Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Date of Birth: 26 October, 1919

Place of Birth: Tehran, Sublime State of Persia (now Iran)

Date of Death: 27 July, 1980

Place of Death: Cairo, Egypt

Ethnicity: Mazanderani Iranian, Caucasian, Azeri/Turkic Ayrum

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, or Mohammad Reza Shah (محمدرضا شاه), was an Iranian monarch, politician, and statesman. He was Shah of Iran, the country’s head of state, from 16 September, 1941 to 11 February, 1979; succeeding his father. He was coronated on 26 October, 1967. He introduced the “White Revolution” series of reforms in the early 1960s. His titles included “Shahanshah”/”King of Kings,” “Aryamehr”/”Light of the Aryans,” and “Bozorg Arteshtaran”/”Grand Army Commander.”

The Shah was the son of Tadj ol-Molouk (born Nimtaj Ayromlou/Ayromlu) and Reza Shah/Reza Shah Pahlavi (born Reza Khan), who was an army officer and politician. His father was Minister of War, from 24 April, 1921 to 1 November, 1925, Prime Minister of Persia, from 28 October, 1923 to 1 November, 1925, and then Shah of Iran, from 15 December, 1925 to 16 September, 1941. His mother became Queen consort of Iran in 1925, upon his father’s ascent as Shah. The Shah served in the Imperial Iranian Army, from 1936 to 1979.

Mohammad’s father was born in Alasht, Savadkuh County, Mazandaran province, Iran, and was raised mostly in Tehran. His father joined the Persian Cossack Brigade at sixteen, and later served in the Imperial Army. In February 1921, as leader of the Persian Cossack Brigade, Mohammad’s father marched on Tehran, conquering the city and declaring himself commander-in-chief of the army and minister of war. In the same year, he passed a law requiring all Iranians to have surnames. He chose the surname Pahlavi for himself, the name for the Middle Persian language. In 1925, the constituent assembly of Persia elected Mohammad’s father as “Shah of Iran,” thus founding the Pahlavi dynasty.

Mohammad’s mother was born in Baku, Russian Empire, now Azerbaijan.

His parents’ marriage was arranged.

The Shah was married to Farah Pahlavi (born Farah Diba), who was Queen and Empress of Iran (شهبانو, Shahbânu), until his death. He had a daughter, Shahnaz Pahlavi, with his former wife Fawzia of Egypt; and four children, political activist, dissident, and heir apparent, Reza Pahlavi, Farahnaz Pahlavi, Ali Reza Pahlavi, and Leila Pahlavi, with Farah. The Shah’s first wife Fawzia was born in Ras el-Tin Palace, Alexandria, Sultanate of Egypt, and was the daughter of Fuad I of Egypt, who was King of Egypt and Sovereign of Nubia, the Sudan, Kordofan and Darfur. Their daughter Shahnaz was married to politician and diplomat Ardeshir Zahedi.

He was tbe brother of royal Shams Pahlavi, who was president of the Red Lion and Sun Society; his twin sister Ashraf Pahlavi; and military officer Ali Reza Pahlavi; and a half-brother of Fatemeh Pahlavi. His maternal first cousin, once removed, was senior military leader Mohammad-Hosayn Ayrom.

The Shah’s paternal grandfather was named Major Abbas-Ali Khan (the son of Moradali Soltan Khan). Abbas-Ali was born in Alasht, and was a Mazanderani, of the Palani clan. He was commissioned in the 7th Savadkuh Regiment. Moradali was born in Alasht, the son of Haji Mohammad Hassan Khan.

The Shah’s paternal grandmother was named Noush-Afarin/Noushafarin Ayromlu/Ayromlou. Noush-Afarin was originally from Georgia, or Yerevan, Armenia; both then in the Russian Empire. Her family was forced to cede its land in the Caucasus, after the Russo-Persian Wars of the early 1800s; they subsequently moved to the Guarded Domains of Iran/Qajar Iran.

The Shah’s maternal grandfather was Brigadier-General Teymūr/Teymour Khan Ayromlou (born Teymur-Xân Âyromlu). Teymūr was of Azeri/Turkic Ayrum descent, and was a prominent figure in the Persian Army c. 1900.

The Shah’s maternal grandmother was named Malek os-Soltan/Zahra.

Sources: Genealogies of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi – https://www.geni.com
https://www.findagrave.com