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28. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, ruled Iran for over 37 years
The rule of the most recent Shah of Iran was marked by an ongoing decline in the support of the working class and religious leaders of the Shi’a sect of Islam. He also entered into conflicts with the merchant class, banned most opposition political parties and meetings, and used his secret police, SAVAK, to crush dissent across Iranian society. But it was Shi’a clerics who opposed the support of the United States and the United Kingdom of the Shah who stirred up much of the opposition to the Shah’s regime, including his allowing women to vote. As more and more dissidents protested against the Shah and the perceived westernization of the country SAVAK arrested and imprisoned hundreds. By 1978 more than 2,000 political prisoners were being held in its jails. That number increased quickly as Iran descended into a full-blown revolution and Pahlavi and his family fled from Iran in January 1979. The monarchy was abolished following the departure of the Shah, though his legacy in Iran still affects US – Iran relations four decades later, with much of the hatred for the Shah transferred to the United States.