The Role and Position of Armenian Representatives in the Political Sphere from the Constitutional Revolution to the End of the Reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi

Abstract

The participation of religious minorities in Iran’s political system following the Constitutional Revolution constitutes one of the most significant manifestations of the transformation of political thought and public law in contemporary Iran. Among these minorities, Armenians, as the country’s most highly organized religious minority, not only participated in the Constitutional Movement but also, through their continuous representation in the National Consultative Assembly, played a role in certain aspects of the country’s legislative process and political decision-making. Despite the significance of this subject, most existing studies have focused on the role of Armenians in the Constitutional Revolution, their cultural activities, or their social status, while comprehensive examination of the position of Armenian representatives in the political, social, cultural, and economic spheres has received comparatively limited attention. The present study was conducted using a historical-analytical method and drawing on the records of the National Consultative Assembly, archival documents from various institutions, newspapers, books, and scholarly articles. The central research problem is to analyze the extent of the influence of Armenian representatives on developments in Iran from the Constitutional Revolution to the end of the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi and to assess their position in the interaction between the state and the Armenian community. The findings indicate that Armenian representatives, while defending the rights of the Armenian community, actively participated in numerous national issues, including legislation, education, economic development, administrative reforms, and the consolidation of modern political institutions. Nevertheless, the extent of their influence changed under the impact of the structure of political power and the process of state centralization, particularly during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi. Overall, Armenian representatives were not merely spokespersons for the demands of the Armenian community; rather, they played a role extending beyond that of representatives of a religious minority in the processes of state-building, the institutionalization of parliament, and the strengthening of national integration.