Why Has Iran Been Revolutionary? II: Multi-Urbanism in Iran’s Revolts and Rebellions

Abstract

Among the several factors that account for the frequency of revolt and revolution in modern Iran as compared with most other countries, an important one that has not been discussed is the involvement of several cities in every major revolt during the period of Western impact. Beginning with the Babi risings of 1848 Iran saw several national risings of different dimensions, all of which lasted for months or years largely because they were not limited to a single city and hence could not be easily suppressed. Two such risings, the so-called constitutional revolution of 1905–11 and the “Islamic revolution” of 1978–79 were major popular movements that changed the form of government and lasted over a year. Two other movements, the Tobacco Protest movement of 1891–92 and the oil nationalization movement of 1951–53, similarly involved large masses of people in several cities and resulted in at least temporary victories — in both cases chiefly against British companies but having wider implications.