Document Type : Research Article

Author

• Mohammad Bitarafan

Assistant Professor of History, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Throughout history, the city was managed traditionally based on the Iranian experience. However, when the Qajar government came to power, the process of city administration changed based on European approaches. Events such as the return of Iranian graduates from European institutions, the establishment of the Dar al-Funun school, the development of political concepts, and Naser al-Din Shah's trips to the western lands set the stage for the transformation of the city. On the other hand, the constitutional revolution created the ground for the presence and involvement of a part of the people in governance. One of the fields of activism after the revolution was participating in the elections and representing the city. This research was formed following the answers to these questions: What was the participation rate of the people of Tehran in the elections of the municipal association from the beginning of the constitution to the end of the first Pahlavi? What were the obstacles and limitations of citizens' participation in this period? The findings of the research show that only a very small number of Tehran's population of 200,000 to 600,000 participated in the elections between 1907 and 1941. Some documents show 20 to 30 votes in the Tehran Baladiyeh assembly during the Qajar period and 3 thousand votes during the Pahlavi period, which has a huge difference with the city's population. The reasons for low participation are generally related to people's ignorance of new structural changes and legal restrictions.

Keywords

• elections
• Baladiyeh assembly
• Shardari assembly
• vote
• participation

Main Subjects

• Social history