Top 10 Most Influential Iranians Of All Time

The 18th-century Persian conqueror has been described as one of history’s most brilliant military strategists, earning comparisons to Napoleon and Genghis Khan. Nader is credited with revitalizing Iran after decades of chaos, expelling foreign invaders and restoring Persian sovereignty. The conqueror’s military prowess was on full display in campaigns against the Ottomans, Mughals, and Afghans, reclaiming lost territories and briefly turning Iran into a dominant power in Asia. Though his later years were marked by paranoia and brutality, his impact on Iran’s military and political landscape was undeniable, cementing his legacy as one of Iran’s most influential rulers.

The architect of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, this revolutionary drastically reshaped the country's political landscape. Born into a clerical home, he blamed the death of his father on the Reza Shah, planting a seed of resentment towards the monarchy in Iran and the Pahlavi dynasty. As the leader of the revolution, he overthrew the Pahlavi monarchy and established the Islamic Republic, introducing a theocratic system based on Wilayat al-Faqih (or, Guardianship of the Jurist). Khomeini’s defiance of Western influence, and particularly that of the United States, led to the Iran Hostage Crisis and years of tension between Iran and the West. After a decade in power which coincided with the devastating Iran-Iraq war, he was replaced by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after his death, one of the world’s longest-serving leaders who himself could be credited with influencing Iran’s stand against western hegemony.

The British deposed Reza Shah for cozying up with the Germans in 1941. They placed his 22-year-old son on the throne, convinced that he would do their bidding. Mohammad Reza, unlike his father, was not a born leader, though he grew into one: the young Shah quickly built on his father’s legacy by modernizing Iran and assembling the world’s fifth largest army. Growing public dissent fueled by class inequality led to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in which a small but fervent percentage of Iran’s population rose in revolt. Struck with cancer, the Shah fled Iran in 1979 and never returned, dying in Egypt the following year. Owing to various political and economic factors, younger generations have since developed a nostalgic fondness for the Shah and monarchy. Today, his son, the crown prince Reza Pahlavi, is the symbol of hope to countless Iranians opposed to the Islamic republic of Iran’s theocratic regime, and a link to Iran’s 2500 history of monarchy.

Reza Khan's 1921 coup swiftly ended twelve years of chaos under the Qajar[d] dynasty following the Constitutional Revolution. Between mismanagement and ineptitude, the Qajars devastated Iran before a Cossack brigadier general named Reza Mir Panj emerged as the new Shah of Iran. Once he became shah, the ambitious young officer changed his name to Reza Shah Pahlavi (originating from the Sasanian[e] Empire era name for the Persian language). The founder of the Pahlavi dynasty put Iran on a positive, productive course, ensuring generations of prosperity and preventing political and social erosion. Pahlavi ended feudalism, embraced secularism, and undertook massive infrastructure projects that powered Iran’s subsequent growth in the second half of the 20th century.

Omar Khayyam, the 11th-century Persian polymath, left an enduring mark on mathematics, astronomy, and literature. As a mathematician, he made groundbreaking contributions to algebra, solving cubic equations through geometric methods and influencing later European scholars. His work on the Jalali calendar, commissioned by the Seljuk Sultan, was so precise that it surpassed the accuracy of the later Gregorian calendar. However, his greatest achievement lies in the world of poetry—his Rubaiyat, a collection of philosophical quatrains, explores themes of fate and mortality. Translated by Edward FitzGerald in the 19th century, his verses gained worldwide acclaim, shaping Western literary movements and inspiring generations of poets.

Iran has produced no shortage of poets and writers — Hafez and Rumi to name a few — but Ferdowsi’s influence towers above the others. The author of Shahnameh ("Book of Kings"), widely considered to be the greatest epic of Persian-speaking countries, Ferdowsi is celebrated as one of the most influential figures of Persian literature, and one of the greatest in the history of literature. British historian John Andrew Boyle observed that the Shah-nameh, “is as intelligible to the average, modern Iranian as the King James Version of the Bible is to a modern English-speaker.” There’s a reason that the poet’s work is credited with keeping Farsi alive in Iran.

Ibn Sina, commonly known to Westerners as “Avicenna,” was another 11th-century Persian polymath who shaped the course of medicine, philosophy, and science for centuries. His magnum opus, “The Canon of Medicine,” became the definitive medical textbook in Europe and the Islamic world for over 600 years, trailblazing clinical trials, quarantine, and the understanding of contagious diseases. In philosophy, he built upon Aristotle and Neoplatonism, influencing great thinkers like Thomas Aquinas and shaping medieval Scholasticism. As such, Avicenna’s holistic approach to knowledge set the stage for the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution. His medical insights saved lives, and his philosophical teachings laid the groundwork for modern thought.

Revolutionizing mathematics, Al-Khwarizmi’s seminal work “Al-Kitab al-Mukhtasar fi Hisab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala” introduced systematic methods for solving linear and quadratic equations, giving rise to the term "algebra." His contributions to fields like trigonometry and geography refined Ptolemaic maps, influencing later cartographers. Crucially, his advocacy for the Hindu-Arabic numeral system—especially the concept of zero—streamlined calculations and became the standard in the Islamic and Western worlds. The Latinized form of his name, "Algoritmi[j]," inspired the term "algorithm," underscoring his lasting impact on computer science. Al-Khwarizmi wasn’t just an academic—he was a game-changer who shaped how we solve problems today.

The ancient Persian prophet Zartosht, or Zoroaster, founded Zoroastrianism; a religion with one creator - Ahura Mazda - and many deities. Zoroastrianism also influenced the first monotheistic religions, which shaped spiritual and philosophical thought for millennia. Zoroaster’s teachings, recorded in the “Avesta,” emphasized the cosmic struggle between good (Ahura Mazda) and evil (Angra Mainyu), inspiring concepts of free will, moral dualism, and the afterlife. Zoroastrianism influenced all Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in turn influencing over 3 billion of their followers. Zoroastrianism’s emphasis on ethics, truth, and individual responsibility helped shape Persian culture and governance, particularly during the Achaemenid Empire, which embraced religious tolerance and justice. While the number of Zoroastrians has waxed and waned over centuries, Iran’s secular renaissance coincides with increased interest in one of the world’s oldest religions.

As the founder of the Persian empire, Cyrus the Great - or Kourosh-e-Bozorg[l]’s - early childhood is the stuff of legends. Perhaps his greatest achievement was merging the Median and Persian empires to form the first global empire, and the largest of its era. The Greek historian Xenophon’s book Cyropedia is a fictionalized biography of Cyrus that went on to influence leaders like Aristotle, Alexander the Great, and Thomas Jefferson. As such, Cyrus can arguably be posited as Iran’s greatest leader. That having been said, his successors Darius and Xerxes lay a substantial claim to the throne by building on his legacy. Their achievements include the development of the Persian empire’s postal and taxation system, windmills, air conditioning, among other advancements.

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