ABSTRACT
The Constitutional Revolution of 1906 provided a further, powerful, impetus to the politicisation of the religious classes of the shrine cities. This politicisation was no doubt increased through rivalry between various divines who aspired to assume the supreme marja'iyya following the death of Sharabiyani and Mamaqani who had succeeded to Hasan Shirazi's position when he died in 1895. Pro-Constitution divines, again, had no compunction in adopting the same imperious and peremptory tone towards the Shah as Shirazi had used during the tobacco protest. The war and its outcome, again, isolated the Shi'i religious leaders from the Shi'i world at large and made Mesopotamian Shi'ism inward looking and to a large extent absorbed in local affairs. The most prominent leader of the radical party in Karbala was Muhammad Rida, the son of Mirza Muhammad Taqi Shirazi. The establishment of the kingdom of Iraq was ostensibly the reason Shi'i leaders had risen in rebellion, but this constituted for them a great defeat.
