Everything about Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Of Iran totally explained
Bakhtiar dissolved
SAVAK, freed all political prisoners, and allowed the
Ayatollah Khomeini to return to Iran after years in exile. He asked Khomeini to create a
Vatican-like state in
Qom, promised free elections and called upon the opposition to help preserve the constitution, proposing a 'national unity' government including Khomeini's followers. Khomeini fiercely rejected Dr. Bakhtiar's demands and appointed his own interim government, with Mehdi Bazargan as prime minister, demanding "since I've appointed him he must be obeyed." In February, pro-Khomeini Revolutionary guerrilla and rebel soldiers gained the upper hand in street fighting and the military announced their neutrality. On the evening of February 11 the dissolution of the monarchy was complete.
Exile and Death
The exiled monarch had become unpopular in much of the world, especially in the liberal West. Ironically, these included his original backers who had the most to lose from his downfall. U.S. President
Jimmy Carter had supported the Shah, and visited Iran in 1977. Carter overlooked the fact that Iran had significant oil reserves. According to the Shah in his memoir, General
Robert Huyser, a top
NATO official, came to Iran unannounced with the primary mission of paralyzing the army. The message still rests on the lunar surface today. He stated in part, "...we pray the Almighty God to guide mankind towards ever increasing success in the establishment of culture, knowledge and human civilization." The Apollo 11 crew visited the Shah during a world tour.
Shortly after his overthrow, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi wrote an autobiographical memoir
Réponse à l'histoire (
Answer to History). It was translated from the original French into
English,
Persian (
Pasokh be Tarikh), and other languages. However, by the time of its publication, the Shah had already died. The book is his personal account of his reign and accomplishments, as well as his perspective on issues related to the
Iranian Revolution and Western foreign policy toward Iran. His love for his country vividly come through in his final memoirs, and it's clear that at the end of his life, he realized some of the mistakes he made. The Shah places some of the blame for the wrongdoings of SAVAK and the failures of various democratic and social reforms (particularly through the
White Revolution) upon
Amir Abbas Hoveyda and his administration.
Marriages and children
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was married three times.
Fawzia of Egypt
His first wife was Princess
Fawzia of Egypt (born
November 5,
1921), a daughter of
King Fuad I of Egypt and
Nazli Sabri; she also was a sister of
King Farouk I of Egypt. They married in 1939 and were divorced in 1945 (Egyptian divorce) and 1948 (Iranian divorce). They had one daughter, Princess
Shahnaz Pahlavi (born
October 27,
1940).
Soraya Esfandiary
His second wife was
Soraya Esfandiary (
June 22,
1932-
October 26,
2001), the only daughter of
Khalil Esfandiary, Iranian Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, and his wife, the former
Eva Karl. They married in 1951, but divorced in 1958 when it became apparent that she couldn't bear children. Soraya later told The New York Times that the Shah had no choice but to divorce her, and that he was heavy hearted about the decision.
After his second divorce, the Shah told a reporter who asked about his feelings for the former queen that "nobody can carry a torch longer than me." He subsequently indicated his interest in marrying
Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, a daughter of the deposed Italian king,
Umberto II.
Pope John XXIII reportedly vetoed the suggestion. In an editorial about the rumors surrounding the marriage of "a Muslim sovereign and a Catholic princess", the Vatican newspaper,
L'Osservatore Romano, considered the match "a grave danger," especially considering that under the 1917 Code of
Canon Law a Roman Catholic who married a divorced person could be
excommunicated.
Farah Diba
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi married to his third and final wife,
Farah Diba (born
October 14,
1938), the only child of
Sohrab Diba, Captain in the Imperial Iranian Army, and his wife, the former
Farideh Ghotbi. They were married in 1959, and Queen Farah was crowned
Shahbanu, or Empress, a title created especially for her in 1967. Previous royal consorts had been known as "Malakeh" (Arabic:
Malika), or Queen. The couple remained together for twenty years, until the Shah's death.
Farah Diba bore him four children:
- Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince (born October 31, 1960)
- Farahnaz Pahlavi (born March 12, 1963)
- Ali Reza Pahlavi (born April 28, 1966)
- Leila Pahlavi (March 27, 1970 – June 10, 2001)
Quotes
On the revolution
When asked whether he thought that Iranians had been ungrateful towards him: Gratitude is the prerogative of the people.
The role of the U.S.: I didn't know it then – perhaps I didn't want to know – but it's clear to me now that the Americans wanted me out. Clearly this is what the human rights advocates in the State Department wanted... What was I to make of the Administration's sudden decision to call former Under Secretary of State George Ball to the White House as an adviser on Iran?... Ball was among those Americans who wanted to abandon me and ultimately my country.
Promise to the nation: You, the people of Iran, rose against injustice and corruption... I too, have heard the voice of your revolution. As the Shah of Iran, and as an Iranian, I'll support the revolution of my people. I promise that the previous mistakes, unlawful acts and injustice won't be repeated.
On the role of women
Women are important in a man's life only if they're beautiful and charming and keep their femininity and... this business of feminism, for instance. What do these feminists want? What do you want? You say equality. Oh! I don't want to seem rude, but... you're equal in the eyes of the law but not, excuse my saying so, in ability... You've never produced a Michelangelo or a Bach. You've never even produced a great chef. And if you talk to me about opportunity, all I can say is, Are you joking? Have you ever lacked the opportunity to give history a great chef? You've produced nothing great, nothing!... You're schemers, you're evil. All of you.
- When later he was asked in an interview by Barbara Walters if he'd said this, he answered "Not with the same words, no."
... women- who after all make up half the population- should be treated as equals...Further Information
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