Iran in the late 19th – early 20th century
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century Iran was a backward country ruled by the Qajar dynasty of shahs: land belonged to big owners, peasants and craftsmen were in debt and the shah’s government relied on foreign loans. British capital led: concessions were granted in 1872 (and in 1889 the Imperial Bank); Russian influence was especially strong in the north and at court. In 1905 a movement began against economic hardship and oppression; protesters used “bast” – a peaceful sit-in in a mosque or sanctuary – and demanded a house of justice. On 5 August 1906 Shah Mozaffar ad-Din issued a decree promising a constitution, a Majlis (parliament) opened after elections and the first part of the constitution was approved: laws needed the Majlis’s consent, and economic deals with foreigners required its approval. In 1907 Mohammad Ali Shah came to the throne and opposed the Majlis; in August 1907 the Anglo-Russian Convention divided Iran into spheres of influence (north – Russia, south – Britain, the middle neutral). In 1908 the shah had the Majlis shelled and dissolved by the Cossack Brigade under Russian officers; in 1909 the siege of Tabriz ended, the shah was deposed and the constitution restored. In 1911, under Russian pressure and with Russian troops, the Majlis was dissolved again and the revolution was suppressed.
“Majlis”: the class splits into the shah, Majlis members and representatives of the people and debates “should a new concession be granted to foreigners?”