One of the world's longest-lasting monarchies, the Iranian monarchy went through many transformations over the centuries, from the days of the Persian Empire to the creation of what is now modern day Iran. The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ...

The Shah of Iran was the hereditary ruler of the Iranian monarchy, though the term, when used by Westerners today, generally refers to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah. According to royal order of precedence, the Shah was equal in status to an Emperor. For most of its existence the Iranian monarchy had been an absolute monarchy, although there were attempts to reform it into a constitutional monarchy in the early twentieth century and following World War II. For the scientific journal Heredity see Heredity (journal) Heredity (the adjective is hereditary) is the transfer of characters from parent to offspring, either through their genes or through the social institution called inheritance (for example, a title of nobility is passed from individual to individual according to relevant customs and... His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (Persian: محمدرضا شاه پهلوی) (October 26, 1919 – July 27, 1980) holder of the deferential title Aryamehr (Light of the Aryans), was the last reigning Shah of Iran to date, ruling from 1941 until 1979. ... Shah (in Persian: شاه), from the Old Persian word khshathra-pava (king), popularly referred to as satrap by the Greeks, is the Persian term for a monarch and used by the former rulers of Persia as well as the rulers of the Persian Empire. ... An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of people; it is used by many organizations and governments. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... Absolute monarchy is an idealized form of government, a monarchy where the ruler has the power to rule his or her country and citizens freely with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition telling him or her what to do, although some religious authority may be able to discourage the... A constitutional monarchy is a form of monarchical government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges a hereditary or elected monarch as head of state. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe...

The modern Iranian monarchy was established in 1502 after the Safavid Dynasty came to power under Shah Ismail I, and ended the so-called "fourth era" of political fragmentation. The monarchy was abolished in 1979 when a revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini forced Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi into exile, and established an Islamic Republic in its place. The late Shah's son continues to be recognised as legitimate ruler of Iran by many people both within and outside Iran. Events January 1 - Portuguese explorers sailed into Guanabra Bay, Brazil and mistook it for the mouth of a river which they named Rio de Janeiro May 9 - Christopher Columbus leaves Spain for his fourth and final trip to the New World. May 21 - Portuguese discover island of St Helena. ... The Safavids were a long-lasting Turkic-speaking Iranian dynasty that ruled from 1501 to 1736 and first established Shiite Islam as Persias official religion. ... Shah Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid State. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Ayatollah Khomeini founded the first modern Islamic republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini (آیت‌الله روح‌الله خمینی in Persian) (May 17, 1900 – June 3, 1989) was an Iranian Shia cleric and the political and spiritual leader of the 1979 revolution that overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the then Shah of Iran. ... His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (Persian: محمدرضا شاه پهلوی) (October 26, 1919 – July 27, 1980) holder of the deferential title Aryamehr (Light of the Aryans), was the last reigning Shah of Iran to date, ruling from 1941 until 1979. ... An Islamic republic is a state under a particular theocratic form of government advocated by some Muslim religious leaders in the Middle East and Africa. ...

For a list of monarchs ruling Iran, see List of kings of Persia. The following is a comprehensive list of all Persian Empires and their rulers: == ...

External links

• The Qajar Dynasty