Who is The Shah of Iran from Prisons We Choose to Live Inside and what is their importance?

The Shah of Iran is the leader of Persia. When a village man names his cat Shah-in-Shah, which means King of Kings, he is thrown in jail. When Lessing shares this story, people often say the Shah would never be so silly. Lessing, however, feels that the explanation is that the Shah does not know what people below him are doing. She says this is often the case in governments, and safeguards have to be applied to protect citizens from the cruelties of government functionaries.