Abstract
This study conducted a critical study on the ways of interaction and the structural connection between two significant socio-historical entities (i.e., the Bazaar and the Clergy) in the social context of Mashhad over the years before the triumph of the Islamic Revolution of Iran. This study claimed that in Mashhad, as one of the significant religious and political cities of Iran, there was a complex, multilayered, and symbiotic relationship between the two entities. The relationship played an important role in directing the revolutionary initiatives. Taking a descriptive-analytical method and collecting the required data from archives, library sources, and oral history interviews, this study tried to see how the Bazaar and the Clergy were interconnected in religious, economic, social, and political domains, and how this interconnection influenced the efficacy of people’s movements in Mashhad. The main hypothesis of this study was that the overlapping and interactive network between the Bazaar and the Clergy was a fundamental element of empowering people’s movements and resistance against the Pahlavi regime. The findings showed that the two entities, in a strategic and supportive interaction, were taking complementary roles. That is, the Bazaar took its ideological legitimacy and normative guidance from the Clergy, while the Clergy obtained its essential financial and social capital from the Bazaar.
Key notes:
1. Analyzing the interaction between the Bazaar and the Clergy regarding religious, economic, socio-cultural, and political dimensions;
2. Explaining the complementary and synergistic roles of the two entities in people’s mobilization and the success of the Islamic Revolution in Mashhad;
3. Relying on primary archival data and the data obtained from oral history for the analysis of the local context.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The Islamic Revolution of Iran can be considered the outcome of the agency and institutional connection between different social institutions. In this regard, the Bazaar and the Clergy, as two traditional and socio-historical entities, played a significant and complementary role. The city of Mashhad, characterized by its profound religious heritage with the presence of high-ranking Maraje’ (religious authorities) and devout merchants, was the main canon for revolutionary mobilization. This study tried to see what interactions happened between the Bazaar and the Clergy in Mashhad from 1974 to 1979, and how this interaction empowered the revolutionary movement. The main hypothesis was that an overlapping and interactive network between the two entities constituted the main factor for fortifying the movements of the public.
Materials and Methods
This study used a descriptive-analytical method and collected data from library sources and archives, including the Islamic Revolution Documents Center, the National Archive of Iran, and the Document Center of Astan Quds Razavi. Furthermore, it incorporated oral history interviews with key activists from Mashhad's revolutionary era. To reveal the complexities of this relationship, the data were analyzed with respect to religious, economic, socio-cultural, and political aspects.
Discussion and Conclusion
The findings showed that this institutional relationship manifested across four distinct yet interconnected spheres:
1) Religious aspect: The Bazaar facilitated the dissemination of clerical discourse by hosting religious congregations and providing logistical support for religious entities.
2) Economic aspect: Merchants were a significant support of the movement as they financially supported religious activities and provided aid to the families of political detainees.
3) Socio-cultural aspect: The Bazaar became a center for the exchange of intellectual thought and the distribution of proclamations, and effectively functioned as a living medium.
4) Political aspect: The ideological alignment of the two entities resulted in the systematic organization of protests and imposed a challenge to the Pahlavi regime.
The results of this study confirmed the primary hypothesis that cooperation between the Bazaar and the Clergy in Mashhad was the main driver of the people’s protest. Their traditional bond underwent a functional transformation into a revolutionary apparatus during the last years of the Pahlavi. This study showed that the Islamic Revolution of Iran was not merely the result of the actions of the elite, but rather it emanated from a historical and public coalition. This case study confirmed that analyzing traditional institutional interactions in local contexts yields a more profound understanding of the mechanisms by which the public is mobilized.