ManotoTVFor the first time, an Iranian broadcaster tells the story of Reza Shah Pahlavi, the soldier who rose from humble beginnings to become the founder of modern Iran. Produced by Manoto, this first-of-its-kind documentary follows the extraordinary rise of Reza Khan: from commander of the Cossack Brigade, to Sardar Sepah, to Prime Minister, and finally to Reza Shah Pahlavi, the monarch who ended the Qajar era and set Iran on the path to modern statehood. Using rare and newly uncovered photographs and archive footage, the film shows how Reza Shah inherited a country weakened by disorder, foreign interference, tribal conflict, poverty, poor infrastructure, and political paralysis — and transformed it into a centralised, secure, and modernising nation.
Under his rule, Iran built a national army, modern ministries, a new legal system, public schools, the University of Tehran, roads, factories, hospitals, and the Trans-Iranian Railway — one of the great engineering projects of the twentieth century. Britannica notes that Reza Shah broke the power of tribal forces, ended unequal privileges for foreign powers, built the Trans-Iranian Railway, and expanded modern reforms across the country.
The documentary also explores his vision of Iranian identity: reviving the name Iran on the world stage, restoring pride in ancient Persian history, supporting the Persian language, and reconnecting the nation with the legacy of Ferdowsi, Cyrus, Persepolis, and a civilisation older than many modern states. At the centre of the film is a simple question: how did one man, in less than two decades, turn a fragmented and vulnerable country into the foundations of a modern nation? This is not just the story of a king. It is the story of a country pulled back from collapse — and the man who gave Iran its modern shape.
