The name Persia is familiar to us from the tales of the Arabian Nights. Persian carpet is still a favourite household accessory and Persian architecture and crafts are still very famous. But where actually is Persia? Modern day Iran was called Persia.
Iran was invaded by Genghis Khan in the 1200s and Mongol rule was later replaced by the Safavid dynasty. Russia and Britain then competed to take control over Persia during the 1800s.
The country was a monarchy and flourished under the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in the 1900s. The developing oil industry paved way to economic improvements; but not everyone welcomed this development. Under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, the Shah was overthrown. This movement is known as the Iranian Revolution. The revolution was a period of chaos, limited freedom and strict religious laws. Life in Iran during the revolution was portrayed in Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis.
The 1980s saw a war between Iran and Iraq over oil. After the war, a new government came to power in the 1990s.
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