History Flashcards - Big Quiz

📚 Key Terms & Definitions

• Tehran

  • Capital city of Iran and political center since the Qajar dynasty. Grew in importance during Reza Shah’s rule.

• Reza Khan Pahlavi

  • Iranian military officer who overthrew the Qajar dynasty in 1925. Became Reza Shah Pahlavi and founded the Pahlavi dynasty. Known for modernizing and secularizing Iran.

• Mollah (Mullah)

  • A Muslim religious leader or scholar trained in Islamic law and theology. Often teaches in mosques or religious schools and plays a role in guiding community beliefs and practices.

• Ulama

  • The collective body of Islamic scholars and jurists. In Iran, the Shi'ite ulama held strong influence over religious life and sometimes resisted secular reforms by rulers like Reza Shah.

• Mohammad Mosaddeq

  • Iranian Prime Minister (1951–1953) who nationalized the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. He was overthrown in a U.S.- and U.K.-backed coup known as Operation Ajax.

• Anglo-Iranian Oil Company

  • British-controlled oil company founded in 1908. Dominated Iran’s oil industry until Mosaddeq’s nationalization. Became BP (British Petroleum).

• Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi

  • Son of Reza Shah and last Shah of Iran. Ruled from 1941 until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Continued Westernization and modernization, but faced backlash for authoritarianism.

• SAVAK

  • Iran’s secret police and intelligence agency under Mohammad Reza Shah. Known for repressing dissent, censoring the press, and torturing political opponents.

📘 Iran Study Guide Questions

• Compare Reza Shah’s reforms to Ataturk’s

  • Both emphasized secularism, nationalism, and modernization.

  • Reza Shah built infrastructure, banned veiling, modernized the army, and reduced the ulama's influence, similar to Ataturk.

  • However, Ataturk was more radically secular, completely abolishing the caliphate and religious courts.

• How much did Reza Shah westernize? Why?

  • He significantly westernized Iran by building railroads, reforming education, promoting Western dress, and discouraging traditional religious practices.

  • He aimed to strengthen the state, reduce foreign control, and make Iran a modern, independent nation.

• What role did the Shi’ite ulama play in Reza Shah’s government and reforms?

  • The ulama largely opposed Reza Shah’s secularizing reforms.

  • Reza Shah weakened their authority, took control of religious endowments, and limited their role in education and law.

  • This created long-term tension between secular leaders and religious groups.

📘 Turkey & Ataturk Study Guide

• Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

  • Founder and first President of modern Turkey. Led the Turkish War of Independence, abolished the Ottoman sultanate, and implemented widespread secular and nationalist reforms.

• Treaty of Lausanne (1923)

  • Treaty that recognized the sovereignty of the Republic of Turkey, replacing the harsh terms of the Treaty of Sèvres.

  • Marked the official end of the Ottoman Empire and recognized Turkey’s new borders.

• Ankara

  • Chosen by Ataturk as the capital of modern Turkey instead of Istanbul, symbolizing a break from the Ottoman past and a move toward a new, secular republic.

• The Six Arrows (Kemalism)

  • The guiding principles of Ataturk’s ideology: Republicanism, Nationalism, Populism, Secularism, Statism, and Reformism.

📙 Ataturk’s Reforms (Grouped)

• Political:

  • Abolished the sultanate and caliphate.

  • Created a secular, republican constitution.

• Cultural:

  • Replaced the Arabic script with the Latin alphabet.

  • Promoted Turkish identity over Islamic/Ottoman identity.

• Social:

  • Gave women more rights, including the right to vote and run for office.

  • Outlawed the fez (Ottoman hat) to encourage modern dress.

• Legal:

  • Introduced secular legal codes, replacing Sharia law.

• Educational:

  • Established state-run, secular schools.

  • Reduced the influence of religious institutions in education.

📙 How did Ataturk change the religious culture of Turkey?

• Abolished the caliphate (symbol of Islamic unity).

• Closed religious schools (madrasas) and replaced them with secular ones.

• Removed Islam as the state religion.

• Banned religious clothing for government officials.

• Overall, marginalized religion in public life to create a secular state.

📙 How did Saudi Arabia come into being?

• Founded in 1932 by Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, who unified various tribal regions under the House of Saud.

• Gained control of Mecca and Medina, giving the state Islamic legitimacy.

• Formed through alliances with Wahhabi clerics (ultraconservative Islamic movement) and military conquest.

• Later became powerful due to vast oil reserves discovered in the 1930s.