Iran s 1906 constitution constitution and its supplement the fundamental law of persia promulgated in the reign of the late muzaffaruddin shah and ratified by him on dhulqada 14, a. The central authority is dominated by persians who constitute 51% of iran s population. Politics and the state in the islamic republic by asghar schirazi. The most powerful person is their religious leader. Ethnic and religious minorities summary iran is home to approximately 70. The countrys 1979 constitution put into place a mixed system of government, in which the executive, parliament, and judiciary are overseen by several bodies dominated by the clergy. The government must provide all citizen with free education up to secondary school, and must expand free higher education to the extent required by the country for attaining selfsufficiency. Constitution of the islamic republic of iran wikipedia. John okane article pdf available in iranian studies 373. The constitution of the islamic republic of iran was adopted by referendum on 2 and 3 december 1979, and went into force replacing the constitution of 1906. With the ratification of a new constitution in december 1906, iran embarked on a great movement of systemic and institutional change which, along with the introduction of new ideas, was to be one of the most abiding legacies of the first iranian revolution known as the constitutional revolution. It divides into five chapters with many articles that developed over several years. During the revolution of 1979 a new constitution was promulgated. The constitution of the islamic republic of iran advances the cultural, social, political, and economic institutions of iranian society based on islamic principles and norms, which represent an honest aspiration of the islamic ummah.
The constitution, having regard to the islamic contents of the iranian revolution, which was a movement for the victory of all the oppressed over the arrogant, provides a basis for the continuation of that revolution both inside and outside the country. Constitutional revolution iran oxford islamic studies. In addition to their active roles in the movement, the iranian women proclaimed their social rights against issues like polygamy and mens monopolized right of divorce during the constitutional revolution. This aspiration was exemplified by the nature of the great islamic revolution of iran, and by the. Iran islamic republic ofs constitution of 1979 with. The persian constitution of 1906, was the first constitution of the sublime state of persia, resulting from the persian constitutional revolution and it was written by hassan pirnia, hossein pirnia, and ismail mumtaz, among others.
Preamble to the 1979 iranian constitution original electronic texts at the international constitutional law web site. The constitutional revolution of iran in 1906 resulted in a constitution that established a parliament and a constitutional monarchy. Egypt is a sovereign nation, and it is free and independent. Chapter 9 the constitutional revolution 1906 09 during the constitutional revolution a coalition of bazaaris, religious elite oloma, and iranian intelligentsia mobilized supporters during a series of symbolic protests bast throughout 19051906 that led to the establishment of the first iranian constitution. Policy and options congressional research service 1 political history iran is a country of nearly 80 million people, located in the heart of the persian gulf region. Although the provisions of the constitu tion have often been ignored, every politician invokes it and no one, until ayatollah khomeini has sought to abolish it. Civil liberties and irans first constitution foundation. About iran between islamic nationalism and secularism.
The national consultative assembly represents the whole of the. Designed by hamid nadimi, and officially approved by parliament and the leader grand ayatollah khomeini on 9 may 1980, this emblem is a highly stylised composite of various islamic elements. The question of freedom within the horizon of the iranian. Iran is an ancient nation with centuriesold traditions and social values. Constitutional revolution iran iranian revolution, 1905 11, caused by dissatisfaction with economic stagnation, influence of western power, and results of the russojapanese war of 1904 05 and the russian revolution of 1905.
This aspiration was exemplified by the nature of the great islamic revolution of iran. Exporting the revolution in irans constitution and the. In the absence of a single leader, a council of religious leaders is appointed. This sentiment caused the constitutional revolution. The place of shii clerics in the first iranian constitution janet afary. Logic the art of reasoning 6th edition alma santiago espartinez pdf zip. The constitution of the islamic republic of iran persian.
The form of government of iran is that of an islamic republic, endorsed by the people of iran on the basis of their longstanding belief in the sovereignty of truth and quranic justice, in the referendum of farvardin 9 and 10 in the year 58 of the solar islamic calendar, corresponding to jamadi alawwal 1 and 2 in the year 99 of the lunar islamic. Jun 10, 2009 a video clip from the two hour movie, the story of mashrooteh. Was there any reason that belgium was particularly chosen as a model. Noniranians will be respected as long as they do not go against the interests of iran or islam. A new constitution of the islamic republic of iran was adopted in 1979. In 1906, it forced the shah to grant iran a constitution and soon a parliament majlis was elected both firsts in the muslim world. Color, race, language, and the like will not be cause for privilege. Efforts toward satisfactory reform were continually stifled, however, amid reemerging social tensions as well as foreign intervention from russia, the united kingdom, and, later, the united states. Three groups of persons participated in the movement that culminated in 1906 in the granting of the constitution by a. During the first constitutional period august 1906 d june 1908, the major concern of the first majlis was to establish the rule of law. The articles added to complete the fundamental laws of the persian constitution ratified by the late shahinshah of blessed memory, mu. Iran s first constitution, which established the electoral system, charter of rights, and overall system of governance.
The iranian constitution 51 articles in the funda mental law of 1906 and 107 articles in the supple mentary law of 1907was from the beginning an uneasy compromise between secular and religious interests. Web to pdf convert any web pages to highquality pdf files while retaining page layout, images, text and. From its inception in 1906 until 1979 when the constitution was formally abolished, time and again, the despotic kings mohammadali shah qajar, reza shah pahlavi and mohammad reza pahlavi continuously violated it. The iranian civilization is considered to be an aryan civilization having evolved from a nomadic and tribal society to a central authority. The most important model for the iranian constitutional laws of 1906 7 was the belgian constitution of 1831, although the framers of the iranian law had also consulted the french, bulgarian, and. For the first time, the principle of the political participation of people in the states decisionmaking apparatus was reflected in the form of the 1906 iranian constitution. Apr 16, 2019 the following supplementary laws were ratified by his successor, the now deposed shah, mu. Constitutions and constitutional debates this section contains all the modern state constitutions of iran, starting with 1906. First term october 7th, 1906 june 23rd, 1908 the most important task undertaken by the first majlis was drafting and ratification of the constitution on december 30th, 1906. Iranians are allowed to practice judaism, zoroastrianism and christianity.
In the 1989 revision of the constitution, the national consultative assembly became the islamic consultative assembly. Unanimously, the iranian people declared their final and firm decision, in the referendum on the islamic republic, to bring about a new political system, that of the islamic republic. Iran is a constitutional islamic republic, whose political system is laid out in the 1979 constitution called qanune asasi. About the iranian constitution revolution which took place about a century ago. Preamble to the 1979 iranian constitution hanover college. The 190607 iranian constitution and the constitutional. Interestingly, it was based on the belgian constitution. Constitutional revolution iran oxford islamic studies online. Exporting the revolution in irans constitution and the mahdis return track persia may 16, 2017 apocalypticism within the twelver sect of shiism is the most important component of the the shiite apocalyptic tradition because it is fundamentally associated with the notion of the twelfth, or hidden, imamsomething that is absent. Use pdf download to do whatever you like with pdf files on the web and regain control. Iranian constitution 1906 pdf download download iranian constitutioniranian constitutional revolutioniranian constitution 1906iranian constitution 1979iranian. History of the iranian constitutional revolution, vol.
In legislating the constitution and its supplement, the majority of the majlis believed that the main obstacle to freedom was arbitrary rule. Irans 1906 constitution foundation for iranian studies. After ththe 16 century, iranian empires lost control of bahrain 1521, baghdad. A guide to the legal system of the islamic republic. The united states was an ally of the late shah of iran, mohammad reza pahlavi the shah, who ruled from 1941 until his ouster in february 1979. Broad in its scope, this multidisciplinary volume brings together essays from leading scholars in iranian. Iran is a unitary islamic republic with one legislative house.
Constitutions and constitutional debates iran data portal. Iranians speak diverse indo iranian, semitic, armenian, and turkic languages. The constitution of the islamic republic of iran is overtly religious. Ahmad kasravi s history of the iranian constitutional revolution chronicles this event and the ensuing struggles. Celebrating the constitutional revolution of 19051911 and. For instance, article 19 of the constitution states. A comparative overview of the iranian constitutions of 1906. A video clip from the two hour movie, the story of mashrooteh. This article looks at the iranian constitution of 1906 and its supplement of 1907 in terms of the existing trend towards the centralization and strengthening of the state, looking in detail at the role of the reformist higher bureaucracy in pursuing these objectives in the drafting of the.
There was a lot of constitutional monarchies in the west at that time. The form of government of iran is that of an islamic republic, endorsed by the people of iran on the basis of their longstanding belief in the sovereignty of truth and quranic justice, in the referendum of farvardin 9 and 10 in the year 58 of the solar islamic calendar, corresponding to jamadi alawwal 1 and 2 in the year 99 of. With the ratification of a new constitution in december 1906, iran embarked on a great movement of systemic and institutional change which, along with the introduction of new ideas, was to be one of the most abiding legacies of the first iranian revolution. Irans constitutional revolution and religious reactions to it. Revolution leading to and following irans 1906 constitution, argues for the ideo. The constitution of the islamic republic of iran is a declaration of the social, cultural, political, and economic foundations of the iranian society based on islamic principles and norms that re. The constitution of the islamic republic of iran advances the cultural, social, political, and economic institutions of iranian society based on islamic principles and norms, which represent an honest aspiration of the islamic ummah community. Irans makeup has several intricately connected governing bodies, some of which are democratically elected and some of which operate by coopting people based on their religious inclinations. Irans 1906 constitution and its supplement tavaana.
At the head of both the state and oversight institutions is a ranking cleric known as the rahbar, or. Iran islamic republic ofs constitution of 1979 with amendments through 1989. Prior to the qajars, what is now iran was the center of several persian empires and dynasties whose reach had shrunk steadily over time. It brought to the surface all the political and social currents that have shaped islamic history in the last centurynationalism, panislamism, the role of the ulema, international economic penetration, colonialism. This section contains all the modern state constitutions of iran, starting with 1906. Akbar hashemi rafsanjani was the first chairman, from 1980 to 1989. All the laws in iran must be based on islamic ideas. Iran constitution of 1906 wikisource, the free online. Iran constitution of 1906 wikisource, the free online library. Early modern constitutionalism in egypt and iran escholarship. The constitutional revolution of 1906 opened the way for enormous change in persia, heralding the modern era and creating a model for later political and cultural movements in the region. Irans 1906 constitution constitution and its supplement the fundamental law of persia promulgated in the reign of the late muzaffaruddin shah and ratified by him on dhulqada 14, a. The people of iran regardless of ethnic and tribal origin enjoy equal rights.
The first majlis were created as a result in 1906, granting power to popularclass guilds. The constitution of the islamic republic of iran, setting forth as it does the political. Pdf a comparative overview of the iranian constitutions. There had been a series of ongoing covert and overt activities against naser odin shahs despotic rule, for which many had lost their lives. Political participation in iran from the constitutional. The constitution of the islamic republic of iran 1 2 was adopted by referendum on october 24, 1979, and went into force on december 3 of that year, replacing the constitution of 1906. Constitutional revolution during the early 1900s the only way to save country from government corruption and foreign manipulation was to make a written code of laws. The devastating protest of imam khumayni against the american conspiracy known as the white revolution, which was a step intended to stabilize the foundations of despotic rule and to reinforce the political, cultural, and economic dependence of iran on world imperialism, brought into being a united movement of the people and, immediately afterwards, a momentous revolution of the muslim.
The 1906 constitutional revolution, social democrats and the battle to. According to iran s constitution, the supreme leader of iran, appointed for life by the assembly of experts, is responsible for the delineation and supervision of the general policies of the islamic republic of iran. Constitutional revolution iranian history britannica. Pdf this article looks at the role of the bahais in the constitutional revolution of iran, 19061911. State, power and longterm trends in the iranian constitution of 1906 and its supplement of 1907. In the 12 centuries before islam, the women of iran played a major role in the society. A history of modern iran in a radical reappraisal of iran s modern history, ervand abrahamian traces its traumatic journey across the twentieth century, through the. The parliament of iran, per the 1980 constitution, changed the flag and seal of state insofar as the lion and sun were replaced by the red emblem in the centre of the flag. Publications and the press are free to discuss issues unless such is deemed harmful to the principles of islam or the rights of the public. Article 31 housing it is the right of every iranian individual and family to possess housing commensurate with his needs. Nazeer ahmed, phd the constitutional revolution in persia was the first mass movement of the 20th century in the islamic world. October 1906 drafting a fundamental law constitution. Excessive violence and the arrest of intellectuals and democrats by einoddowleh led to the immigration of scholars and religious students to qom and the sit in of businessmen at the british embassy in tehran. Civil liberties and irans first constitution published by openconcept on thu, 09112008 18.
A comparative overview of the iranian constitutions of. The belgian constitution, like the constitutions of other european states, served as a partial model for the iranian constitution. A thoroughly researched and highly detailed account of the formation of irans first constitution, ratified on december 30, 1906, just a week before the death of muzffar aldin shah. The most important model for the iranian constitutional laws of 19067 was the belgian constitution of 1831, although the framers of the iranian law had also consulted the french, bulgarian, and. The constitution has been called a hybrid of theocratic and democratic elements. Wikipedia article, wikidata item as translated in the persian revolution of 19051909 1910 amendments were made in 1949, 1963, and in 1967. A key figure in the iranian constitutional revolution the conflict led to sit in the shah mosque and then at the holy shrine of abdolazim. The 1906 constitution was a major achievement despite many of its shortcomings. The 1906 07 iranian constitution and the constitutional debate on islam the 1906 07 iranian constitution and the constitutional debate on islam arjomand, said amir 20120101 00. Prelude to revolution previously come together in the constitutional revolution of 190511. Pdf the constitutional movement and the bahais of iran.
1398 1593 1615 937 663 1388 1299 693 338 1374 1073 342 22 1445 185 1065 683 365 365 1250 1112 1303 90 743 1377 1227 945 154 1139 864 186 163 671 1388 1086 1185 425 1183 355 1231