The modern revolutions of Iran: Civil society and state in the modernization process
Titel:
The modern revolutions of Iran: Civil society and state in the modernization process
Auteur:
Kamali, Masoud
Verschenen in:
Citizenship studies
Paginering:
Jaargang 1 (1997) nr. 2 pagina's 173-198
Jaar:
1997-07
Inhoud:
This paper concerns two major transformations in the modern history of Iran: the Constitutional Revolution of 1905-1909 and the Islamic Revolution of 1977-1979. It focuses on the interplay of clergy, bazaris and state in making the two modern revolutions if Iran. The paper addresses a core question: why the clergy did not take political power in the Constitutional Revolution when Iran was a traditional society, yet succeed in doing so in a modern Iran (1977-1979)? It concerns largely questions of continuity and change of social institutions during a period of rapid authoritative modernization that significantly influenced the constellation of power between civil society and state} As a result of rapid modernization, traditional civil society, which was based on strong ties between the Shi'i clergy and the bazaris, drastically change and marginalized. Modern socio-economic and administrative developments and the creation of new social groups, in turn, contributed to the formation of a modern civil society which periodically played a significant role in the political life of Iran. Socio-economic changes brought about by Pahlavi Shahs' (1924-1979) through rapid and authoritative modernization created new urban social groups who became important factors in making the Islamic Revolution of 1977-1979. In particular, the urban marginal groups, 'the dispossessed', engaged infrequent confrontations with authorities, and provided the radical clergy with a 'social army' for revolutionary mobilization and dominant influence.
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