Iran’s modern history in the twentieth century is a layered narrative of state-building, technological adoption, cultural resistance, artistic flourishing, and enduring memory. From the late 1930s, when Tehran’s police force was equipped with American-made wireless transceivers as part of Reza Shah’s ambitious modernization project, to the unveiling in December 1404 of two unreleased albums by the late Mohammad Reza Shajarian—Iran’s most revered classical vocalist—the country has experienced profound transformations. These changes unfolded not only in political institutions and urban infrastructure but also in cultural expression, artistic identity, and collective memory.
This essay examines two seemingly distant yet symbolically connected moments: the equipping of Tehran police vehicles with American communication technology in the late 1930s and the official visit of Lieutenant Colonel Mehdi Qoli Alavi Moghadam, Chief of the National Police; and the posthumous unveiling of the albums Yadgari Javedaneh and Bang-e Del by Mohammad Reza Shajarian, derived from his final European concert tour and reconstructed using artificial intelligence. Together, these moments reflect Iran’s ongoing dialogue with modernity, authority, tradition, and innovation.
Part One: Order, Technology, and the Modern State
Tehran Police Cars and American Transceivers in the Late 1930s
Reza Shah’s Vision of Modern Policing
By the late 1930s, Iran under Reza Shah Pahlavi was undergoing a radical transformation. Determined to construct a centralized, disciplined, and modern nation-state, Reza Shah invested heavily in infrastructure, military reform, education, and law enforcement. Tehran, as the capital and symbolic heart of the new Iran, became the primary laboratory for these reforms.
