History of Iran

Iran, previously known as Persia to the Wes, is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. They were once a major empire of their own, but were overrun and invaded by Mongols, Arabs, Seljuk Turks, and others. In Iran, the official language is Farsi or Persian; however; there are various national and ethnic groups. The majority of Iranians consists of the Fars, yet, the Azaris, Kurds, Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Lors, Turkmens and Baluchis are other groups that also live in Iran. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, immigration was very low and there weren’t many Iranians in the country. Before the 1970s, Iranians traveled to Canada for economic and educational opportunities. However, after the 1979 Iranian Revolution removed the monarchy from power and brought the Islamic government to power, immigration rates increased. Therefore, the majority of Iranians came to Canada in the 1980’s, escaping religious and political harassment. Not only that, but they were also escaping cultural and social cruelty forced by the Islamic Republic of the Iran-Iraq War. In the 1990’s, an increasing number of Iranians and political immigrants came to Canada as entrepreneurs or investors, and the majority of them resided in urban areas. On another note, Iran was ruled by many Dynasties in its time (Achaemenid Dynasty, Parthian Dynasty, Sassanian Dynasty, Safavid Dynasty, Zand Dynasty, Qajar Dynasty, Pahlavi Dynasty). More modernly in Iranian history, nationalist uprisings against the Shah began as well as the formation of a limited constitutional monarchy.

Culture of Iran

In terms of ethnicity, class, religion, politics, and ideology, Iranians have very diverse backgrounds. They have pride and satisfaction with their culture and history because instead of being just one group, they have a mix of communities sharing a common language and history. The Persian language has been in use for over 2500 years. In addition, Iranians are also very passionate about poetry and literature, and attend cultural activities such as concerts, plays, film screenings, sports, and art exhibitions. “Iranian art is a unique blend of aesthetics that has brought drastic changes to the world of art.” (The Iran Virtual Library) Not only that, but architecture, cuisine, and religion also play major roles in Iranian’s traditional culture. In most regions of the country, since rice is locally grown, it is nearly included in every meal, and red meat is absent in most dishes. The Persian gardens and traditional teahouses in Iran are also part of their culture.

The Shah

"The Shah," Irans' equivalent to that of our president. It was 1979 that Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi fled to Egypt, only to later be exiled there, with his wife to get away from the pressures of questions as to his regime (BBC News). The Shah was asked to leave the country from a man he hired himself earlier while in office. Reza was crowned king just shy of his twenty second birthday. The people of Iran disliked his leadership skills so much that they attempted to assonate him, but failed, thus causing one of the main reasons government officials felt need be that he leave the country (Iran Chamber Society). Reza can be compared to the government of a Spartan society from Ancient Greece in that his main focus and goal was to keep his army strong.

Women in Iran

Women in Iran aren't completely like the American stereotype, they don't hide themselves indoors only attending to family matters or cover up all the time, but in fact somewhat opposite. Women in Iran gained a lot of power in subjects referring from political matters to public rights like their personal education and profession (Helen Chapin Metz). But Iran wasn't always as free or a place as it is now for women. There was once a point where they weren't allowed out of their house and for the few exceptions that they were, they needed to be fully covered. They really changed their place in the country during the Islamic Revolution. For example in current times women in Iran hold many positions in law enforcement as well as holding jobs in political office (Donna M. Hughes).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daaJjRIYy14

Ancient Persepolis

The ancient palace at Persepolis was founded by Darius the Great around 518 B.C. It was considered to be the ancient “seat of government” for the kings of the Achaemenid kings, as well as a ceremonial center that showed off the wealth of the empire (The University of Chicago). Persepolis was designed to reflect Darius’ perception of himself as “as the leader of conglomerates of people to whom he had given a new and single identity” (U.S. Library of Congress). Although the palace complex was not finished by the time Darius the Great had passed away, the project was continued on by his son and successor, Xerxes (U.S. Library of Congress). Unfortunately, in 330 B.C. the palace was destroyed when Alexander the Great conquered and looted Persepolis (The University of Chicago).

The Iranian Revolution of 1979

The Iranian revolution began during the rule of Shah Pahlavi. During the 1960s, the Shah increased his control over the government and in 1961, dissolved parliament. As the Shah’s rule became increasingly repressive, riots erupted in response to the widely opposed regime (Evans). Most Iranians who opposed his regime were against what they considered his “anti-Islamic” rule (PBS Online). In 1979, the Shah was forced, by popular opposition, to flee to Egypt. As a result, Ayatollah Khomeini took control over Iran and reversed the westernization of the nation, ultimately recreating an Islamic Fundamentalist nation (Evans).


The Iranian Hostage Crisis: A result of the revolution
Because of the opposition to the Shah, the Iranian Hostage Crisis occurred. Iranian radicals took United States hostages in order to protest the medical treatment of the Shah in the US and to try to force the Shah back to Iran to face trial and pay back the money he was accused of stealing from the Iranian people (PBS online).