HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Mohammad Khiabani's uprising () was a liberal and democratic uprising that was started by
Mohammad Khiabani Shaikh Mohammad Khiābāni (, 1880–1920), sometimes spelled Khiyabani, also known as Shaikh Mohammad Khiābāni Tabrizi was an Iranian peoples, Iranian Shia cleric, political leader, and representative to the Majlis of Iran, parliament. He was ...
against the
central government A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or deleg ...
in
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
on April 5, 1920 and was suppressed when he was killed on September 14, 1920.


Background

The failure of the
Persian Constitutional Revolution The Persian Constitutional Revolution (, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911 during the Qajar Iran, Qajar era. The revolution led to the establishment of a Majl ...
and its aftermath was like an earthquake, followed by aftershocks such as the
Jungle Movement of Gilan The Jangal (Jungle) Movement (Persian: جنبش جنگل), in Gilan, was a rebellion against the monarchist rule of the central government of the Sublime State of Iran, which lasted from 1915 to 1921. History of the movement In 1915, Mirza Kuc ...
, the Colonel Pesyan Uprising, and the Mohammad Khiabani's Uprising. The deterioration of the socio-political situation in Iran, the interventions of the
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
and
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
governments, the weakness of the central government and the formation of several local governments with short lifespans and mostly with dependent leaders were among the factors of the freedom-seeking uprising that sought to elevate the country. The ratification of the 1919 Anglo-Persian Agreement by Vossug ed-Dowleh and the killing of Russian forces in
Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...
and the Russian ultimatum to Iran in 1911, dealt a final blow to the supreme goals of the constitutional movement. Another factor that contributed to the uprising was the announcement of the dissolution of the
Azerbaijani Democratic Party The Azerbaijan Democratic Party (; ) was a pro-Soviet, separatist, and pan-Turkist party founded by Jafar Pishevari in Tabriz, Iran, in September 1945. It depended on the Soviet Union and was supported by it. The ADP was founded as an opposition ...
by Vossug ed-Dowleh. It was while despite his sabotage, six members of the party were able to enter the
National Consultative Assembly The National Consultative Assembly (), or simply Majles, was the national legislative body of Iran from 1906 to 1979. It was elected by universal suffrage Universal suffrage or universal franchise ensures the right to vote for as many people ...
.


Targets

Mohammad Khiabani Shaikh Mohammad Khiābāni (, 1880–1920), sometimes spelled Khiyabani, also known as Shaikh Mohammad Khiābāni Tabrizi was an Iranian peoples, Iranian Shia cleric, political leader, and representative to the Majlis of Iran, parliament. He was ...
considered the
Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...
uprising as a continuation and salvation of the Constitutional Revolution, so he, referring to the failure of the Constitutional Revolution to achieve its goals, emphasized the need for a new movement. Mohammad Khiabani's uprising was based on a belief system and ideological movement that its target was the upliftment of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
based on the principles of democracy, and there were fundamental differences between this uprising and armed uprisings such as the
Jungle Movement of Gilan The Jangal (Jungle) Movement (Persian: جنبش جنگل), in Gilan, was a rebellion against the monarchist rule of the central government of the Sublime State of Iran, which lasted from 1915 to 1921. History of the movement In 1915, Mirza Kuc ...
. He was well versed in the principles of
sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...
and was a scientist who knew the way to victory in the development of consciousness and intellectual revolution. Considering that after the independence of the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
and the change of its name to the
Republic of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russi ...
, and the unwillingness of the uprising to join them,
Ismail Amirkhizi Ismail Amirkhizi or Mohammad Ismail Amirkhizi (, born 1873, died 16 February 1966) was an Iranian author, poet, researcher and one of the politicians and intellectuals of the Persian Constitutional Revolution. He was the brother of Ali Amirkhizi ...
suggested that the uprising change the name of Iran's Azerbaijan to Azadistan, while the
Azerbaijanis Azerbaijanis (; , ), Azeris (, ), or Azerbaijani Turks (, ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group living mainly in the Azerbaijan (Iran), Azerbaijan region of northwestern Iran and the Azerbaijan, Republic of Azerbaijan. They are predomin ...
and the uprising, did not want to secede from Iran. Mohammad Khiabani said in one of his speeches:
We libertarians have a wish and a belief, we all say that true constitutionalism rules in the country, personal influences and privileges should be abolished and obsoleted, the sovereignty of the nation should be real - That is, to rely on and cite the sovereignty of the nation - We say should be justice, equality and freedom.
On the other hand, in some sources, such as
Kasravi Ahmad Hokmabadi Tabrizi (; 29 September 1890 – 11 March 1946), later known as Ahmad Kasravi, was a pre-eminent Iranian historian, jurist, linguist, theologian, a staunch secularist and intellectual. He was a professor of law at the University ...
and Mojtahedi, they have described the Khiabani's targets as gross and suspicious, and have said that he longed for the government. But this was not evident in the Khiabani's behavior. Among the documents that are presented for the desire for autonomy in the Khiabani's behavior, at least at that time, are his telegrams to the
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
in
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
in which he explicitly stated that he was not willing to accept anyone from Tehran as governor, but he wants a budget from Tehran. When Mokhber-ol Saltaneh Hedayat was sent as governor from Tehran, Khiabani refused to accept him and gave him an ultimatum, which resulted in Mokhber-ol Saltaneh recoursing to the military.


Beginning

The uprising began on April 5, 1920, and was preceded by protests and speeches by some members of the
Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...
Committee of the
Azerbaijani Democratic Party The Azerbaijan Democratic Party (; ) was a pro-Soviet, separatist, and pan-Turkist party founded by Jafar Pishevari in Tabriz, Iran, in September 1945. It depended on the Soviet Union and was supported by it. The ADP was founded as an opposition ...
against the policies of the central government and the 1919 agreement. Following the Khiabani's lecture session in the ''"Tajaddod"'' building and even before that, a number of activists were arrested by the Nazmiyeh (law enforcement). Although
Mozaffar Alam Mozaffar Alam (مظفر اعلم ''Muzaffar Aʿlam'') (1882–1973) was an Iranian politician who served as the minister of foreign affairs. He was also a military official and governor of various Iranian provinces. Early life and education Ala ...
, the head of Nazmiyeh, tried to mediate, Nazmiyeh forces surrounded the party headquarters in the ''"Tajaddod"'' building, but as time went on, the gathering increased and on Wednesday, April 6, there were large demonstrations, when reaching a dead end in negotiations, with the threat of Khiabani, the forces of Nazmiyeh retreated and the Nazmiyeh administration was handed over to the
Azerbaijani Democratic Party The Azerbaijan Democratic Party (; ) was a pro-Soviet, separatist, and pan-Turkist party founded by Jafar Pishevari in Tabriz, Iran, in September 1945. It depended on the Soviet Union and was supported by it. The ADP was founded as an opposition ...
, and city officials were forced to leave
Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...
for
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
on Thursday. The statement was issued by the party on that Thursday:
The libertarians of Tabriz are excited by the reactionary tendencies that have manifested in a series of anti-constitutional actions by the local governments, and have risen up with the intention of protesting strongly and sedately. The libertarians of Tabriz declare that the whole point of their program is to obtain a total and complete assurance that government officials respect the free regime of the country and sincerely follow the constitutions. Liberals are determined to maintain order and comfort by whatever means are. The program of the libertarians is twofold: first, to establish public welfare, and second, to bring the constitutional regime to power.


Organization

The uprising did not have a cohesive organization and the division of responsibilities was not clear, and it was mostly run individually and with the help of some members of the Democratic Party of Tabriz, such as Ismail Nobari and Mohammad Agha Hariri, and Khiabani himself. After the uprising began, a committee called the ''"Board of Directors of the Assemblies"'' formed and handed over government offices and appointed a supervisor for Nazmiyeh (law enforcement). Nazmiyeh and gendarmerie forces were handed over, but the Cossack Brigade was still under the command of the provincial ruler
Abdol Majid Mirza Abdol Majid Mirza Eyn-ed-Dowleh (Persian: عبدالمجیدمیرزا عین‌الدوله) (1845 – 2 November 1927) was a Qajar prince and twice Prime Minister of Iran. He was the eldest son of Prince Soltan-Ahmad Mirza Azod od-Dowleh an ...
, taking orders from him and
Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
. After the failure of
Abdol Majid Mirza Abdol Majid Mirza Eyn-ed-Dowleh (Persian: عبدالمجیدمیرزا عین‌الدوله) (1845 – 2 November 1927) was a Qajar prince and twice Prime Minister of Iran. He was the eldest son of Prince Soltan-Ahmad Mirza Azod od-Dowleh an ...
and his replacement with
Mehdi Qoli Hedayat Mehdi Qoli Khan Hedayat (; 1863 – September 21, 1955), also known as Mokhber-ol Saltaneh (Persian: ), was Prime Minister of Iran and an author of several books on Iranian music, modern education, poetry, current affairs, and most notably a mem ...
, the situation in the city had calmed down a bit, and the relative optimism of Khiabani about
Mehdi Qoli Hedayat Mehdi Qoli Khan Hedayat (; 1863 – September 21, 1955), also known as Mokhber-ol Saltaneh (Persian: ), was Prime Minister of Iran and an author of several books on Iranian music, modern education, poetry, current affairs, and most notably a mem ...
, prevented him to expansion of the popular resistance force that he had formed limitedly before. At the same time, the ''"Board of Directors of the Assemblies"'' was able to hold a general assembly consisting of 480 people from Tabriz and the cities of the state and elect a state committee. The board also laid the foundation for the formation of the Central Gendarmerie with 500 people headed by Seyyed Hossein Yavar and tried to expand its military forces, but with the entry of Ottoman forces into
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
, the plan was prevented and the gendarmerie was closed.


Suppression

Although
Mehdi Qoli Hedayat Mehdi Qoli Khan Hedayat (; 1863 – September 21, 1955), also known as Mokhber-ol Saltaneh (Persian: ), was Prime Minister of Iran and an author of several books on Iranian music, modern education, poetry, current affairs, and most notably a mem ...
had apparently accompanied the uprising upon his arrival in Tabriz, his main mission, as it turned out later, was to suppress the uprising, and even his predecessor
Abdol Majid Mirza Abdol Majid Mirza Eyn-ed-Dowleh (Persian: عبدالمجیدمیرزا عین‌الدوله) (1845 – 2 November 1927) was a Qajar prince and twice Prime Minister of Iran. He was the eldest son of Prince Soltan-Ahmad Mirza Azod od-Dowleh an ...
had not accepted this mission. On September 13, 1920, the Cossack forces and some
gendarmerie A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...
agents, with the prior coordination and order of
Mehdi Qoli Hedayat Mehdi Qoli Khan Hedayat (; 1863 – September 21, 1955), also known as Mokhber-ol Saltaneh (Persian: ), was Prime Minister of Iran and an author of several books on Iranian music, modern education, poetry, current affairs, and most notably a mem ...
and under the command of Brigadier general ''Hashemi'', attacked the building of the uprising headquarters. After a few hours, due to the lack of a proper defense force, the building was captured by the Cossack forces, so Khiabani hid in the house of one of his friends. The next day, the assailants were informed of the whereabouts and Khiabani was killed in a limited skirmish.


Reasons for the failure

The main reason for the failure of the Khiabani's uprising was the weakness of this uprising in mobilizing the masses. He, who tried to raise awareness and enlighten the minds of the people with his speeches, neglected to equip and arm the masses, and the popular support was weakened for various reasons. Other causes of failure include the inability to control the Cossack force, the lack of sufficient financial resources, the lack of a stable force of armed
fedayeen Fedayeen ( ''fidāʻiyyūn'' "self-sacrificers") is an Arabic language, Arabic term used to refer to various military groups willing to sacrifice themselves for a larger campaign. Etymology "Fidayun" is the plural of "fidayi" ( ''fidāʻiyy'' ...
, the lack of a cohesive organization, making individual decisions, and the inability to unite political forces during the uprising.


Speeches

Before and after the uprising, Khiabani regularly spoke at the ''"Tajaddod"'' building, the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Tabriz. His aim was to acquaint and remind the principles of freedom-seeking and the act of democracy in the constitutional movement. After the uprising began, sometimes up to 20,000 people in Tabriz participated in his speeches. His main effort in lectures was enlightenment and preparation of thoughts. Examples of his thoughts are evident in his numerous lectures: * The uprising of Azerbaijan will ensure the freedom of Iran ... * We want to provide the means of free and independent life and democracy in Iran ... * We have risen up against the reactionary and authoritarian government and not against our century and time ... * We want to establish a kind of democratic government in Iran that actually includes the sovereignty of the nation ... * Because the government and the state are born of the nation, then according to reason and logic, the will of the nation should rule, not the theory of a few people ...


See also

* Azadistan * History of Iran after Islam


References


External links


Sheikh Mohammad Khiabani's uprising thought

The uprising of Sheikh Mohammad Khiabani in Tabriz


* ttps://en.eshraghtrans.com/content/92 Sheikh Muhammad Khiabani: Anti-Colonialist Activist’s Martyrdom Anniversary
Biography of Sheikh Mohammad KHIABANI
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mohammad Khiabani's uprising History of Tabriz Persian Constitutional Revolution National liberation movements Independence movements Rebellions in Iran 1920 in Iran April 1920 20th-century rebellions