Review of the political role of clergy in the period of Reza Shah

Investigating the interactions between religion and politics, or in other words, the political role of clergy or religious forces is one of the most important subjects of Iran socity in recent centuries. Considering this fact that the process of modernization in many countries has helped to undermine religious traditions, phenomena such as Islamic Iranian revolution and the growth of Islamic fundamentalism have doubled the importance of this matter. This article, through a historical overview of the changes in Iran during Reza Shah and based on the theory of John Kenneth Galbraith, try to study the political role of the clergy in this period and their relationships with Reza shah. In this regard, two periods can be distinguished. In a period, the clergy have an active and outstanding political role and even in a kind of legitimacy of power and government. But in other period, their political role was weak and against Reza Shah. The difference between the political role of the clergy in the period of Reza Shah has a direct relationship with the resources and means of power of clergy on the one hand and Reza shah on the other hand.