Islamic Politics Research

Islamic Politics Research

A study of the evolution of the revolutionary concept in contemporary Iran (before and after the Islamic Revolution)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Faculty member and PhD student at the Faculty of Humanities, Imam Hossein University, Qom, Iran.
2 PhD student, Faculty of Humanities, Imam Hossein University, Qom, Iran
10.22034/ipr.2026.557435.2329
Abstract
The defenders of political Islam in Iran, after the victory of the 1979 revolution, established a political order based on Islamic laws using the jurisprudential system, which had important practical and theoretical consequences. The transformation in concepts was one of its important consequences. During the revolution, many religious and non-religious concepts were transformed and given meaning, among which the revolutionary concept is important, which was not only one of the recurring concepts in the texts and speeches before the revolution, but also after the revolution, it has gained a special place as a policy and method in the official discourse of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was based on the ideas of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Nehru. The present study, using Skinner's intentional hermeneutic method, seeks to answer the question of which practical and ideological areas the revolutionary concept has transformed? The research findings show that the ideological context of this transformation was shaped by the Marxist leftist texts before the revolution and the speeches of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei after the revolution, and its practical context was the victory of the Islamic Revolution on the one hand and the anti-religious policies of the Pahlavis on the other.
Keywords
Subjects

Abrahamian, E. (2005). *Iran between two revolutions* (A. Golmohammadi & E. Fatahi, Trans.). Nashr-e Ney. (Original work published 1982)
Agamben, G., Schmitt, C., & Benjamin, W. (2023). *Qānun va khoshunat* [Law and violence] (M. Farhadpour, Trans.). Nashr-e Ney.
Ahmadi Hajikolaei, H. (2010). *Jaryān-shenāsi-ye chap dar Iran* [Genealogy of the left in Iran]. Pajouheshgah-e Farhang va Andisheh-ye Eslami.
Arendt, H. (2006). *Enqelāb* [On revolution] (E. Fooladvand, Trans.). Kharazmi. (Original work published 1963)
Bashiriyeh, H. (2014). *Zamineh-hā-ye ejtemā'i-ye enqelāb-e Iran* [Social contexts of the Iranian revolution] (A. Ardestani, Trans.). Negah-e Moaser.
Bazargan, M. (1964). *Modāfe'āt dar dādgāh* [Defenses in court]. [n.p.].
Behrooz, M. (2003). *Shureshiyān-e ārmānkhāh: nākāmi-ye chap dar Iran* [Rebels with a cause: The failure of the left in Iran] (M. Partovi, Trans.). Ghoghnoos.
Eyvazi, M. R. (1998). *Sayr-e jaryān-e rowshanfekri dar Iran va amalkard-e ān dar ruyāruyi bā gharb* [The trajectory of intellectual movement in Iran and its performance in confronting the West]. Sazeman-e Tablighat-e Eslami.
Foran, J. (2003). *Moghavemat-e shekanandeh* [Fragile resistance] (A. Tadayon, Trans.). Rasa.
Fourain, J. (see Foran, J(.
Gholami, M. S., & Saeed Shahroudi, A. (2020). *Shenāsā'i va tabyin-e ab'ād, moallefeh-hā va shākheseh-hā-ye goftemān-e enqelābi-gari az didgāh-e emāmin-e enqelāb* [Identifying and explaining the dimensions, components and indicators of revolutionary discourse from the perspective of the two Leaders of the Revolution]. *Amniat-e Melli*, *11*(39), 7–34.
Goldstone, J. (2013). *Enqelāb-hā: Nazariyeh-hā va pazhouhesh-hā* [Revolutions: Theories and research] (M. T. Delfrooz, Trans.). Kavir.
Jazani, B. (1978). *Cheguneh mobārezeh-ye mosallahāneh-ye tudeh-i mishavad?* [How does armed struggle become mass?]. Sazeman-e Cherik-ha-ye Fada'i-ye Khalq.
Jazani, B. (n.d.). *Pishāhang va Hezb-e Tudeh* [The vanguard and the Tudeh Party]. Sazeman-e Entesharat-e Nوزدهم Bahman.
Kashi, M. J. (2011). *Siyāsat-hā-ye hoviyati dar Iran-e pāsanqelābi* [Identity politics in post-revolutionary Iran]. Nashr-e Ney.
Khamenei, S. A. (2011). *Bayānāt dar jam'-e mardom* [Speech to the people]. (Unpublished speech).
 
Khamenei, S. A. (2016). *Bayānāt dar jam'-e nobegān* [Speech to the elite]. (Unpublished speech(.
Khamenei, S. A. (2018). *Bayāniyeh-ye Gām-e Dovvom* [The Second Step Statement]. Office for Preservation and Publication of the Works of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei, S. A. (2019). *Bayānāt dar jam'-e dāneshjuyān* [Speech to the students]. (Unpublished speech).
Kianouri, N. (1992). *Khāterāt* [Memoirs]. Didgah.
Markaz-e Barrasi-ye Asnad-e Tarikhi. (2001). *Chap dar Iran be revāyat-e asnād-e SAVAK* (Ketāb-e hashtom): *Cherik-hā-ye Fada'i-ye Khalq* [The left in Iran according to SAVAK documents (Book 8): The People's Fedai Guerrillas]. Markaz-e Barrasi-ye Asnad-e Tarikhi.
Mills, C. W. (2000). *Mārks va mārksism* [Marx and Marxism] (M. Rafiei Mehrabadi, Trans.). Khojasteh.
Mortezaei, S. K. (2007). *Tabyin-e ravesh-shenāsi-ye andisheh-ye siyasi az manzar-e Quentin Skinner* [Explaining the methodology of political thought from Quentin Skinner's perspective]. Pajouheshnameh-ye Olum-e Siyasi*, *3*(9), 159–192.
Mousavi Khomeini, S. R. (2000). *Sahifeh-ye Imam* [The Imam's Sahifeh]. Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini's Works.
Razavi, R. (2022). *Ravān-shenāsi-ye suzh-e enqelābi dar Iran* [Psychology of the revolutionary subject in Iran]. Gām-e Now.
Shariati, A. (1971). *Tashayyo'-e Alavi va Tashayyo'-e Safavi* [Alid Shiism and Safavid Shiism]. Hosseiniyeh Ershad.
Shariati, A. (1999). *Majmu'eh-ye āsār-e Shari'ati* [Collected works of Shariati]. Elham.
Sharifi, N. (2000). *Enqelāb va eslāh dar andisheh-ye siyasi-ye Iran-e mo'āser* [Revolution and reform in contemporary Iranian political thought] (Master's thesis). University of Baqer al-Uloom.
Skocpol, T. (2009). *Dولat-hā va enqelāb-hā-ye ejtemā'i* [States and social revolutions] (S. M. Roueentan, Trans.). Soroush.
Tilly, C. (2011). *Az basij tā enqelāb* [From mobilization to revolution] (A. Morshedizadeh, Trans.). Oroj.
Tully, J. (2003). *Ravesh-shenāsi-ye Skinner dar tahlil-e andisheh-ye siyasi* [Skinner's methodology in the analysis of political thought] (G. Behrouz Lak, Trans.). *Olum-e Siyasi*, *3*(28), 58–74.
Zabih, S. (1985). *Tārikh-e jonbesh-hā-ye komoonisti dar Iran* [History of communist movements in Iran] (M. Rafiei Mehrabadi, Trans.). Ataei.
Zibakalam, S. (2006). *Moqaddameh-i bar enqelāb-e eslāmi* [An introduction to the Islamic revolution]. Rowzaneh.
 
Volume 13, Issue 28
December 2026
Pages 218-244

  • Receive Date 04 November 2025
  • Revise Date 04 February 2026
  • Accept Date 10 February 2026