Early Life And Reign

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi: The Last Shah of Iran

Early Life and Reign

Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was born in Tehran, Iran, on October 26, 1919. He became the Shah in 1941, succeeding his father, Reza Shah Pahlavi. During his reign, Pahlavi pursued a series of ambitious modernization reforms, known as the "White Revolution," which included land reform, the expansion of education, and the emancipation of women.

Controversies and Upheaval

However, Pahlavi's reign was also marked by growing political and social unrest. His autocratic rule and close ties to the United States alienated many Iranians, and his lavish lifestyle and suppression of dissent fueled discontent. In 1978, a series of protests erupted across Iran, eventually leading to Pahlavi's overthrow in the Iranian Revolution of 1979.