Legitimation of governments by renaming of everyday things and places: a comparison of the Pahlavi and Islamic Republic in Iran

Political systems employ a variety of resources to acquire legitimacy and support from society. Any changes in the political system and sources of legitimacy can fundamentally alter the social world and the sign system, and even lay the foundations for identity conflict. Since the collapse of the Pahlavi dynasty and the establishment of the Islamic Republic government, Iran has experienced such a trend. Therefore, the Pahlavi dynasty and the Islamic Republic government can be considered the most important periods of civilization and identity conflict in contemporary Iran. The present study aims to apply semiotics to examine the naming process as one of the elements of the sign system in the legitimacy of the Pahlavi and the Islamic Republic of Iran governments. The findings show that the changes in the naming process during the Pahlavi and the Islamic Republic governments represent a shift in the source of legitimacy from ancient Iran to the Islamic period, which has been reflected in the names of individuals, places, coins, and commemorative medals. The change of political system has also intensified the identity and ideology conflicts in the sign systems of Iran.