The shah had a number of reasons for attempting to marginalize
the ulama. First, they were becoming a rival center of power. The ulama wanted to maintain their status,
and the mullahs, although not necessarily politically oriented,
had a social agenda rooted in justice, which the
shah was unable to co-opt as he had with other political
groups. Second, the shah believed that Western-oriented
reforms would encourage people to start thinking in
secular terms, and that new ideas would inherently challenge
the traditional ulama. The shah failed to foresee that
Western ideas could cut both ways and be wielded against
autocrats as well. Yet in this turbulent environment the
differences between the shah and the ulama were too great
to be bridged and the shah felt compelled to take direct
action against them.