National Consultative Assembly

National Consultative Assembly

مجلس شورای ملی

Majles-e Showrā-ye Mellī
1906–1979
Type
Type
Unicameral (1906−1949)[1]
Lower house (1949−1979)[1]
History
FoundedNovember 6, 1906 (1906-11-06)
DisbandedFebruary 11, 1979 (1979-02-11)
Succeeded byIslamic Consultative Assembly
Structure
Seats268 (At peak)
Length of term
2 years (1906−1956)[1]
4 years (1956−1979)[1]
Elections
Last election
20 June 1975
Meeting place
National Consultative Majlis
Baharestan
Tehran
Iran
Constitution
Persian Constitution of 1906

The National Consultative Assembly (Persian: مجلس شورای ملی, romanizedMajles-e showrā-ye mellī),[1] or simply Majles, was the national legislative body of Qajar and Pahlavi Iran from 1906 to 1979. It was established by the Persian Constitution of 1906. Although the 1906 Constitution established a bicameral legislature, the Majles remained the only (unicameral) legislative chamber until the 1949 Constituent Assembly, in which the Senate of Iran was formed as the upper house, making the Majles the lower house.

It was elected by universal suffrage, excluding the armed forces and convicted criminals but after 1963 including women, who could both vote and be elected.[1]

After the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which formed the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Majles was succeeded by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and the Senate of Iran was abolished, making it once again a unicameral legislature.

Historical composition

Qajar Iran

  U&P
  Soc.
  Soc. Dem. / Dem.
  Soc. Prog.
  Mod. Soc.
  Revival
  LC / Ref.
  Indep.
  Others
Total
Seats
1906
21 35 100
156
1909
4 28 3 36 55
126
1914
31 29 14 41
115
1921
18 35 85
138
1923
14 40 8 76
138

Pahlavi Iran

Reza Shah

  Progress Party
Total
Seats
1926
136
136
1928
122 14
136
1930
136
136
1932
136
136
1935
136
136
1937
136
136
1939
136
136
1941
136
136

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

  Tudeh
  Iran /
  Justice
  Democrat
  Nat. Union
  Nat. Will
  Indep.
  Others
Total
Seats
1943–44
8 6 15 30 26 36 15
136
1947
25 73 36 2
136
1950
10 126
136
1952
30 49
79
  People's
  Nationalist's /
  Iran Novin
  Indep.
  Others
Total
Seats
1954
136
136
1956
36 71 20 9
136
1960
50 104 46
200
1961
65 75 32 28
200
1963
16 140 44
200
1967
31 180 5 3
219
1971
37 230 1
268
1975
268
268


Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d e f P. Bearman; Th. Bianquis; C.E. Bosworth; E. van Donzel; W.P. Heinrichs (1986). "Mad̲j̲lis". In W. Madelung; Rahman, Munibur; Landau, J. M.; Yapp, M.E.; Robinson, F.C.R. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam. Vol. 5 (Second ed.). Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0606. ISBN 9789004161214.
  • Afary, Janet. The Iranian Constitutional Revolution, 1906-1911. Columbia University Press. 1996. ISBN 0-231-10351-4

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