, a revolutionary and the Iranian leader from 1979 to 1989.
             Alongside Ayatollah Khomeini's efforts to topple the monarchy in Iran, he is well known for several other qualities. Khomeini's background consisted of devout Muslims. His paternal ancestors were devoted in religious instruction and guidance in a small town of India. His maternal grandfather and father were spiritual leaders in their areas in Iran (Dorraj). Khomeini himself was a keen student and traveled from Khomein to Arak and then to Qum for education (Algar). He has written numerous renowned books on religion and was a beloved teacher. In 1936, he taught a class on ethics that earned him not only students in the Faziya Madrasa but people from Qum and all the way from the nation's capital of Tehran. This trend continued and one of Khomeini's class that consisted of 30 students in its first session in 1946 grew to 500 by the third session. During Khomeini's period of exile in Iraq (1965-1979), his informed and charismatic teachings (Algar) on Islamic law earned him students from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Persian Gulf states. Moreover, he was one of the Shi'te (a sect of Islam) leaders at the time who proposed unity of purpose between the mainstream Sunni Islam (Algar). This effort to bring unity among Muslims made him an important role model in the community. In his childhood, Khomeini witness
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