Forced Removal of Hijāb in Reza Shāh's Era: Sediqeh Dulat-Ābādī's Role

Forced removal of hijāb during Ridā Shāh’s reign, given the entrenched Islamic culture in Iran, was an important event in the modern history of Iran. The influence of foreign forces, such as Russia, Britain, and the US, and their protégés, such as the Wahhabis and the Westernized elite, during the Qājārs and Pahlavīs, paved the way for such an event. In this paper, particularly the role played by Sidīqa Dulat-Ābādī for changing the Iranian culture and her connections with the colonialists are examined.