Ayatollah Khomeini
Iranian religious leader and central figure of the 1979 Islamic Revolution; founder of the Islamic Republic and its first Supreme Leader, influential in late 20th-century Middle Eastern politics.
Overview
Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Mustafavi Khomeini (born in the town of Khomein, in what was then Persia) became the leading figure of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution and served as the country's Supreme Leader until his death. Often referred to as Imam Khomeini, he reshaped Iran's political system around clerical authority and had a lasting influence on regional politics during the late twentieth century, including the period of the Iran–Iraq War.
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Early life and religious career
Khomeini was born in 1900 and received traditional Shiʿi clerical training in seminaries. He taught and wrote on theology, law and ethics in the Persian language (Farsi) and rose through the ranks of the religious establishment. His origins in central Iran and formative years in seminaries anchored his status as a prominent ayatollah.
Political ideas and leadership
Khomeini articulated a theory of clerical guardianship that called for significant political authority for qualified Islamic jurists. His speeches and writings criticized the Shah's monarchy and Western influence, arguing for government organized according to Islamic principles. After years in exile, he returned to Iran to lead revolutionary change and became the Islamic Republic's first Supreme Leader, establishing new institutions and legal norms.
War, culture and publications
During the 1980s he guided the country through war with Iraq and a turbulent period of internal consolidation. Khomeini also produced religious treatises and, less widely known, poetry collected by supporters; his poetic work appears in some compilations and has been noted in cultural studies of the era (poetry).
Death and legacy
Khomeini died in Tehran in 1989; official accounts cite complications from illness. His death marked a transition in Iran's leadership but his doctrine and the institutions he helped create continued to shape Iranian politics and society. He remains a polarizing figure internationally—venerated by supporters for defending independence and religion, criticized by others for authoritarian measures.
Notable facts
Questions and answers
Q: Who was Ayatollah Khomeini?
A: Ayatollah Khomeini was a political leader of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and the Iran–Iraq War from 1980-1989.
Q: When and where was Ayatollah Khomeini born?
A: Ayatollah Khomeini was born on 17 May 1900 in Khomein, Central Iran (then Persia).
Q: What was Ayatollah Khomeini's real name?
A: Ayatollah Khomeini's real name was Sayyed Ruhollah Mustafavi Khomeini.
Q: What was Ayatollah Khomeini's nickname?
A: Ayatollah Khomeini's nickname was 'Imam Khomeini'.
Q: What was Ayatollah Khomeini's profession aside from politics?
A: Ayatollah Khomeini was also a poet.
Q: What was the cause of Ayatollah Khomeini's death?
A: Ayatollah Khomeini passed away due to intestinal cancer and a heart attack on June 3, 1989, in Tehran at the age of 89.
Q: Is there a collection of Ayatollah Khomeini's poems?
A: Yes, Ayatollah Khomeini's poems are collected together in an Imam Divan.
Related articles
Author
AlegsaOnline.com Ayatollah Khomeini Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/7854
Sources
- bbc.co.uk : "BBC - History - Ayatollah Khomeini (1900-1989)"
- keesings.com : "Death of Ayatollah Khomeini — Appointment of President Khamenei as Khomeini's successor — Visit to Soviet Union by Rafsanjani"
- answers.com : "Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions"
- news.bbc.co.uk : "1989: Ayatollah sentences author to death"