Shadow of God

Shadow of God was a title of pre-Islamic origin used by Muslim rulers, particularly in Iran.^[1][2]

The ancient Iranians believed in the idea of a divine kingship. During both the Achaemenid (550–330 BC) and Sasanian (224–651 AD) eras, only someone who had received farr-i izadi (divine grace) was allowed to rule.^[1] Following the arrival of Islam to Iran, the Muslims incorporated this idea into their system of governance.^[2]

Although the monarchy became more secular under the Pahlavi dynasty (1925–1979), both Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi increased their authority by utilizing the idea of divine kingship. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi felt that without its customary divine reassurance, the monarchy would fall. Furthermore, he thought that Iranian society was so deeply associated with kingship that the throne would never be vacant.^[1]