National Consultative Assembly

National Consultative Assembly

مجلس شورای ملی

Majles-e Showrā-ye Mellī
19061979
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 (1906−1952)[1]
4 years (1952−1979)[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.

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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