KB Articles

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEWThe Iranian Revolution of 1979, which deposed the Pahlavi monarchy and established the Islamic Republic, is widely recognized as one of the most transformative events in the modern Middle East. This upheaval reshaped Iran’s sociopolitical landscape, reoriented the country’s foreign alliances, and triggered profound changes in the lives of countless Iranians both within […]

INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDThe downfall of the Pahlavi monarchy in early 1979 stands as a defining moment in modern Middle Eastern history. Under the leadership of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (r. 1941–1979), Iran witnessed decades of sweeping state-led modernization, financed by substantial oil revenues and buoyed by strong alliances with Western powers—most notably the United […]

Overview and Central Thesis On February 11, 1979, Iran witnessed the culmination of a popular revolution that deposed the Pahlavi dynasty—an event that astonished global observers. The monarchy under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, which had appeared entrenched by virtue of oil wealth, extensive security apparatus, and American backing, collapsed with bewildering rapidity, giving way to […]

Introduction and Overview Setting the Theoretical and Historical Backdrop Diaspora studies, as a scholarly field, investigates the scattering of peoples from ancestral homelands into multiple host societies (Cohen 1997). Historically applied to the Jewish Diaspora, the term now encompasses numerous communities worldwide—Armenians, Africans, Chinese, Indians, Iranians, Lebanese, and many more. These groups share experiences of […]

Introduction and Overarching Framework Setting the Stage In September 1941, amid World War II, Reza Shah Pahlavi—the forceful modernizer who had ruled Iran since 1925—was compelled to abdicate following the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. His son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, then a 21-year-old crown prince, ascended to the throne as the new Shah. Over the next […]

Introduction and Overarching Context Setting the Stage When World War II erupted in 1939, Iran under Reza Shah Pahlavi (r. 1925–1941) maintained an official stance of neutrality, determined not to repeat the humiliating losses of autonomy that had plagued the Qajar era. Yet Iran’s critical geostrategic location—bridging the Soviet Union to the north and British […]

Introduction Overview and Central Thesis The period from 1921 to 1941 in Iran marks a dramatic turning point in the country’s modern history. Within these two decades, Reza Khan emerged from relative obscurity—serving initially as a Cossack Brigade officer—and rose to assume absolute authority, ultimately anointing himself Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1925 (Amanat 1997, 492). […]

Introduction Between 1794 and 1925, Iran was ruled by the Qajar dynasty, founded by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar. This era stands out for its formidable challenges—foreign interventions, weakening central authority, fiscal crises, and sociopolitical upheavals. These pressures spawned significant waves of out-migration, creating new or enlarged diaspora communities in neighboring regions such as the Russian […]

Introduction and Overarching Context The Mongol conquests of the 13th century transformed Eurasia more dramatically and rapidly than almost any other episode in medieval history. Emerging from the steppes of Mongolia under the leadership of Temüjin (later known as Genghis Khan), the Mongols brought unparalleled military tactics, administrative adaptability, and a capacity to absorb local […]

The Medieval Persian World in Transition Between the 8th and 15th centuries CE, Persia (historically understood as the Iranian cultural and linguistic expanse) experienced dramatic transformations brought about by Islamic conquests, dynastic changes, and the emergence of new centers of power across West, Central, and South Asia (Bosworth 1996, 12). Crucially, during these centuries, Persians […]