Iran: A Brief History – Part 1
Lifelong Learning | FULL (Membership Required)
Iran is an ancient civilization that dates back thousands of years. This course will introduce participants to those more recent dynastic periods from the 16th century to the 20th. This overview will describe the impact that those dynasties, along with the adoption of Islam as the dominant religion, had in shaping its culture and politics. The secular and clerical worlds repeatedly clashed, which ultimately culminated in a Revolution that overthrew Shah Reza Pahlavi in 1979. That revolution, and the events that precipitated it, will be the subject of Part II.
Bob David
Bob David is a retired technical professional. When he was younger he traveled to and lived in four countries - Japan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. Living abroad introduced him to a vastly different world compared to what Americans are typically used to. He especially took an interest in Iran, having lived in Tehran during all of 1968 when the last Shah was nearing the peak of his power, yet already facing the schisms within Persian society that led to the revolution in 1979.