Comparative Analysis of the Strategies of the Clergy in the Constitutional Revolution and the Islamic Revolution with Emphasis on the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Theological Seminary (with a SWAT Approach)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Abolfazl Heidari 1
Ehsan Torkashvand 2
1 emam sadegh school
2 Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran.
10.22084/rjir.2025.31202.3937
Abstract
Abstract:
Objective: This study uses a comparative approach to examine the strategies of the Shiite clergy in two important events in contemporary Iranian history, namely the Constitutional Revolution (1285 AH) and the Islamic Revolution (1357 AH), and focuses on the role and position of seminaries and the analysis of their strengths and weaknesses at each stage. The main objective is to identify the strategic changes of the clergy and explain the factors affecting the difference in their role in these two revolutions.
Methodology: The present study was conducted using the SWOT analytical model and a descriptive-analytical approach. Data were collected through historical sources and documentary studies and then analyzed by separating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the clergy at each historical stage.
Findings: The results showed that in the Constitutional Revolution, the clergy, despite its initial impact, was marginalized due to weak internal cohesion and political developments after the victory. In the Islamic Revolution, through centralized leadership, coherent ideology, and the use of modern communication tools, the clergy succeeded in guiding the course of the revolution and establishing a political structure based on the guardianship of the jurist.
Conclusion: The difference in the level of influence of the seminaries, the type of religious leadership, and the socio-intellectual conditions of each period were key factors in the differences in the strategies of the clergy between the two revolutions. This analysis can be effective in better understanding the role of the clergy in contemporary political developments and in formulating future strategies for the seminaries.
Keywords: Clergy, Constitutional Revolution, Islamic Revolution, Strategy, SWAT Analysis
Keywords
Clergy
Constitutional Revolution
Islamic Revolution
Strategy
SWAT Analysis
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