Reza Shah was the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty and Shah of Iran (Persia) from 1925 to 1941. He founded the Pahlavi dynasty, after ending the century-old Qajar dynasty, and subsequently introduced and implemented steps to improve the prevailing social, economic and political conditions in Iran. From the profile of an army officer, he quickly rose to the post of war minister, followed by his appointment as the Prime Minister of the new regime. Thereafter, he founded the Pahlavi dynasty and became the Shah of Iran. He became popular among the masses due to his social, economic and political reforms. He also played a major role in changing the name of Persia to Iran. Despite having no formal education, he was extremely talented and intelligent to give Iran complete makeover. While his supporters approved of his decision to modernize Iran, his critics were dissatisfied by his ignorance towards the peasants and lower classes, which eventually triggered the Iranian Revolution, thus bringing an end to his constitutional monarchy. Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway, foundation of the University of Tehran, and sponsoring Iranian students to European universities were some of the major developments initiated by him