The Lion and The Sun: A Modern History of Iran
2025 Signal Award Winner: Best History Podcast Iran’s history has been a never-ending struggle for liberty and independence. In this podcast, we tell the story of how Iran ended up where it is now and how religion, monarchy, democracy, and nationalism all played important roles in defining the lives of its people. Book One: The Qajars How the constitutional revolution created Iran’s very first parliament. This season follows the story of the fading Qajar monarchy, as unrest, foreign meddling, and political betrayal set the stage for Reza Khan’s rise to power. Book Two: Reza Shah The rise and fall of Reza Shah, the architect of modern Iran. The meteoric rise of Reza Khan from a simple soldier to the founding Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty, his radical transformation of Iran into a modern state, and his ultimate downfall. Book Three: Oil (January 2026) Listen to new episodes every other Wednesday.
Episodes
Welcome to the Lion and the Sun: A Modern History of Iran
New episodes every two weeks on Wednesdays.
The post Trailer appeared first on The Lion and The Sun Podcast.
What can you do when the king is assassinated, prices are high and the country is in crisis? You demand a parliament. The story of how Persia’s first national assembly (Majlis) was established and how democracy found its way into Iran.
Episode Summary
In this episode, we look at the events of 1906 that catalyzed the Persian C...
What comes after establishing democracy in a nation? Protecting it at all costs.
In this episode, the ideals of democracy clash with the limitations of Islam and the new Shah maneuvers to undermine the parliament’s authority, even as the people take to the streets to defend their hard-won freedoms.
Episode Summary
How Mohammad Ali Shah laid siege to the parliament building, ending Iran’s brief experiment with democracy. Discover the story of the Majlis bombardment and the Iranian guerrilla warfare to reclaim their hard-fought freedom.
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Two constitutionalist armies arrive at the gates of Tehran and Mohammad Ali Shah prepares the capital of Iran for an all-out war. How the battle of Tehran reshaped the future of democracy in Iran and how the country was forced to change in its aftermath.
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An old king tries to reclaim his throne, the United States sends help for the country’s finances, and Russia invades Iran. The complicated history of Iran and Russia and how the Russian influence impacted Iran’s democracy and crippled its government throughout the years.
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As the great war breaks out in Europe, Persia is turned into the ultimate proxy battleground. The story of the First World War and how British, Russian, and German forces competed for control in Iran.
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Episode Summary
The biggest oil field the world had ever seen, a foreign military occupation and a socialist revolution in the north. As Russia’s influence wanes, Britain seizes control of Iran’s newfound oil wealth and expands its influence in the region.
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A new player emerges in Persian politics…
How a journalist and a military lieutenant orchestrated the 1921 coup d’état and how Reza Khan gained control of Iran’s military and became an influential player in the government.
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In the season finale of the podcast, Reza Khan aims for total control, the young shah flees his country and Iran braces itself for a brave new world.
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Listen to all book one episodes on our website.
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A defiant Sheikh, a province rich in oil, and Reza Khan’s push to unify a fractured Iran. The story of Arabistan and how one local tribe became the biggest threat to Persia.
This is a special two-part episode of The Lion and the Sun to celebrate reaching 100k downloads. Thank you so much for your support and for listening to our show.
W...
Reza Khan’s army marches toward Arabistan, Khaz’al tries to unite local tribes against the government and the battle for Arabistan reaches its breaking point.
This is part two of a special episode of The Lion and the Sun to celebrate reaching 100k downloads. Listen to part one here.
Thank you so much for your support and fo...
Down with the Qajars. Long Live Reza Shah.
Listen to new chapters from January 29th.
As we’re recording this, Iran is experiencing a wide range of issues.
Both internal turmoil and external conflicts.
...
The Qajar dynasty was the embodiment of ineffectiveness. Tyrants incapable of true tyranny.
This is the story of their demise.
Season two of The Lion and the Sun Podcast will start next week. If you’re new to this show, we suggest starting with book one and working your way here! But if you’re not into revisiting the past or are one of ...
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