[custom_adv] Shah Muhammed Reza Pahlevi, his wife, Queen Fawzia, and the little Princess Shahnaz on the grounds of their palace near Teheran, Iran, in 1942. In the decades before the Islamic revolution of 1979, was ruled by the Shah whose dictatorship repressed dissent and restricted political freedoms. [custom_adv] This is the White Palace of the Shah of Iran at Saadabad, Tehran, as it looked in August 1953, after the government upheavals. Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi returned to power August 22, when his supporters ousted Premier Mohammed Mossadegh, who had forced the Shah to flee a few days earlier. [custom_adv] Cars and pedestrians travel on Ferdowsi Avenue in Tehran, Iran, April 20, 1946.. Under the Shah's rule, economy and educational opportunities expanded. Britain and the US counted as their major ally in the Middle East, and the Shah forcefully industrialized large segments of the country. [custom_adv] Pedestrians and cars travel through the main intersection of Tehran, Iran, April 20,1946. Lalezar Avenue runs up the center of the photo toward the north, while Istanbul Avenue runs left to right. ... But the Shah's increasingly authoritarian measures and his eventual dismissal of multiparty rule set the stage for the infamous revolution. Still, for a period of almost 40 years, the Shah led through a series of sweeping changes. [custom_adv] These reforms included the structuring of around a central Persian identity, the often brutal suppression of tribes and their laws in exchange for strong a central government, and the expansion of woman's rights. [custom_adv] Although Reza Shah's intentions were to turn into a modern westernized state, his bans on religious garments alienated and frustrated religious conservatives and traditionalists. [custom_adv] Despite the backlash from religiously observant members of society, the Shah managed to create a seemingly cosmopolitan city life. [custom_adv] Women and men mixed freely, and educational opportunities were greatly extended. Western clothing and norms also became ingrained into large segments of the population. [custom_adv] Under the royal family's invitations, became a popular destination for celebrities and heads of state. Here, an Italian actress and her husband visit a sports competition as guests of Princess Ashraf. [custom_adv] Empress Soraya of Persia (Iran) poses in the studio of Italian fashion designer Emilio Schuberth, left, with an evening dress made of white Organdy as the designer adjusts some pleats of his dress in Rome, Italy, May 13, 1953. [custom_adv] Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida and her husband Milko Skofic (both center) pose for a photographer with Iranian sportsmen at the ZurKhaneh (house of strength) stadium, Persia, May 20, 1963. ... Under the royal family's invitations, became a popular destination for celebrities and heads of state. Here, an Italian actress and her husband visit a sports competition as guests of Princess Ashraf. [custom_adv] The royal family reciprocated and widely toured the world's capitals. Here, the Shah and his wife met with Winston Churchill in London. [custom_adv] Despite views of the past, the government continued to value education and child development. [custom_adv] A street scene showing pedestrians on a sidewalk next to the Plasco Building, June 16, 1970, Tehran, Iran ... The capital funded study abroad in Europe, and schools and clinics were built throughout the countryside to care for poorer children as part of the Shah's "White Revolution." [custom_adv] Here, swim in an octagonal swimming pool at the guesthouse of the National Oil Company. [custom_adv] High oil prices and relative stability in the Middle East contributed to a growing business class in major cities.
