Journal of Philosophy and Theology

Socio-Religious Developments in Iran (1925-1979)
Prof. G.N Khaki, Ashaq Hussain

Abstract
Iran saw many socio-religious reforms and transition in the modern period starting from early Safavids, Qajar’s, and Pahlavi’s till the present Islamic Republic. The religious sphere saw two kinds of revivalism. One was under the fold of mainstream Shi’i Ithna ‘Ashari School and other was clearly out of the pale of mainstream Islam taken together. In the 19th century Usuli School overwhelmed over the Akhbari School. Other revivalism which was considered as apostasy by the ‘Ulama was the Babi-Baha’i movement. Sayyid Ali Muhammad Bab in 1844/1260 claimed Mahdi and created a new ‘Ummah’ by abrogating the Shar’iah of Prophet (S.A.W) and also he prophesized the advent of a greater being which later on was claimed by Mirza Hussain Ali (Baha’u’llah). In the year 1858 first telegraph was started in the Qajar period. Russian and British influence became prominent and they invested in many small scale industries in Iran. ‘Ulama organized themselves to herald a new kind of revolutionary attitudes which culminated in the final victory of ‘Ulama in the establishment of Islamic Republic of Iran. The objective of this article is to give the reader a detailed socio-religious transition in Iran from 1925-1979. It is in this context the present paper has been analyzed.

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