COLLECTIVE ACTION AND VIOLENCE IN IRAN:

Recent theories of revolution have moved away from a concern with general political violence (Goldstone, 1980), to a focus on structural factors and international conditions that lead to the collapse of certain states (Paige, 1975; Skocpol, 1979). The Iranian revolution has once again renewed interest in theories of political violence. Par t of this shift. is perhaps due to the fact that, in contrast to other modern revolutions, the Iranian revolution was largely mobilized through religous channels and resulted in a theocracy. This outcome has led some scholars to explain the revolution in terms of rapid modernization and erosion of traditional authority, revival of religious sentiments and values, along with cultural and religious factors, such a s Shi'ite millenarianism, and the glorification of martyrdom. These analyses attempt to explain the factors that generated the collective actions against the Shah's repme. However, these explanations have some troubling limitations that suggest that an alternative hypothesis based on resource mobilization may better account for the Iranian case. We shall examine these theories in light of data from the revolution in order to determine which provides the better explanation. Said Arjomand (1981) argued that the Shah's regime systematically undermined the position of the clergy after the 1963 reforms. This policy antagonized the clergy who "came to lead the first successful traditionalist revolution in modern history. " Furthermore, in assuming the leadership of th