uncaring and alien pace of life in the sprawling but characterless Tehran.
The secular intellectuals were not any happier either, as their leaders were routinely jailed and tortured, and the slightest sign of descent would ignite a brutal police and Savak suppression. A sad consequence was that the new and modernized universities turned into effective breeding grounds for the underground guerrilla movements, as well as frequent demonstrations and strikes. Even most oversees students became mired in anti-Shah organizations instead of education. In the mid 1970’s, to most secular, liberal or religious intellectuals; Iran felt like a prosperous country, but under the militaristic occupation of a cruel and alien regime, headed by a brute king and a silly premier, who were either stealing most of the oil fortune or squandering it! They were unaware that those ‘fun’ years were coming to an abrupt end.
Reference: Farsi-Nameh
http://www.ketabfarsi.org/ketabkhaneh/ketabkhani_3/ketab3436/ketab3436.pdf
His Majesty took his money, wife, and his dogs to safety, while leaving Hoveida behind...What a legacy...something like that...
There are so many things in this blog that are questionable but the worst one is this " politically remained a brutally repressive police-state" well if that were the case, how come all the revolutionries were alive and thriving? How come all them had middle to uppercase life style? which one of these so called revolutonries were poor and lived in poverty and suffered?
Insulting hoveyda calling him spineless? also say shah wanted to recreate persian empire worthy of cyrus and dariush the great, what's wrong with that? what's wrong with changing a dumb and stupid meaningless calander?
The more you read this stuff, the more you get convinced that IRI is really what vast majority of Iranian deserve.
It is interesting to see many articles and literatures have been written about 37 years reign of shah or his administration. Even people who had been working in shah's administration had been scrutinized under microscope, but no one even care about 37 years ruling of Islamic thugs in Iran or scrutinizing the individuals who work for them, as if they're NOT part of Iran's history.
Good point Siavash! I hate to say it but some people do say Liberalism is a mental disorder and you can be sure the people that scrutinized shah's administration are mainly liberal and leftists and thus the harsh tone and lies.
The relentless scrutiny of Shah's corrupt, ruthless, totalitarian, unrepresentative regime comes from its being the root cause of the IR... The filthy, criminally backward, dictatorial IR...Something like that...
No, the relentless scrutiny of Shah's ... ... was NOT the root of IRI.
The root of IRI was false propaganda, lies initiated by Leftists and criminal mullahs. The alliance of black and red reactionary was the root of IRI. Communists helped criminal mullahs reached power in 1979. Common knowledge. Everybody knows that. Sorry if some idiot still have doubt. Mullahs also gave false promises and false hopes to the naive people to bring them out on streets against shah and his administration. Free gas ... Free electricity.... Free housing.... etc. Everything will be free and the oil money will deliever to the houses everyday in form of check. !!!
The most important factor was that Islamic gang set a fire in Cinema Rex in Abadan in 1978 and burned over 500 women/children and innocent people to ashes, then they turned around and blamed it on shah and SAVAK. Cinema Rex tragedy brought thousands and thousands of naive Iranians to the streets chanting against shsh and his administration.
Yes, Communists and iIslamists were the reason Iranians suffered for 37 years.
What communists, for Ahura's sake... Stop scapegoating...enough of that red-black alliance, whipping boy of prime bullshit...Shah and his family, especially his notorious sister the gravely promiscuous Ashraf screwed up the whole institution of monarchism in our vatan... Now, they're dead...so should you be... Go and die, please. Period.
oh... Are you denying that criminal mullahs promised "Free electricity... free gas... free housing....etc. ?
What planet are you living ?
That is common knowledge that criminal mullahs gave false promises to our naive people. Sorry if you missed it. just make a trip to Iran and ask any average Iranians, they will tell you that they were given false promises by criminal mullahs in mosques back in 1970's.
Now, Are you denying that all communist groups such as ... Fadaeyan.... Tudeh... Paykar.. Ranjbar.... etc helped criminal mullahs reached power in 1979. That is common knowledge. I am very surprised that you didn't know that. Again, may be you are NOT Iranian and never lived in Iran. One of those Gaza people with fake Iranian name on Iranian site. In that scenario, I am just wasting my time. You may find other Arabs help you about wipe out Israel from the map. Friendly advise, you are on wrong site.
Yes, I'm categorically denying, refuting, rejecting, dismissing, and above all ridiculing you absurd claim which states the Great Revolution of 1357 was planted, caused, created, put into motion and harvested by the so called red-black alliance...Stop your propaganda...You miserable Pahlavist/Chalabist gang, are still stuck in the past...Get out...this is a new world...Your bubble boy has no place in it...short and simple...
''Now, they're dead...so should you be... Go and die, please. Period.'' - Razi
Your national humiliation of a revolution which was directed, funded and promoted by outside interests, replaced the most progressive and secular government ever to rule our mihan.
One day soon, when the Tazi filth has been collectively rounded up by the Iranian people to face justice for decades of misrule and the selling Iran's national interests for the sake of their Tazi cultural icons across the border, they and their bearded ladies will then be thrown into the Persian Gulf to swim back to the lizard eating tribes they originally came from.
At that point:
- no amount of arabic prayers
- no number of mustachioed Hezbollahi women
- not the western lefties or the arabs your regime has been giving Iran's oil wealth to for 37 years...
will save these traitors from their well deserved fate
P.S. it's 'Mihan' not 'vatan'- that imported akhoond in 1979 told people to say vatan instead of mihan.
I have no idea why the comment above is in that narrow line format
It's narrow because it's divided along the thalweg line...the other side is shattol-arab... :)
So you deny ...... Free gas.... free electricity .... free housing ... and Khomaini's speech in the cemetary of Behesht Zahra upon his arrival to Iran ?
You deny all false hopes, false promiises criminal mullahs gave to people ?
That can contribute to your lack of knowledge about Iran's history. Sounds like Gaza person is talking who has no clue of Iran's history. These Arabs see handful Iranians burning Israel flag on western T.V , so they decide to come on Iranian site and bad mouth Israel. Iranian site becomes their safeheaven. I have seen plenty of them on YouTube. They pretend to be Iranian, but they have no clue about Iran's history.
Anyway, below is some link that will educate you about Khomaini's speech in cemetary of Behesht e Zahra. He promisise "free gas... free electricity... free housing.... etc. This speech has nothing to do with Pahlavi dynasty who modernized Iran. Common knowledge. Whatever Iranians have came from Pahlavi dynasty. Iranians all know that. Arabs don't know it because they're NOT Iranians. They're on this site only to get support from Iranians to wipe Israel off the map.Nothing else.
You may ask someone to translate the below link for you if Farsi is NOT your primay language.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFuC4wPF2AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4olx4q8Ml_E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N838BEr-VTs