Power in Iran: From Crown to Turban

Who holds power in Iran—and how is it transferred from one ruler to the next? In Power in Iran: From Crown to Turban , Hossein Amjadi traces the evolution of political power in Iran, examining how dynasties, constitutional movements, centralized monarchy, revolutionary institutions, and religious leadership have shaped the country's political order. Beginning with the historical foundations of dynastic rule, the book follows Iran's struggle to place political authority under the law during the Constitutional Revolution, the modernization and centralization of the Pahlavi state, and the collapse of the monarchy in 1979. It then examines how the Islamic Republic took shape—not as the inevitable outcome of a unified revolution, but through political competition, institutional choices, and the consolidation of authority. The analysis explores the Islamic Republic's dual structure of elected and unelected institutions, the concentration and personalization of power under Ali Khamenei, and the development of Iran's regional network from revolutionary ideology into political, financial, and military relationships. It also examines the consequences of regional conflict, including the war following October 7, 2023, and the pressures placed on that network. The book's central question comes into sharp focus in its examination of the 2026 leadership succession crisis: can a political system founded in opposition to hereditary monarchy avoid reproducing some of the same patterns of personal rule, family influence, and concentrated authority? Rather than treating Iran's political history as a simple succession of regimes, Amjadi distinguishes between formal institutions and the ways power operates in practice. Drawing on constitutional documents, historical research, published sources, and contemporary reporting, he separates documented events from interpretation and considers both the continuities and the differences between Iran's successive political systems. Power in Iran: From Crown to Turban is a historical and political analysis for readers seeking to understand modern Iran, the structure of the Islamic Republic, the relationship between religion and the state, and the enduring challenge of accountability and the transfer of power.