Which uprising began January 1978 and ended February 11, 1979, leading to the Shah's overthrow and Ayatollah Khomeini's return?

• A. Iranian Constitutional Revolution
• B. White Revolution
• C. Islamic Revolution in Iran
• D. Iranian Revolution of 1905-1911

Answer: (C)

The uprising being described is the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the movement that shifted Iran from a monarchy under the Shah to an Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini. Beginning in January 1978, widespread protests and strikes united religious leaders, secular opponents, workers, and students against autocratic rule and Western influence. Ayatollah Khomeini, though in exile, became the figure who unified this diverse opposition. The Shah fled the country in 1979 as pressure intensified, and Khomeini returned from exile in February 1979. On February 11, 1979, the monarchy collapsed and the Islamic Republic was established, marking the success of the revolution. Other options refer to earlier reforms or revolts (for example, the Constitutional Revolution of the early 1900s or the White Revolution of the 1960s) and do not fit the 1978–1979 timeline.