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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2022.60.12.26
How to Cite:
Golkarian, G. (2022). Examining the geographical aspects of political movements in Iran (With a look at the background of political
uprisings). Amazonia Investiga, 11(60), 249-263. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2022.60.12.26
Examining the geographical aspects of political movements in Iran
(With a look at the background of political uprisings)
Examinando los aspectos geográficos de los movimientos políticos en Irán
(Con una mirada al trasfondo de las revueltas políticas)
Received: November 23, 2022 Accepted: December 28, 2022
Written by:
Ghadir Golkarian116
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3801-7089
Abstract
The effect of geographical factors on human
behavior has been noticed since long ago.
Natural elements have always affected human
behavior and actions. So that, different weather
conditions and differences in the natural
environment are effective in causing specific
reactions in human behavior. Thinkers and
scientists have long been paying attention to the
issue of the relationship between the
environment and humans. Thinkers,
philosophers, politicians, soldiers, and social
scientists, from Herodotus and Aristotle to
Avicenna, Montesquieu, and Ibn Khaldun, have
investigated the relationship between climate and
human behavior.
In the 5th century BC, the followers of the
Hippocratic school proposed the influence of
weather and geographical conditions on human
habits, ethics, and physiology. In the study of the
movements of Iranians, the impact of the climate
on behavioral traits and the influence of
favorable and motivating geographical
foundations are among the factors that have
played a role in the formation of movements and
rebellions, practical and essential aspects.
The absolute and relative position of the
geographical area of Iran is such that it has made
a crossroads as the center of attacks, military
wars, and cultural encounters. On the national
scale, Iran's natural and geographical features
have also been the cause of its social diversity.
Therefore, the biological and geographical
diversity that has caused social diversity has
given a special and unique identity to the
communities of different geographical regions.
In such a situation, the main actors of the
constitutional movement have been the
116
Prof. Dr., Near East University, Member of faculty & Chairman of Eursia Strategic Research Centre., Near East University,
Nicosia-Cyprus.
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motivation for other geographical areas and
ethnic groups to improve Iran's status and
participate in power.
Keywords: Iranian movements, the geography
of spatial behavior, climate, political actions.
Introduction
The close relationship between man and the
physical environment around him has caused the
background to play a decisive role as an essential
axis in the formation of human behavior and
personality. In such a way, the environment can
be the underlying factor in the development and
evolution of human ethics. On the other hand,
experts in the geography of spatial behavior
believe that the physical environment, with its
weather, climatic conditions, food resources, and
other material facilities, can affect the personality
of people who are in some way connected with
them.
Considering the critical issue that Iran is a
country with diverse climates, we should
consider how this geographical diversity has
occurred in the behavior of the people of this
land. To what extent has it influenced this
country's history, culture, destiny, and politics?
Of course, how we deal with these issues makes
it clear whether that issue becomes an
opportunity or a threat. The point of climate
diversity in Iran is one of those issues; how we
face it depends on our perception of the issue.
The critical point is that the incidents related to
unrest and movements in faraway provinces are
not new. Kurds, Azeris, Turkmen, and Baluchs,
like Arabs, sometimes show their objections.
This critical matter has led us to express the
influence of the geographical environment on the
political reactions of the Iranian people in this
research.
Problem design and research basics
Climatic diversity can be an opportunity and a
threat to a country's politics. Iran is a country
consisting of several climates, and ignoring these
differences and not having a comprehensive plan
to use positively direct this potential has caused
ethnic minorities always to see themselves
exposed to discrimination. The feeling that they
have been discriminated against and have a big
difference with the people of other regions,
especially the centers, in terms of having public
facilities, has caused popular uprisings and
protests. After the constitutional (Mashrutiyat)
revolution in Iran and during the reign of Reza
Shah Pahlavi and the implementation of Reza
Shah's policies, most people in other regions of
Iran considered themselves to be weaker and
more deprived than others. The same thing made
the potential in different geographical areas to be
counted as a threat to the central government.
After the revolution of 1979 and the rule of the
Islamic Republic of Iran, movements emerged to
achieve local autonomy. Azerbaijan, Kurdistan,
Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchistan, and Turkmen
Sahara are clear examples that witnessed
numerous political-social unrest.
Verbal and expressive complaints, protests by
opposition parties and groups, as well as the
creation of publications and journals or writing
dissenting articles, turning to neighboring
countries, are a form of rebellion. Insurgency,
terrorism, clashes with military or government
forces, bombings, and suicide attacks are
examples of various forms of autonomy and
separatism.
Research Methods
The research method in this study is an
analytical-descriptive research method, and the
content analysis method uses to analyze the
problems.
Research questions and hypothesis
a) Has Iran's climatic, cultural, and religious
commonalities with neighboring countries
caused the political movement?
b) Are geographical and climatic differences
the basis of Iran's political movements?
Hypothesis A: It seems that ethnic, religious,
linguistic, etc., commonalities with neighbors
have been the cause of separatist movements in
Iran.
Hypothesis B: It seems that the geographical and
climatic differences between the Iranian peoples
have led to dissatisfaction, conflicts, movements,
Golkarian, G. / Volume 11 - Issue 60: 249-263 / December, 2022
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conflicts with the central government, liberation
movements, annexation movements, autonomy,
independence, etc.
Theoretical Foundations
Human is an impressionable creature that is
affected by the surrounding environment; in fact,
their personality is formed in the living
environment. Educational scientists have divided
the human life environment into two types: A-
Social environment, B - Geographical (natural)
environment.
This issue is so vital that the new knowledge of
“ecology" has emerged alongside other
knowledge. Therefore, "human ecology" is
research about the impact of humans on the
environment and the impact of the environment
on humans. According to “Roger” (ecology
expert), the environment does include not only
the material means and atmosphere of the human
world but also non-material objects (culture).
(Rogers, 1977, p. 299)
Paying attention to the geographical environment
is not only specific to the study area of
geopolitics; instead, thinkers, philosophers,
politicians, soldiers, and social scientists, from
Herodotus and Aristotle to Avicenna,
Montesquieu, and Ibn Khaldun, have examined
the relationship between climate and human
behavior. In the 5th century BC, the followers of
the Hippocratic school proposed the influence of
weather and geographical conditions on human
habits, ethics, and physiology. Thinkers and
scientists believe that living conditions, weather,
and geographical conditions significantly affect
human life and personality formation.
For example, Aristotle believed that humans and
the environment are inseparable. According to
him, man is affected by geographical factors
(natural environment) and political institutions.
(Sina, 1991, p. 213)
Geographic theory
The geographical theory of history is the oldest
in explaining the past, whose founders were the
Greeks. Despite this, limiting the scope of this
philosophy to Greek scholars is far from a
scientific view. The mentioned scientific sources
show that all Babylonian, Persian, and Egyptian
sages who are known as astronomers, as well as
the prophets of the Old Testament and the
companions of the church, especially St.
Augustine and Aquinas and among the Muslims,
Ibn Khaldun, were in a way among the
companions of the theory. They are considered
geographical in the evolution and emergence of
civilization and human society. (Hamid, 1978,
p. 1)
Paying attention to geography and climate in
terms of how it affects human behavior, the
politics of nations and human civilization has
started from the initial stages and has gradually
reached significant growth based on scientific
research. Mainly, it has a long history in sciences
and disciplines. (Mir Heidar, 1977, p. 8)
In the fifth century BC, Hippocrates wrote a
treatise on "air, water, and places," and
Herodotus used it in his history. In his seventh
book (Politics), "Aristotle" developed a theory
about the relationship between climate and
freedom. (Duverge, 1988, p. 36) Plato believes
the situation of Utopia is not a place that is next
to the sea because foreigners may enter it and
create danger for it by spreading new habits and
disrupting the spiritual unity of the citizens.
Throughout his book (Political Geography), the
most noticeable point is the importance he has
given to the two factors of size and geographical
location. (Pishgahifard, 2018, pp. 299- 311) Of
course, in the beginning, geographical factors'
influence was considered an algebraic form.
However, it was "Reitze" and his successors who
succeeded in systematically classifying and
studying the effects of the environment on the
political power of nations.
It was based on Reitzel's theory, and the Nazi
leaders claimed that, according to natural laws,
Germany was growing and attacking neighboring
countries. (Mir Heidar, 1977, p. 13)
Now, in contemporary studies, the influence of
geography on various types of sciences and
disciplines and the impact of climate and
geography have been studied indirectly, and it
has formed a variety of the extent of its influence,
political and intellectual categories. (Duverge,
1988, p. 37)
According to Karl Haushofer, geopolitics is the
study of the relationship between geography and
politics, and it should show how geographical
location determines politics. (Qavam, 2007,
p. 90)
American geographer, meteorologist, and
explorer Ellsworth Huntington (1876-1947), one
of the fanatical pioneers of the climate
determinism school, see this natural phenomenon
as a clear and decisive factor in the forms of
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irregularities, historical events, and human
actions. He even claims that there is a rhythmic
factor in the birth or destruction of civilizations.
Therefore, Huntington claimed with this
hypothesis that he could justify many historical
phenomena. (Golkarian, 2019, pp. 383-399)
According to him, the immigration of Jews, as
stated in the Torah, is due to changes in humidity,
and drought conditions from where they live,
while suggesting that other societies have also
become occupiers. In his opinion, the invasion of
the Mongols and Barbarians in Western Europe
knows that their original lands have dried up. He
attributes the main reason for all the land
expansion efforts and the wars, such as
occupation, to these events. In addition, he
claims that the gradual drying up of the East-
North-West land has occurred. Therefore, the
movement of civilization centers from Egypt,
Babylon, and Greece; Greece to Rome; Rome to
France; France to England; and England to
America can be justified through this route.
(Kaviani Rad, 2007, pp. 25-39)
Montesquieu mentioned in the book “The Spirit
of Laws” that hot weather causes laxity. In cold
weather, it is an effect that makes the inhabitants
of those places intense. This issue is proven by
comparing different nations and countries, and
the stated result is obtained when a country's hot
and cold parts of a country are compared. The
bravery and activity of the northern nations of
China are more than that of the southern nations
of that country, and the movement of the
inhabitants of the north of the planet is more than
the south of inhabitants. Due to the lack of a wide
temperate zone and the presence of two
temperate and tropical zones, the Asian nations
are divided into two victorious and defeated
nations. (Montesqieu, 1991, p. 449)
Aristotle believes that the first desirable
identifier in any country is the number and nature
of the people of that country. The country's land's
extent and identifiers are considered the second
identifiers. In his opinion, a country can be
regarded as more beautiful and perfect than other
countries that have greatness with a limited and
balanced population. The size of a country has
limits like the size of plants, animals, and people.
The land should be such that it provides the
means to meet the needs of its people as much as
possible. Its breadth should allow everyone to
live a happy, high-minded, moderate life.
(Aristotle, 1985, p. 292)
Political movements in Iran
The emergence of the modern state and
monopoly of power is the beginning of the
accession crisis in contemporary Iran. Groups
that were always in cooperation and were
involved in various affairs of the country now
avoid participating in politics. The result is a
sense of national inequality. The policies
implemented at the country level create double
standards and pave the way for discrimination.
The procedures used by the government are
applied without considering Iran's ethnic groups,
border cities, and geographical background.
Assimilation policies are implemented regardless
of language, religion, and ethnic origin. This
provides unequal opportunities for a class and
group created by the creation of a centralized
political system. This kind of injustice and
inequality has always had implications, including
unresolved grievances at different levels.
One of the uprisings and revolutionary
movements in Iran is the constitutional
revolution. As a result of the expansion of
relations between Iran and Europe, the social
structure has manifested itself in various ways.
Therefore, it has caused a transformation in Iran's
intellectual and cultural system. One of the
critical consequences of this movement was the
emergence of the latest ideas and the
development of modernist ideas during the reign
of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar. At this crucial
historical moment, reformist bureaucrats and
modernist intellectuals prudently or unwisely
advocated western law, freedom, justice, etc.
attached great importance to their concepts. As a
result, Iranian society was affected by this
change. During the Naseri period, which played
an essential role in transforming the country's
cultural structure, new institutions and cultural
phenomena such as publishing newspapers and
books and building new schools became
widespread in parallel with such intellectual
efforts.
In other words, the intellectual-cultural
foundations of the Constitutional Revolution
were influenced by the political-economic
developments of the Qajar period, modernism,
the emergence of reformist thought, the
formation of new intellectual and cultural
institutions and phenomena, and finally, a
nationwide integration. (Khodrizadeh, 2007,
pp. 83-94)
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Table 1.
Political movements in Iran
No.
Name of the Party /Group
The Political
Movement leader
Protest Actions
Year
1
Constitutionalist
Sattar Khan and
Bagher Khan
Protests against Mohammad Ali Shah,
resistance in Tabriz for 10 months
1908
2
National Democratic Sect
Sheikh Muhd
Khatani
In opposition to the 1919 agreement, the
autonomy of changing the name of
Azerbaijan to Azadistan
1920
3
Right Faction
Sheikh Khazal
Khuzestan Movement
1920
4
Turkmen Tribes
Osman Akhound
Declaration of Independence
1925
5
Qashqai tribe, Khamsa
tribe, and Baharlou tribe
Sault al-Dawlah
family
Opposition to RezaKhan's actions for
settlement and Thakht-Qapu, nomads
opposed to British influence
1922
6
Right Faction
Simko (Simitqo)
Claiming independence, trying to settle
the Kurds
1920
7
Right-leaning National
Democratic Party
Dost Mohammad
Khan
Opposition to Reza Shah Pahlavi
1918
8
The Left-leaning National
Democratic Party
Mirza Kouchek
Khan
The Gilaki Nationalist Movement, the
seeker of the Jungle Republic
1920
9
Democratic Sect of
Azerbaijan
Mohammad Jafar
Pishevari
Formation of the autonomous
government of Azerbaijan
1920-45
Figure 1. Iran's important movements from 1900 to 1980
Leaders of essential movements in Iran from
1900 to 1980
Research findings (Factors affecting the
emergence of movements)
Iran has never been a peaceful country. Many
tensions and movements have arisen in this land,
and all the movements have found each other like
the branches of a river and have followed their
path. Perhaps they consider the causes of these
tensions and movements related to the country's
four-season climate and search for the reasons or
consider environmental determinism to be the
cause. Maybe some people consider the diversity
of ethnic groups involved in various political
movements. Of course, it should be said that Iran
is a country with a variety of ethnic groups and
religions. In the meantime, some researchers may
consider other reasons to be effective in the
occurrence of uprisings. Since the subject of the
research discussion is from the perspective of the
geographical context, with a quick look at other
factors, it will be discussed in the geographical
context.
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Graphic 1. Political Movements in Iran.
Discrimination
Discrimination means denying the right of
members of a group to use the opportunities
provided to others. (Giddens, 2010, p. 263) The
feeling of prejudice and superiority over others
always causes dissatisfaction and is the basis of
divergence. Sometimes this discrimination
occurs due to linguistic, ethnic, or even religious
differences. Religion or ethnicity mostly have
more access to facilities and mainly participate in
policies.
Graphic 2. Discrimination in Iran.
Ethnic discrimination
The causes of ethnic-cultural diversity in Iran and
other parts of the world should be sought in
human nature. The geopolitical situation of Iran
throughout history has made this country
attractive to the nomad and invader tribes and has
left a significant and profound impact on Iran's
culture and social structure. During the past three
thousand years, there has always been the
presence of various ethnic groups and their
settlement in this land. Since the population of
Iran has a diverse composition in terms of
language, clothing, religion, or even physical
characteristics, it has much ethnic diversity.
Many scientists and researchers describe the
population structure of Iran as a combination of
ethnic groups.
Ethnic discrimination is behavior that ignores the
right of members of a tribe in a land to use the
opportunities provided to others. Discrimination
goes beyond prejudice and expresses the
transformation of discriminatory feelings and
opinions to the level of action and behavior.
(Aein Dost, 2012, p. 57)
Linguistic discrimination
Of course, every country has an official language
for official and administrative communication. In
Iran, the Persian language is recognized as the
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official language and is considered a cultural,
historical, and public language. In the
educational system in Iran, despite multiple
ethnicities and national-local languages, the
Persian language is still compulsory. (Bates,
1996, pp. 419-426)
The Persian language profoundly connects with
the name of the land and culture of Iran. This
language is not only colloquial but also the
language of mysticism, history, poetry, and
culture of all Iranians and Persian speakers,
which is also related to other languages and
dialects. Despite the linguistic and cultural
differences between ethnic groups, Persian is the
first language for all minorities and is regarded as
a legal and formal language. However, the
dominance of the Persian language as an official
language with administrative and educational use
has caused other ethnic and native languages to
suffer severe discrimination.
Graphic 3. Percentage of ethnicity in Iran
Religious discrimination
Islam is the religion of most of all Iranian ethnic
groups. However, other religions, such as
Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, are
also listed in the country's constitution as official
religions alongside Islam. Considering the
majority of Muslims in Iran, it can be said that
the identity element and the social and political
integration factor in Iran are religious
partnerships. However, there is a contradiction in
this case. For example, if a Muslim wants to
marry someone of another faith, his marriage will
not be approved, which counts as religious
discrimination. It is also considered a crime to
convert new thoughts on religious matters and
religious identity from Islam to Christianity or
other religions.
Meanwhile, unofficial religions are also adopted
by some people in Iran. Among them, adherents
of what can be called the Baha'i religion are
considered criminals and deprived of citizenship
rights throughout the country for spreading their
religion and belief. For this reason, many
adherents of the Baha'i religion had to leave the
country.
Graphic 4. Percentage of Muslim People and other religions in Iran
89%
7% 4%
Percentage of Muslims in Iran and other
religions
Mulims (Shia)
Muslim (Sunni)
Others
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Graphic 5. The number of followers of the other religions in Iran
Culture
Iran has very culturally diverse. As such, there
are approximately 140,000 habitable spots
throughout the country. According to language
and dialect indicators, there are about 20 to 60
languages and more than 70,000 dialects in Iran,
which is indicative of the cultural diversity in this
land. Cultural diversity in young countries is
realized mainly by immigrants from other
countries. The USA is an example. However,
cultural diversity in Iran is not due to recent
migrations, and ethnic groups such as Kurds and
Azeris, originally descended from Medes and
Aryans, have inhabited Iranian territory for over
3,500 years. In these lands, which is an objective
reality, everyone sees himself as Iranian. In the
history of Iran, the concept and model of the
European nation entered these lands during the
reign of Reza Shah. From then on, the national
identity was formed and accepted as a unit.
For this reason, ethics in Iran have since had to
see themselves as subject to one country, one
flag, and one language. Of course, this model has
led to a weakening of cultural diversity. In other
words, the official national identity was
strengthened, and many ethnicities and cultures
were diluted. In such a situation, racial
segregation began. The reason for the
segregation among Iranian ethnic groups is the
mismanagement of cultural diversity in Iran over
the last hundred years.
Geographic factors
During 1906-1921, in the regions of Iran,
including Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Baluchistan,
and Khuzestan, many currents and movements of
a divergent nature took place. Based on this, the
influence of geographical factors in the
formation of divergent and separatist movements
and uprisings can help further understand the
research. Geographical location can appear in
two ways, both as an opportunity and a threat to
a country's politics. The way the people of that
land deal with these issues makes it clear that the
problem has become an opportunity or a threat.
The movements that aim to achieve local
autonomy or even the constitutional revolution
recorded in the history of Iran are rooted in the
geographical context. Iran is a vast country, and
ignoring the differences caused by the
background and location of its different regions
and not having a comprehensive plan to use and
positively direct the existing potentials can be
considered a threat to the country. If linguistic,
religious, or ethnic discrimination is applied
along with these, all opportunities will
undoubtedly turn into threats. The studied areas
show that the areas close to the country's borders
and their geographic location have provided
access to financial resources and communication
with other parts of the world.
Different geography in Iran
1. Gilan province is located southwest of the
Caspian Sea and on the northern slopes of
the Alborz Mountain range. This province
has an area of 13952 square kilometers, so
the southern Alborz Mountain range and
Tallish mountains cover the province's
western edge. The Gilan Plain, located
below the Caspian (Khazar) Sea level, forms
a narrow coastal strip in the northwest and
east of the province. (Tahbaz & Jalilian,
2013, pp. 26-52)
2. The provinces of Kermanshah, Ilam,
Kurdistan, Lorestan, West Azerbaijan, and
Hamedan are among the main centers of the
Kurdish population. So that in the regions of
Ilam and Kermanshah and the neighboring
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cities of these provinces, they speak various
Kurdish dialects, including (Kalhori, Lekki,
Guarani, Jafi, Uramanati, etc.) The east of
Zagros, the western edge of the Iranian
plateau, is where the Kurds live. (Salimi
Sobhan, Heydari, & Nikjou, 2016, pp. 118-
129) This province, which is 200 kilometers
long from north to south, is located between
the parts of Sain-Qala in the north,
Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk in the West, Diale
Valley in the south, and Garous and
Hamadan in the east. (Nikitin, 1987, p. 97)
3. After the Persians, it is the largest ethnic
group in the national composition of Iran,
mainly in the northwestern part of Iran, in
the provinces of West Azerbaijan, East
Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, and Qazvin,
and its continuation extends to Hamedan
province and West of Gilan. In the cities of
Tehran, Qom, and Arak, many people are
included in the form of social integration.
(Yagoubi Fazl, (n.d.))
4. In general, the residence area of the
Bakhtiari tribe in the southwest of the
country is located between two mountainous
and elevated lands in the north and east of
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, and Lorestan,
and the tropical plains of West and South of
Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh, and Boyer-Ahmad.
(Manouchehr & Moshiri, 1997, p. 148)
5. Sistan and Baluchistan province is in the
southeast of Iran. It is limited to Khorasan
from the north, the Oman Sea from the
south, Afghanistan and Pakistan from the
east, and Kerman and Hormozgan provinces
from the west. This province is one of the
hottest and driest provinces in the country. A
part of this province includes the desert pit
(Hafeznia, Ahmadipour, & Qadiri, Politics
and Space, 2010, p. 21)
6. Turkmen live in the Turkmen Sahara region,
located northeast of Iran, on the coast of the
Caspian Sea. In terms of geographical
location, this region is limited to the Caspian
Sea from the West and the Republic of
Turkmenistan from the north. Most of the
Turkmen-Sahra population are Turkmen,
who are Turkic-speaking and Sunni Muslim
and follow the Hanafi religion. (Guglan,
2013, pp. 87-113)
7. Khuzestan is in the southwest of Iran. It is
limited to Lorestan province from the north,
Chaharmahal Bakhtiari province from the
northeast, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad
areas from the east, Bushehr province from
the southeast, the Persian Gulf from the
south, Iraq from the West, and Ilam province
from the northwest. (Information, 2019, pp.
124-125)
Figure 2. Geography of Iran
Access and distance from the center
The distance and the lack of a regular and
integrated communication system can provide
the basis for the emergence of movements and
uprisings. Distance is considered a centrifugal
factor, and its effect in strengthening the
centrifugal force depends on the size and shape
of the government. Geographical expansion and
unevenness, mountains, and human diversity in
Iran require creating a regular and integrated
communication network. One of the main
characteristics of ethnic areas in Iran is that they
are located near the borders and far from the
country's center. This geographical problem,
which is of the nature of border regions, has
adverse consequences for border regions.
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The repeated process of neglect and lack of
feeling of security in its various dimensions in
the regions far from the center in third world
countries, including Iran, is such that the
residents of these regions feel that social,
political, and economic justice is not respected
compared to the conditions the residents of the
central areas are severely deprived. (Andalib &
Asarian Nejad, 2010, pp. 149-201)
The lack of knowledge of the central officials
about the problems of the remote areas and the
lack of attention to them causes the weak points
of the political-social, socio-cultural as well as
political-economic, and, most importantly,
political-security system to remain hidden from
the government and causes managerial neglect in
the administration.
The people of remote areas always consider
themselves under the condition of backwardness
and lack of cultural-social-economic
development. Such an attitude among ethnic-
religious groups provides a suitable platform for
creating and strengthening variables affecting the
components of national security in the country.
(Hafeznia, Qasri, Ahmadi & Hosseini, 2005,
pp. 4-27)
Iran's neighboring countries
Due to its geographical location, Iran has been
invaded by Non- Iranian, Arab, Turkic, and
Mongol tribes since at least three thousand years
ago, which has caused cultural and ethnic
diversity in this land. From the study of ethnic
groups in Iran, we can conclude that two cultural
elements, namely language, and religion, are
more involved in determining ethnic identity
than other elements. Regarding speech and
ethnicity, Iran ranks 16th with 24% similarities
with other countries worldwide.
Today, a part of Turkish, Kurd, Arab, and Baluch
ethnic groups live in Iran, and some of them live
in neighboring countries. Although the presence
of these ethnic groups in Iran's neighborhood can
cause Iran's cultural influence in those countries,
it also provides the ground for the interference of
factors outside the borders in Iran's internal
affairs. Usually, one of the ways for nationalist
and separatist ideas to enter the country is from
these areas. For example, we can refer to the
headquarters of secessionist groups such as the
Kurds Democratic Party in the Kurdistan regions
of northern Iraq, the Baluchistan National
Movement of Iran known as Jamba in
Baluchistan and Pakistan, the Arab People’s
Movement in Iraq and the separatist movement
of Azerbaijan called the National Liberation
Movement of South Azerbaijan. (Asarian Nejad,
2014, pp. 48-59)
Figure 3. Geographical map of the ethnic structure of Iran and neighboring countries
It is safe to say that one of the threats facing Iran
is the effects that the regional developments of
similar ethnic groups on the other side of the
political borders have on the ethnic groups
inside. Hans J. Morgenthau considers the
involvement of foreign forces in the escalation of
ethnic and sectarian issues as one of the forces
used in establishing the balance of international
power. (Işıksal, & Golkarian, 2019, pp. 416-432)
The ethnic and religious structure in the border
areas is such that the ethnic and religious
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minorities are mostly scattered along the border
of Iran. The ethnic and religious sequences of the
minorities are scattered in the form of majority
groups on the other side of the wall and the
neighboring countries. Such conditions have
provided a suitable ground for abusing enemies
and rivals of regional power against Iran. In this
way, extra-regional powers (like America and
Britain) and even Iran’s regional rivals, such as
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Iraq, exploit
the ethnic potential within the border as their
primary strategy. (Zarghani, 2016, p. 213)
The Baluch people live in Sistan and Baluchistan
province, followed by the Baluchistan province
of Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the country’s
northern regions, there are Turkmen who are
separated from the Turkmen people of
Turkmenistan by a borderline. In the larger
geographical area in the northwest of Iran, Azeris
live where the border lines resulting from the
Turkmenchay treaty have separated them from
their other Azeri-speaking compatriots in the
Caucasus region, and they are constantly affected
by the political developments and the position of
the Republic of Azerbaijan. The provinces of
West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and
Ilam, located in the west of Iran, are considered
the central homeland of the Kurds. These
provinces are adjacent to the countries of Turkey
and Iraq, which have been separated from other
ethnic groups by the agreements between Iran
and the Ottoman Empire and the interference of
foreigners. The borders of Iran in the southern
and southwestern provinces are inhabited by
Arab-speaking peoples who have profound
economic, social, and cultural-religious relations
with the countries of the south of the Persian Gulf
and Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.
(Golvardi, 2010, pp. 42-61)
Table 2.
The influence of neighbors and other countries in Iran’s movements
No.
Movements
Impact point
Neighborhood
1
Constitutional
UK
Due to its geographical location, the UK considered Iran
the gateway to India. It intervened in the constitution to
prevent the domination of Iran by the Soviet Union and
supported the constitutionalists.
2
Sheikh Khazal
Iraq, Syria, UK
Iraq, Syria, and other Arab countries bordering Iran were
in the Arab Gulf idea, and they wanted to separate the
Arab areas of Iran. To weaken the Iranian government,
the UK supported Sheikh Khazal’s uprising to reach the
southern ports of Iran.
3
Osman Akhound
Soviet Union
The Soviets Union supported Osman Akhund’s
movement to annex the northern regions of Iran to Soviet
Union territory and invade the Caspian coast.
4
Simko (Simitqo)
Iraq, Turkey
The idea of the Kurdistan state arose due to the
neighboring Kurds of Iraq-Turkey and Iran, and the
Kurds of these two countries supported the separatism of
Simko.
5
Dost Mohammad Khan
Iraq, Pakistan
Iraq fueled the separatism of Sistan by declaring that they
were of the exact origin as the Baluch of Iran and had
Arab roots. Pakistan also has a Baluch identity, and the
idea of Baluchistan originates from Pakistan.
6
Azerbaijan Democratic
Soviet Union
This uprising and national action took place with the
support of the Soviet Union and was led by Mir Jafar
Pishevari. It happened intending to separate the South
Azerbaijan region, within the borders of Iran, from Iran.
7
Mirza Kouchak Khan
Soviet Union
This uprising and national action took place with the
support of the Soviet Union and was led by Mirza
Kouchak Khan Jangali. It happened intending to separate
the Gilan region, which is within the borders of Iran,
from Iran.
8
Kurdistan Democratic
Soviet Union
This uprising and national action took place with the
support of the Soviet Union and was led by Mullah
Mustafa Barzani. It happened intending to separate the
Kurdistan region, which is within the borders of Iran,
from Iran.
It can be said that the ethnic and religious parts
and groups of the Iranian nation have a geographical-spatial sequence on the other side
of the political borders of Iran, which have
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economic, social, and cultural interactions with
each other.
Turkish neighbors
The Azeris of Iran are like the Azeris of the
Caucasus in the three variables of language,
ethnicity, and religion. Because before the
treaties of Golestan and Turkmenchay, they were
an integral part of historical and ancient Iran.
For this reason, the Azerbaijani-speaking Turks
of Iran, relying on this commonality, consider
themselves the same as the Turks of the Caucasus
region and living on the other side of the Aras
River and the northern borders. Although in the
northern part of Iran’s borders and the Azeris
living in the Republic of Azerbaijan consider the
entire region of Azerbaijan on both sides of the
Aras river as historical Azerbaijan, a large part of
the Azerbaijanis residing in Iran thinks even the
Republic of Azerbaijan and its people to be part
of the Iranian people due to International
developments and the weakness of the central
government and the disgraceful contracts of
Golestan and Turkmenchay have separated from
the body of Iran. (Güldiken, 1998, pp. 47-48)
On the other hand, the nationalist political groups
in the Republic of Azerbaijan also consider the
Azeri-inhabited parts of Iran as part of the united
territories of Azerbaijan. According to those who
have such thoughts, the Azerbaijani lands within
the borders of Iran are separated from the
extensive and integrated Azerbaijani lands. In
Iran’s government’s opinion, the fanatic
nationalist groups are trying to unify the two
Azerbaijan, which creates the basis for making
particular political-security sensitivities for Iran.
Baluch neighbors
The combination of religion, language, and
ethnicity between Iran's and Pakistan's
Baluchistan region variables has influenced the
region's convergence of the “Free Baluchistan”
phenomena. Another major factor that separates
Baluchistan from the central part of Iran is the
geographical situation. Two geographical
factors, the distance from the center and the
desert atmosphere devoid of active life,
significantly affected this region’s separation.
The critical point is that compared to other
peripheral regions, this region has caused less
trouble for the central government, and a
comprehensive political movement seeking
independence has not been formed.
Foreign intervention in Baluchistan originates
from the events of Pakistan and Afghanistan and
the nature of relations between Iran and the Arab
countries of the Persian Gulf region and its
surroundings. An example of the impact of
regional conflicts on the issue of ethnicity in
Iran’s Baluchistan can be found in the relations
between Iran and Iraq after the Baath Party came
to power in 1968. (Salimi Sobhan, Heydari, &
Nikjou, 2016)
Kurd Neighbors
Although the Kurds have commonalities with the
central part (Iran) in terms of racial, linguistic,
and historical roots and some cultural traits, they
are different from the central part of Iran in terms
of religion, ethnicity, and colloquial language,
and instead with the Kurdish areas outside the
borders, especially which is homogenous the
country of Iraq. The combination of these three
characteristics, which separated the Kurds from
the central part of Iran and created the
gravitational force between the Kurdish spatial
fragments of the Middle East, has provided the
basis for a continuous crisis in the region
(Armand & Sourah, 2015, pp. 24-41)
Although the Kurds have commonalities with the
central part of Iran in terms of racial, linguistic,
historical roots, and some cultural characteristics,
they are different from the central part of Iran in
religion, ethnicity, and colloquial language
Kurds living abroad are homogenous from
borders. (Mayel Afshar, 2012, pp. 5-21)
Arab neighbors
The territory of the Arab region of the Shiite
religion also expands to the southern regions of
Iraq. The religious homogeneity of the Arab
region of Khuzestan and its overseas sequel
creates a kind of behavioral tendency in the
people of this region towards the central part of
Iran. The end of the First World War provided
the ground for the weakening of the central
government of Iran, and the political-economic
weakness in Iran became the basis for the
emergence of nationalist movements among the
Arabs. However, the most critical uprisings of
the Arab people were formed in 1979 with the
claim of autonomy or separatism influenced by
foreign provocations. However, these
movements were not successful against the
actions of Iran’s centrist forces.
If the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq had
not happened, the spirit of separatism would have
grown among the Arabs of the southern regions
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of Iran. However, Iraq’s aggressive attack on the
Arab-inhabited areas of southwest and west of
Iran, as well as the occupation of border areas by
Iraqi military forces led by Saddam Hussein,
caused a different process to begin with a sense
of nationalism. Because of the killing of many
Iranian Arabs in the region due to the outbreak of
war, the spirit of centralism and the preservation
of Iran’s territory and borders increase the
decline of the national sense between Iran’s
Arabs. However, from 2000 to today, the trend of
divergence has once again become an objective
symbol, and the goal of separatism has grown
again in the form of the formation of the Al-
Ahwaziya Front, which has also engaged in
terrorist activities.
Graphic 6. The amount of movement among Iranian ethnic groups.
The Arab region of Iran, known as Khuzestan
province, is significant for Iran’s political
systems. Access to the Persian Gulf, the Arvand
River, the proximity to Iraq, and the possession
of enormous oil and gas resources are of
economic and political importance. (Mayel
Afshar, 2012, p. 13)
Climate
Natural weather, heat, seasonal changes,
underground currents, the phenomenon of
gravity, and the flow of rivers and seas, although
they are independent of human intervention, in
their way, they are considered “geographical
factors” involved in the occurrence of
movements.
The experts in this field accept that such factors
are the primary and constructive elements of the
geographical environment and believe that these
factors have a decisive influence on the fate of
civilizations, the emergence of history, and the
manner of human behavior and social
organizations and activities. (Edward, 1986, p.
33)
Geographical determinism has been accepted as
an inevitable reality. The influence of
geographical factors affects the formation of the
character of societies, individual behaviors,
physical structure, and psychological
construction of people. (Porteous, 1986, p. 235)
Research on the relationship between geography
and the political power of nations has been
carried out since the time of the ancient Greeks,
that is, from about two thousand years ago. One
of the essential and valuable issues that the
theorists focus on today is the four climate issues:
cold and dry, hot and humid, hot and dry, and
temperate, which are related to the emergence of
talents and abilities. According to this theory, the
different actions and reactions people see are
affected by these four climatic factors.
Aristotle declares in his book “Politics” that the
people of cold lands, especially in Europe, are
more courageous but less intelligent and artistic.
Although they have kept their freedom relatively,
they do not have political organizations and are
free from governance. Asians are more
intelligent and creative. However, they have no
use for courage and are always in servitude and
obedience. Due to their country’s climate, the
Greeks who live between these two [lands] have
a set of advantages and characteristics of these
two groups of people. That is, they are both brave
and alert. Also, they protect their freedom and are
resourceful and wise in politics. (Aristotle,
Politics, 2016, p. 201)
0
1
2
3
4
5
Qashqai Turkmen Arab Gilek Baluch Lor Kurd Turk
Movement rate among Iranian ethnic groups from
1906 to 2022
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Montesquieu argues that republics are
established in cold countries with no strong
feelings. However, an autocratic government is
suitable for tropical countries. Regarding the
royal government, he believes that the right
environment for this government is temperate
regions. (Montesqieu, 1991, p. 194)
The mountain region breeds republican, brave,
accessible, and warrior people who have not sat
quietly in the face of inequalities throughout the
history of Iran. However, harsh climates have
fewer capabilities for human comfort. Cold and
mountainous regions are a breeding ground for
divergences and political movements. According
to the explanations given, it is evident that Iran’s
most political reactions and actions have
occurred in the cold and high mountain areas.
(Safari, Lotfi & Atashpanjeh, 2008, pp. 71-78)
Conclusions
Considering the generality and findings of the
research is determined that the active movements
are far from the center of the country, the ethnic
groups are close to the borders, and the functional
movement areas are mountainous and cold
regions. In addition, the inability of the central
government to reach distant places is also among
the factors. In vast Iran, it is not a strange or new
thing to have divergent movements and conflicts.
Movements and protests with any motive
represent the conflict between local elites and the
central government regarding the limits of
participation in political decision-making. This
event can be seen more impressively than the
year 1941 in the history of Iran.
There has been an undeniable authoritarian
mentality in Iran’s tradition of political-social
structure and statism from time immemorial.
Even today, Article 15 of the Constitution of the
Islamic Republic of Iran considers that all ethnic
people living in Iran can receive education and
training in their native language. Still, ethnic
groups (Azerbaijanian Turks, Arabs, Baluch, and
Kurds) cannot benefit from this opportunity and
are deprived of their constitutional rights.
The cold climate of the hills invigorates the spirit
of bravery and freedom-seeking, while
discrimination and being ignored by the central
government intensify the nature of the struggle.
Besides the climate, which Islamic and Western
thinkers have unanimously stated affects
people’s personality traits and social behaviors,
mountainous regions have always been suitable
places for secret meetings. It can be said that it is
a place of retreat for the stories of those who have
suffered discrimination.
Iran’s geographical history, diversity of ethnic
groups, and dialects are a potential that exists.
For some, this opportunity has been left to itself,
with no vision and no future. Suppose this
situation is neglected throughout a country like
Iran. In that case, the fruits of constitutionalism
and freedom will be lost, and Iran will turn into a
basin full of colorful tiles whose origins should
be sought in history. For this reason, the political
behavior of the peoples of the surrounding region
and their quest for autonomy in the last century
mainly coincides with the transition periods and
political mistakes in the country’s political
structure and the transition periods from one
order to another.
That is, when the central government’s authority
is weakened by the influence of internal or
regional and global factors and the central
government becomes unable to manage the
affairs, centrifugal political forces will come into
play, and local-regional potentials. The
government will be formed there, and new states
will likely come to life.
As a result, it can be said that while Iran can be a
powerful country with the potential to affect the
region and beyond, it is also pregnant with
rebellions and divisions arising from ethnic,
religious, and linguistic preferences. For Iran’s
political system to pay equal attention to its
collective origins and ensure national unity, the
only rational solution is not to segregate or ignore
the various ethnicities.
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