Sattar Khan ( fa, ستارخان, , October 20, 1866 – November 17, 1914), honorarily titled Sardār-e Melli ( fa, سردار ملی meaning ''National Commander'') was a pivotal figure in the
Iranian Constitutional Revolution
The Persian Constitutional Revolution ( fa, مشروطیت, Mashrūtiyyat, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911. The revolution led to the establishment of a par ...
and is considered a national hero by the Iranian people.
Biography
Early life
Sattar Khan was born in
Sardar Kandy
Sardar Kandy ( fa, سردار كندئ, also Romanized as Sardār Kandy; also known as Besheshai, Besh Shāy, Bīshak, and Byshechay) is a village in Ozomdel-e Jonubi Rural District, in the Central District of Varzaqan County, East Azerbaijan Prov ...
, of
Iranian Azerbaijani
Iranian Azerbaijanis (; az, ایران آذربایجانلیلاری, italics=no ), also known as Iranian Azeris, Iranian Turks, Persian Turks or Persian Azerbaijanis, are Iranians of Azerbaijani ethnicity who may speak the Azerbaijani lang ...
origin, some time in 1868. He was the third son of Haj Hasan Bazzaz, from the
Qaradagh. During his childhood, his eldest brother, who had become a highway robber, was executed by the authorities.
The family later moved to
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
where Sattar himself came into conflict with the law when he tried to find a hideout for two Caucasian fugitives to whom his father had given shelter. He was incarcerated for two years in Narin Qalʿa, a notorious local prison. Afterwards he too became a brigand and was subsequently imprisoned again. He also served in the gendarmerie controlling the main road between Khoy and Marand, and for a while found employment as part of the armed escort to the crown prince
Mozaffar-al-Din Mirza and was given the title of "khan" (which means "sir" in the
Persian language
Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and ...
).
Later, after a period in Tehran, he headed an auxiliary troop fighting
Turkmen highway robbers near
Mashhad
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
.
Revolutionary
Sattar Khan had close ties to the
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
For ...
. He rose from obscurity to head
Constitutionalist rebels from the
Amirkhiz district of
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
. By 1907, he had become a favored leader of the rebels. After shelling the
Majles
The Islamic Consultative Assembly ( fa, مجلس شورای اسلامی, Majles-e Showrā-ye Eslāmī), also called the Iranian Parliament, the Iranian Majles (Arabicised spelling Majlis) or ICA, is the national legislative body of Iran. The P ...
(parliament) of Iran in the capital
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, 40 thousand of
Mohammad Ali Shah
Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, محمدعلی شاه قاجار; 21 June 1872 – 5 April 1925, San Remo, Italy), Shah of Iran from 8 January 1907 to 16 July 1909. He was the sixth shah of the Qajar dynasty.
Biography
Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar ...
's soldiers were ordered to attack Tabriz, where Constitutional rebels were holding out. In June 1908, under the leadership of Sattar Khan, a High Military Council was established. Sattar Khan was appointed the Commander in chief of High Council,
Bagher Khan
Bagher Khān ( fa, باقرخان; 1870 – November 1916) honorarily titled Sālār-e Melli ( "National Chieftain") or Baqir Khān, was one of the key figures in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution.
Biography Early life
Bagher Khan was born i ...
as his deputy, and Ali Musyo, Haji Ali and Seyed Hashem Khan as other notable members.
![Sattar khan and Bagir khan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Sattar_khan_and_Bagir_khan.jpg)
By April 1909, the Tabriz rebels had lost a large number of their fighters in driving out royalist forces from the city. Taking into account Sattar Khan and
Bagher Khan
Bagher Khān ( fa, باقرخان; 1870 – November 1916) honorarily titled Sālār-e Melli ( "National Chieftain") or Baqir Khān, was one of the key figures in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution.
Biography Early life
Bagher Khan was born i ...
's heroism during the battle, Sattar Khan was honored by the title of "Sardar-e Melli" (, "National General") and Bagir khan "Salar-e Melli" (, "National Leader") by the order of the Assembly.
The early victories of the rebels in Tabriz greatly influenced other Constitutionalists across Iran. Special committees with the name of "Sattar Khan" were established in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
,
Rasht
Rasht ( fa, رشت, Rašt ; glk, Rəšt, script=Latn; also romanized as Resht and Rast, and often spelt ''Recht'' in French and older German manuscripts) is the capital city of Gilan Province, Iran. Also known as the "City of Rain" (, ''Ŝahre B ...
,
Qazvin
Qazvin (; fa, قزوین, , also Romanized as ''Qazvīn'', ''Qazwin'', ''Kazvin'', ''Kasvin'', ''Caspin'', ''Casbin'', ''Casbeen'', or ''Ghazvin'') is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran. Qazvin was a capital of the ...
,
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
and other cities. Sattar Khan's reputation also led to the powerful
Bakhtiyari tribal leaders to throw in their lot with the Tabriz rebels.
![Sattar Khan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Sattar_Khan.jpg)
Most of the cities of Azarbaijan province were cleared of royalist military forces by October 1908.
Mohammad Ali Shah
Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, محمدعلی شاه قاجار; 21 June 1872 – 5 April 1925, San Remo, Italy), Shah of Iran from 8 January 1907 to 16 July 1909. He was the sixth shah of the Qajar dynasty.
Biography
Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar ...
authorized the reopening of the Majles in Tehran in order to try and placate the opposition.
The Second Majles was held in December 1908. It ordered a plaque of honor with images of Sattar Khan and Bagher Khan carved on it in gold as a token of appreciation for their services.
The strengthening of revolutionary power in the wake of the Tabriz victory frightened not only the
Qajar
Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
Shah
Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...
but also his allies, Russia and Great Britain. In March 1910, Sattar Khan and Bagher Khan set out for the capital Tehran with 300 pro-
Moderates
Moderate is an ideological category which designates a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. A moderate is considered someone occupying any mainstream position avoiding extreme views. In American ...
soldiers, where they were greeted by large numbers of supporters April 3, 1910.
Sattar Khan and his warrior camped out in
Atabek Park, where they refused to obey the Shah's order to disarm. The Shah's troops and police forces led by
Yeprem Khan (Davidyans), head of Tehran police, launched a brief but violent confrontation on the night of August 7, 1910, and succeeded in surrounding and disarming Sattar Khan's forces. About 30 warriors were killed and Sattar Khan was wounded in his leg – remaining disabled until his death at the age 48, on November 9, 1914.
[Houri Berberian, ''Armenians and the Iranian constitutional revolution of 1905-1911:
"the love for freedom has no fatherland"'', Westview Press, 2001. (p. 154).] He was buried in the famous
Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine
The Shāh Abdol-Azīm Shrine ( fa, شاه عبدالعظیم), also known as Shabdolazim, located in Rey, Iran, contains the tomb of ‘Abdul ‘Adhīm ibn ‘Abdillāh al-Hasanī (aka Shah Abdol Azim). Shah Abdol Azim was a fifth generation des ...
cemetery in
Shahr-e Ray
Shahr-e Ray ( fa, شهر ری, ) or simply Ray (Shar e Ray; ) is the capital of Ray County in Tehran Province, Iran. Formerly a distinct city, it has now been absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehran as the 20th district of municip ...
, just outside Tehran.
Legacy
Sattar Khan is remembered in Iran as the heroic leader of the
Iranian Constitutional Revolution
The Persian Constitutional Revolution ( fa, مشروطیت, Mashrūtiyyat, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911. The revolution led to the establishment of a par ...
and is the subject of poems and songs.
See also
*
Bagher Khan
Bagher Khān ( fa, باقرخان; 1870 – November 1916) honorarily titled Sālār-e Melli ( "National Chieftain") or Baqir Khān, was one of the key figures in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution.
Biography Early life
Bagher Khan was born i ...
, ''Sālār-e Melli''
*
Sattar Khan (film)
''Sattar Khan'' ( fa, ستار خان, italic=yes) is a 1972 Iranian biographical film directed by Ali Hatami. The film is about Sattar Khan, the Iranian national hero, and his primary role in the events of Persian Constitutional Revolution. Ali ...
*
Constitutional Revolution House of Tabriz
The Constitution House of Tabriz, also known as ''Khaneh Mashrouteh'', is a historical edifice located next to the Great Bazaar of Tabriz, on Motahari Ave in Tabriz, Iran. During the years which led to Constitutional Revolution and afterwards the ...
References
External links
Sattar Khan Encyclopædia Iranica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sattar Khan
Politicians from Tabriz
Iranian revolutionaries
1866 births
1914 deaths
People of the Persian Constitutional Revolution
Moderate Socialists Party politicians
Iranian nationalists
19th-century Iranian politicians
20th-century Iranian politicians