Prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran was ruled under the Pahlavi dynasty. The reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi (1925-1941) saw increased foreign relations, industrialisation and the democratisation of Iran. Pahlavi’s measures were continued by his son, Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi. <br><br>Mohammed Pahlavi did not earn the reception his father did from Iranian citizens. The people’s support for the Pahlavi monarchy wore thin and in 1979, hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest their monarch. <br><br>The revolution was sparked by a plethora of socio-cultural issues, such as the immense wealth gap, religious persecution and the increased westernisation of the country. Iranian citizens wanted to be rid of a monarchy that did not deem their interests as important, as some believed Pahlavi had become a puppet of the United States instead of supporting his people.<br><br>This revolution changed every component of Iran’s society, from governmental to cultural. The government changed from a monarchy to an Islamic theocracy as Ayatollah Khomeini stepped into power, making Iran an Islamic Republic.<br><br>The Ayatollah took a radical approach in changing Iran’s governmental structure and introduced an Islamic penal code that identified women as second-class citizens, radically changed freedom of speech and press laws and enforced mandatory dress requirements. After these laws were enforced, many protests broke out nationally.<br><br>In present-day Iran, the governmental structure has not changed and the Penal Code is still intact. There have been many protests on a smaller scale since 1979.<br>