Page 310 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

revolution—mexico 1611

the month of February, 1979, in Iran. Almost overnight, erate supporters adamantly opposed and condemned this
hundreds of Islamic Revolutionary courts headed by act and demanded an end to the seizure of the embassy
clerics were set up throughout the country to deal with and the release of American Embassy personnel. How-
the former regime’s loyalists. High-ranking military offi- ever, Ayatollah Khomeini eventually supported the stu-
cers, former prime minister, ministers, and any who dents and called it Iran’s second revolution.Two days after
opposed the new government were summarily tried and the takeover of the American Embassy, Prime Minister
executed without having any legal representation. Along Bazargan resigned and Ayatollah Khomeini and his high-
with the Islamic courts, the formation of a Revolutionary ranking clerics began to consolidate their political, eco-
Guard Corps with recruitments primarily from the lower nomics, and social power in Iran.
class and those loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini and Islam,
Farid Mahdavi
was set up to defend the revolution against any possible
military coup or civilian opposition. In order to abolish
any sign of the old regime, on March 30–31, 1979, Aya- Further Reading
tollah Khomeini declared a national referendum to Abrahamian, E. (1982). Iran between two revolutions. Princeton, NJ:
choose the future form of the Iranian government. The Princeton University Press.
Amir Arjomand, S. (1988). The turban for the crown:The Islamic revolu-
choice was either monarchy or an Islamic republic.With
tion in Iran. New York: Oxford University Press
this limited choice, after the people had just gotten rid of Keddie, R. N. (1981). Roots of revolution: An interpretive history of mod-
the monarchical system, they overwhelmingly approved ern Iran. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Milani, M. (1988). The making of Iran’s Islamic revolution: From monar-
the formation of an Islamic republic over a monarchy. chy to Islamic republic. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Soon after, the Council of Experts, its members mostly
composed of clergy, was set up by Ayatollah Khomeini
to draft a new constitution. The most debatable aspect
of forming the new constitution was the principle of
Velayat-e Fqih (the rule of juristconsult). In Shiism, it is Revolution—
believed that in the absence of the twelfth Imam (one
who was the direct descendant of prophet Muhammad Mexico
through his daughter, Fatima, and his son-in-law and
cousin Ali, went into occultation and will return as the uring the first years of the twentieth century a wave
Mahdi or Messiah), the most learned jurist, one who Dof political upheavals swept across much of the
knows the divine law and the will of the Mahdi, should world. The principal centers of upheaval—Russia and
be the supreme head of the government. With the Iran in 1905, China in 1898 and 1911, and Mexico in
approval of the new constitution, Ayatollah Khomeini 1910—were all centers of ancient civilizations undergo-
was declared as such a jurist and as head of the new gov- ing radical transformations from long-standing systems of
ernment was given more power than any other previous cooperative industrial and agricultural production to
leader in modern Iran. modern capitalism and foreign influences. In Mexico dur-
By November 1979, it was Ayatollah Khomeini ing the years immediately preceding the upheavals, for-
through his mouthpiece, the Islamic Revolutionary Coun- eign capitalists backed by most of the domestic elite had
cil, who was running the country, not Prime Minister taken over the communications, transportation, military,
Bazargan and his cabinet. The final showdown between mining, timber, and textile industries, while both groups
the two political rivals came to a head with the seizure of had taken over formerly village-owned agricultural and
the American Embassy by so-called “Students Following ranching lands on a massive scale. At the same time the
the Line of the Imam [Khomeini].” Bazargan and his mod- government had repressed popular resistance and greatly