AGHAZADEHS (I)
Having been
ruled by the heavy pressure of several kingdom dynasties for
centuries, the Iranian society has lived through the
collapse of the traditional feudal system and the painful
and steady progress of the capitalist system. In this
process, important social and political movements of our
modern history, like the Mashrutah Revolution, the Tanbakou
Movement and the Nationalization of Oil Movement, have
unexpectedly emerged in the shape of huge waves in a society
which was miserable and suppressed. Taking into
consideration the historical process of Iran, one would see
that the reason why rulers tended to become oppressive
regimes was associated with “economic distresses and social
disparity”. That is why the Iranian society has taken steps
towards violence and a belligerent spirit, isolated from the
outer world, and the rulers have applied a regime of
despotism and oppression against the internal violence and
external obstacles.
Given the
historical progress of the Iranian society, a number of
important developments catch one’s eyes. These are the
declining process of the Qajar era; the influence of the
landowning Ashraf class (elites); the recession of trade and
industry; the perpetual economic instability and the
subsequent crisis. As a result of this economic instability
and social injustice, revolutions and uprisings have taken
place.
Generally
speaking, prior to the “Mashrutah Revolution” private
property meant nothing in Iran because “Eastern Despotism”
was ruling the country and the ruling kings could own
everything, interfering with people’s life. The bureaucratic
and feudal system in Iran in the 19th Century started to be
influenced by the industrial revolution of the western
civilization though with a delay. At that time, the Qajar
Kingdom had two important economic and social classes,
namely “the Ayan (notables) and Ashraf class” and the newly
emerging “merchant class”. It would be more rationalist to
introduce the “Mashrutah Revolution” that emerged close to
the end of the Qajars as an urban revolution. Thus, the said
revolution did not let the peasants and farmers that
constituted a big part of the society to be involved in
political and social movements. Therefore, during the
Mashrutah Revolution, the economic and social framework
remained as it had been. However, following the revolution,
the “Ayan and Ashraf class” gradually emerged along with the
ambition of ownership.
When the
oppressive regime of Shah Reza came to power in 1926, the
Ayan and Ashraf class, which was the remnant of the Qajars,
was also interrupted. Reza Pahlavi could not come to an
agreement with the members of this class. Several feudal
lords and their families were gradually excluded from the
society and thus most of the Qajar Ayan and Ashraf class
lost their previous importance. However, soon the dark
clouds of the World War II filled the Iranian sky and in
1942 Reza Pahlavi was sent to exile. With the toppling of
Shah Reza, the formation process of Iran’s totalitarian
state has been paused for around twenty years. In the
meantime, the power circles that gained strength with the
toppling of Shah Reza have spread all around the country,
while feudal lords, tribal chieftains, clergy and former
Ayan and Ashraf class have begun taking their places within
society more freely.
The
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Government that was initially
inexperienced, powerless and weak, received the support of
this elite class that was revived and on the move until the
1950s. However, Shah Mohammad Reza has taken steps towards a
totalitarian regime, like his father, and wanted to remove
these established elite layers, replacing them with “the
wealthy of his own state”. Therefore, the Shah initiated a
big struggle against the religious circles that had begun to
be influential in all layers of the country, trying to
isolate them. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi tried to eradicate the
feudal lords, tribal chieftains and the former Ayan and
Ashraf stratum through a land reform also known as the
“White Revolution”. It was then the country started to
deviate from its own identity, taking steps towards a
“modernism” dictated by the West. Social conditions started
to change due to the increasing oil prices and the quick
flow of cash to the country. As it has been the case in
every oil-rich country, the tendency to consume has
increased in Iran as well and Shah Mohammad Reza wanted to
create his own elite, therefore causing the emergence of the
new Ashraf and Ayan stratum of the Pahlavi era.
Following
the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the elite class and ashraf
of the Pahlavi era immediately left the country and settled
in western countries, the US in particular, using the money
they had with them. They are still living there. The
religious regime that came to power after the revolution
tried to establish its own totalitarian system. The vacuum
in the elite stratum was soon filled with the more active
role played by the grown children of the clergy. The name
given to this new layer is “Aghazadeh”. This is the name
given to the children of the high ranking officials of the
Iranian regime that have been actively involved in trade.
Most of those “Aghazadehs” are engaged in commerce, making
use of their family relations. For example, when the free
trade zones were first established in southern Iran years
ago, “Aghazadehs” were the first to move.
Several
private factories and industrial enterprises that are the
remnants of the former system have been sold to “Aghazadehs”
by means of phony auctions. A part of this class also wanted
to be involved in politics. However, it would be more
logical to be involved in economic activities in a country
where oil revenues are not examined!
