The Shah's Iran - rise and fall : conversations with an insider / Abdolreza Ansari ; translated by Katayoon Ansari-Biglari.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Anṣārī, ʻAbd al-Riz̤ā, 1925 or 1926- author.

Contributor:

Ansari-Biglari, Katayoon, translator.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Anṣārī, ʻAbd al-Riz̤ā, 1925 or 1926---Interviews.

Anṣārī, ʻAbd al-Riz̤ā.

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, 1919-1980.

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Iran--Politics and government--1941-1979.

Iran.

Iran--History--20th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (352 pages, 34 unnumbered pages of plates) : illustrations (some color), photographs, maps

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : I.B. Tauris, 2017.

Language Note:

Translated from Persian.

Summary:

"A chance encounter diverted Abdolreza Ansari from completing his PHD in the US, and set him on a professional journey which mirrored the prolific rise and the precipitous fall of the regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran. Ansari's government career took off when he became Iran's Treasurer General at the age of 32. In this role he restructured the fiscal management of the country and revamped its social security system. He was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Affairs at 34, where he created the Workers' Welfare Bank to support the labour force of the country. As Iran was about to enter a period of rapid development, Ansari was called upon to take charge of the largest development project of the time, the construction of the Dez Dam in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan. Subsequently, Ansari was appointed Minister of Interior where he conducted national parliamentary and city council elections in a single day for the first time in Iran's history. His plan for the urban rehabilitation of towns and population centres continues to be the basis for municipal governance to this day. Ansari's political career was derailed following a cabinet reshuffle. However, he was hand-picked by the Shah to manage the many charitable organizations headed by the monarch's twin sister, Princess Ashraf Pahlavi. When the Iranian government began preparations for the commemoration of Iran's 2500 years of continued monarchical rule, he was appointed deputy head of the celebration's organizing committee. Prior to the 1979 Revolution, he initiated, introduced and implemented the programmes of Protection of Families and the National Movement for Philanthropy. Ansari's proximity to the Iranian royal court including the Shah and Princess Ashraf and his encounters with a multitude of well-known personalities make these conversations a unique and valuable historical source for the pre-revolutionary period in Iran."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

Foreword by Jamshid Amuzegar, Prime Minister of Iran (1977-1978)

Introduction

From Birth to Employment

The Americans in Iran

The Treasury

From the New Iran Group to the Nationalist Party

At the Ministry of Labour

Establishment of the Khuzestan Water and Power Authority

Governorship in Khuzestan

At the Ministry of Interior

The Period After the Ministry

Princess Ashraf's Deputy for Social, Economic and Cultural Affairs

Celebration at Persepolis

Final Questions.

Notes:

Compliant with Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Content is displayed as HTML full text which can easily be resized or read with assistive technology, with mark-up that allows screen readers and keyboard-only users to navigate easily.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781350989245

135098924X

9781786731647

1786731649

9781786721648

1786721643

OCLC:

970659197