Constitutionalist intellectuals sought to implement the western institutional models like political, legal and educational institutions in order to delimit the absolute power of the Qajar rulers within the framework of the law and strengthen the civil society. They were faced with the opposition of the religious leaders which had its own root in the fear of the religious leaders of the eradication of the Islamic culture and domination of secular culture over the Islamic community. This essay within the framework of the theory of “tradition the impediment of modernity” and with a historical method studies the reactions of the religious elements as one of the institutions of the traditional power of Iranian society in their encounter with the idea of modernism of the intellectuals. It shows how the early support of the clerics of the constitutionalism due to its inconsistency with the Islamic foundations changed into their later opposition with constitutionalism and the futile effort of the intellectuals in the accommodation of the religious notions with modernity for the sake of convincing the clerics proved inefficient. Intellectualism movement without the support of religious leaders failed to mobilize people for the establishment of civil society relying on the rule of law, and as a result of the obstacles created by the institution of the absolute monarchy, it failed to weaken the authority of Shah, fully establish the civil society and rule of law after the victory of Constitutionalism Revolution. Thus, society resigned to the dictatorship of Reza Khan following the chaos resulted from the lack of rule of law.
