Background
The Shah's violent Kashf-e hijab, Westernization campaign against Shia Islam, Shiite society saw a spike in hostilities with the regime in the summer of 1935 when Reza Shah banned traditional Islamic clothing and ordered all men be forced to wear European-style bowler hats.Milani, Farzaneh (1992). ''Veils and Words: The Emerging Voices of Iranian Women Writers'', Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, pp. 19, 34–37, Majd, Mohammad Gholi (2001). ''Great Britain and Reza Shah: The Plunder of Iran, 1921–1941'', Gainesville: University Press of Florida, pp. 209–213, 217–218, Katouzian, Homa (2003). "2. Riza Shah's Political Legitimacy and Social Base, 1921–1941" in Cronin, Stephanie: ''The Making of Modern Iran: State and Society under Riza Shah, 1921–1941'', pp. 15–37, London; New York: Routledge; Taylor & Francis, Katouzian, Homa (2004). "1. State and Society under Reza Shah" in Atabaki, Touraj; Erik-Jan Zürcher, Zürcher, Erik-Jan: ''Men of Order: Authoritarian Modernisation in Turkey and Iran, 1918–1942'', pp. 13–43, London; New York: I.B. Tauris, Katouzian, Homa (2006). ''State and Society in Iran: The Eclipse of the Qajars and the Emergence of the Pahlavis'', 2nd ed, Library of modern Middle East studies, Vol. 28, London; New York: I.B. Tauris, pp. 33–34, 335–336, Beeman, William Orman (2008). ''The Great Satan vs. the Mad Mullahs: How the United States and Iran Demonize Each Other'', 2nd ed, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 108, 152,Event
The event occurred in response to the de-Islamization activities by Reza Shah in 1935. Responding to a cleric, who denounced the Shah's "Bid'ah#In Shia Islam, heretical" innovations, westernizing, corruption and heavy consumer taxes, many merchants and locals took refuge in the shrine, chanted slogans such as "The Shah is a new Yazid I, Yazid," likening him to the Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad caliph. For four full days local police and army refused to violate the shrine and the standoff was ended when troops from Azerbaijan (Iran), Iranian Azerbaijan region arrived and broke into the shrine, killing dozens and injuring hundreds, and marking a final rupture between Shia clergy and the Shah.Bakhash, Shaul, ''Reign of the Ayatollahs : Iran and the Islamic Revolution'' by Shaul, Bakhash, Basic Books, c1984, p.22Toll
According to a report of the Research Institute of Baqir al-'Ulum, which may have deliberately exaggerated the numbers, the number of killed by Reza Shah's forces were between 2000-5000. According to a British report, which may have deliberately underplayed the numbers, the outcome of the event resulted in 2 Army officers and 18 soldiers killed; 2 soldiers executed on the spot for disobedience; 1 soldier committed suicide; there were 800-1200 dead among the villagers, 100-500 wounded and 800 arrested.See also
*1979 Grand Mosque seizure *Kashf-e hijab *Abadan Crisis *White Revolution *Iranian Revolution *List of modern conflicts in the Middle EastReferences
{{coord missing, Razavi Khorasan Province Conflicts in 1935 1935 in Iran Battles involving Iran Massacres in religious buildings and structures Massacres in Iran Mass murder in 1935 1935 murders in Iran