Class Notes 3/26

Iran Notes.
-Islamic Republic of Iran. A mixture of theocracy and democracy. It is a political system based on clerical authority and popular sovereignty. Based on right of the clergy and right of the people intertwined. The country has regular elections for presidency and the parliament called "majles". But a clerical group called the guardian council decides who can run for president and parliament. The president is re formal head of the executive branch of government but can be overruled or dismissed by the chief cleric called the Supreme Leader. The parliament is the executive branch of government but its bills don't become law unless the guardian council seems them compatible with the Islamic religion. Church has a big check on the system. Income from oil makes Iran a perfect example of a rentier state- derives a substantial amount of its constant revenue from foreign rents. The rentier state is a sub system of a rentier economy which is an economy in which state governments are heavily supported by expenditures while state receives rents from abroad. Different from Nigeria. Iranian government takes rents then turns around and invests it back into the country. Traces roots to ancient Iranian empire and its Islamic religion to the Arab invasions. Its current national identity is Shiaism and political system were formed over 4 more recent time periods. 1 Safavid 1501-1722. 2- Quajar 1794-1925. 3-Pahlavi 1925-1979. 4-Islanic Revolution of 1979 led to establishment of the current islamic republic. Also called cultural revolution. Modern Iran with its shia identity and it's present day boundaries can be traced to the 16th century when the Safavid family conquered the territory, established their dynasty and converted their subjects to Shiaism by force. By mid 1700s they had converted almost 90% of their subjects leaving a small population of Sunni. From it's earliest days 2 major groups Sunni, and Shiite. Sunni are modern traditional followers. Make up the majority. Shiites are followers of Ali make up only 10% of Muslims. The difference in opinion in who was to be the Prophet Muhammad’s successor as caliph saw the division of the 2 groups. Shiites belief leadership could only descend through the heirs of the prophet Muhammad. Shiites look at other early leaders of Islam that lacked Muhammad’s blood lines as pretenders. Imams lasted several generations until the last imam disappeared in 1874. Since then Shiites have held on to messianic belief that the hidden imam will return at the end of time and restore order. Shiite political thinkers historically upheld until the return. Often hidden imam all secular authority is illegitimate. Both branches ofIslam accept the 5 pillars. 1. Only one god Mohammed the prophet 2. Give to charity 3. Pray everyday facing Mecca 4. Make a pilgrimage once in a lifetime to Mecca. 5. During the daytime hours in the month of Ramadan they fast to honor gods revelation of the Quran to Mohammed. The sofavid established their capital, Isfahan, and recruit Persian scribes into their court administration. They process to govern through these scribes and Shiite clerics but through local notables( merchants, tribal leaders. war bosses) financial constraints kept from creating a bureaucracy and a long standing army. The public was linked to the government through notables. Sofavid collapses in 1722 when Afghans invade capital. Half century of civil war. Quajars reconquered much of Iran and move capital to Tehran. Quajars declared Shiaism as state religion although they did not have links to the imams. New shas did not pretend to be descendants of imams, so the Shiite clerical leaders claimed to be the main interpreters of Islam. Quajar rule these hundred years. Coincide with a great deal of European imperialsim. Iran got through it under quajars. Russia takes chunk of Iran. Must give Russians a monopoly in fishing for sturgeon in the Caspian Sea. Given an exempt from internal tariffs and the jurisdiction of local courts. Russians carve out a chunk of economy. British imperial bank won the monopoly to distribute paper money in Iran. Indo-European Telegraph Company got a contract to extend communication lines. Drilling rights to oil in southwest was given to a citizen. By end of century the Quajar debt had become so heavy that Quajars were obliged to repay debts that they put Iran under European financial supervision. People felt the whole country had been auctioned off. This brought on the constitutional revolution 1905-1909. Shopkeepers demonstrating against customs collecters handing over money to foreign nations. Intensified when 2 sugar merchants were publicly whipped. Some 14,000 protestors sit in British (embassy) and demanded a written constitution. The 1906 constitution introduced essential features of modern government: called for elections, provides for separation of powers, provides for laws made by a legislative assembly and also includes concepts of popular sovereignty and of the nation. Constitution retains the monarchy but centers power in the majles. Guaranteed seats in parliament to recognize the religious minority. Other prominent religions are Jewish, Christians, and Zoroastrians. Gave majles extensive authority over laws, treaties, loans, concessions and the composition of the cabinet. Head ministers were accountable to the majles. The constitution also included a bill of rights guaranteeing protection of life and property, safeguards from arbitrary arrest, freedom of expression, and freedom of association, and equality before law. It has all this then shiaism was declared religion by constitution only Shiite could hold cabinet position. Clerical courts contained rights to implement sharia and the guardian council was formed of senior clerics and the constitution gave them veto power over parliamentary bills they deemed to not be Islamic. Popular sovereignty is limited by Islamic veto power. Guardian council does not meet until 1979. 73 years after constitution was drafted.