A Study of the Theory of Elitism and the Position of Governmental Elites in Iran in the Qajar and Pahlavi era Based on the Theory of Mosca Elitism

The purpose of this study was to investigate the position of government elites in the Qajar Pahlavi era based on the theory of elitism in the development process of Iran. In this regard, an attempt was made to answer the basic question: what factors and activists provided the necessary ground for the failure of the elites of the Pahlavi era in the process of development of Iran? The study was based on the assumption that factors such as authoritarian political structure, underdeveloped culture, foreign interference in Iranian affairs, the weak performance of kings and rulers, the destructive role of the global economic system, and the performance of elites in Western-style modernization and development, all contribute to elite failure in the Pahlavi era in the process of development of Iran. The results indicate that the elites of Iran in the history of the Pahlavi era as one of the main obstacles to development and neutralizing the power of reformists played a role and failed to lead the country to balanced and comprehensive development for two reasons: Characteristics and weakness of its performance and inappropriate political-economic structures and sabotage of anti-development elites. Intellectuals, for reasons such as authoritarian political structure, alienation from the culture of society, and a one-dimensional view of development, were also unable to play a desirable role.