Persian Constitution of 1906

The charter won by the Persian Constitutional Revolution, establishing the first Majlis and limiting the shah.

Overview

Mass protests and sit ins by merchants, clerics, and reformers forced Mozaffar ad-Din Shah to accept an elected assembly in 1906, and he signed the Fundamental Law shortly before his death at the end of that year. A Supplementary Fundamental Law in 1907 added a bill of rights and a provision for senior clerics to review legislation for conformity with Islam. The new shah, Mohammad Ali, had the Majlis shelled in 1908, but constitutionalist forces deposed him in 1909. Although frequently ignored under the Pahlavi dynasty, the constitution formally remained in force until the 1979 revolution, making it one of the oldest constitutions in Asia.