Social and Cultural Reforms
Reza Shah’s modernization program extended deeply into Iranian society and culture. He promoted secular education, expanded public schooling, and founded the University of Tehran in 1934. Education was seen as a crucial tool for creating a loyal, skilled, and nationalist citizenry.
One of his most controversial reforms concerned dress and social customs. Inspired partly by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s reforms in Turkey, Reza Shah imposed Western-style clothing for men and, in 1936, banned the wearing of the veil (chador) for women. While these policies were welcomed by some urban elites, they were deeply resented by conservative segments of society and the clergy, who viewed them as an assault on Islamic values and personal freedom.
The state also pursued an aggressive policy of Persianization, promoting Persian language and culture as the unifying identity of the nation. Minority languages and cultural expressions were discouraged or suppressed in the name of national unity.
