Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini: The 1979 Iranian Revolution

On June 3, 1989 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini died of complications following surgery. Millions of Iranian citizens took to the streets to mourn his passing. During the period of mourning, thousands were injured and many lost their lives. This mass outpouring of passion was aimed at the man largely responsible for the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the establishment of an Islamic Republic. While the 1979 Revolution was facilitated by a number of groups including but not limited to the religious Ulama class, Ayatollah Khomeini and his writings permeate most discussions about the revolution and the subsequent founding of the Islamic Republic. It must be asked then, what was it about Ayatollah Khomeini that led to widespread support for him across …show more content…
It is often the case that an individual will rise during a time of turmoil and political unrest lead a charge against the structure of government in place. The leaders of a given revolution are able to rally a large following in order to overthrow the political leadership in place. This is no different than what occurred in Iran during the late 1970’s. Ayatollah Khomeini along with his followers was able to overthrow Mohammad Reza Shah and rid the country of a monarchial government. In the eyes of Max Weber, individuals like Ayatollah Khomeini are able to accomplish such feats because they are in possession of charisma. This quality plays in instrumental role in political leadership and it ultimately played a tremendous role in the Iranian Revolution of …show more content…
This process simply allows for charismatic authority to no longer be the dominant mode in which leaders garner their legitimacy. Instead, charisma is transformed and incorporated into a more permanent political structure. The perceived need for the routinization of charisma to take place highlights the temporary aspects of charisma and the amount of work that must be done in order to ensure that the success brought about by it is sustainable in the long run. In the case of Ayatollah Khomeini and the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the main objective was always to establish a different form of government that contrasted the traditional monarchial model. Shortly after the removal of the Shah, Khomeini began moving towards realizing his primary goal of establishing a form of government based on Islamic law. What must be considered however, is whether or not this new Islamic government was simply an extension of Khomeini’s charismatic authority or whether his authority could be utilized in order to bring legitimacy and stability to the new form of