Sattar Khan
| Sattar Khan | |
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| Born | October 20, 1866 Tabriz, Iran |
| Died | November 17, 1914 (aged 48) Tehran, Iran |
| Religion | Twelver Shi'a Islam |
| Spouse | Fatemeh |
| Children | Yadollah , Soltan , Masoumeh |
Sattar Khan (Persian/Azeri: ستارخان, IPA: [sætːɒːɾ xɒn]; (October 20, 1866—November 17, 1914), honorarily titled Sardār-e Melli (Persian: سردار ملی meaning National Commander) was a pivotal figure in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and is one of the greatest heroes of Iran.[1]
Sattar Khan, Freedom Fighter & National Hero Sattar Khan was born in October 20, 1866 in Bishak(now: Sardarkandi) village of Azarbaijan province of Iran to a merchant family. Later Sattar Khan became a great general of the Constitutional Revolution, which took place in 1906 - 1911.
Sattar Khan, who was heading the rebels from Amirkhiz district of Tabriz, capital of East Azarbaijan province, in 1907, had become favorite general of all his fighters because of his heroism and courage. After shelling Majles (National Assembly), 40 thousand armed forces of Mohammad Ali Shah of Qajar attacked Tabriz, the cradle of Constitutional Revolution. In June 1908 under the leadership of Sattar khan High Military Council was established.
Sattar Khan was appointed the Commander in chief of High Council, Bagher Khan as his deputy, Ali Musyo, Haji Ali and Seyed Hashem Khan as members.
By April 1909, Tabriz rebels lost huge number of their fighters in driving out the loyalist armed forces of Tabriz. Taking into account Sattar Khan and Bagher Khan'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.
Military council was assigned the task of defending Tabriz. This victory of rebels in Tabriz had greatly influenced other provinces of Iran. Special committees with the name of "Sattar Khan" were established in Tehran, Rasht, Qazvin, Esfahan and other cities.
Most cities of Azarbaijan were cleared from forces of government by October 1908. Being afraid of the strengthening revolutionary movement in the country, Mohammad Ali Shah of Qajar authorized reopening of the Majles (National Assembly) in Tehran.
Second Majles 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 and the plaque was hung on the tribune in the next session of the Assembly.
The strengthening of revolutionary power in the wake of Tabriz victory did frighten the loyal forces of Mohammad Ali Shah of Qajar and their allies, especially Russia and Great Britain. To discredit Sattar Khan and his supporters, they tried to separate Sattar Khan and Bagher Khan from their followers and supporters and to take them out of Tabriz. A telegram (dated 16.3.1910) sent by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain to its Ambassador in Iran, Mr. George Birly, reads that Sattar Khan and Bagher khan had to be sent away from Tabriz immediately. Majles did ask Sattar khan and Bagher khan to leave for Tehran. In March 1910 the two leaders with 300 of their followers and fighters headed for Tehran. Sattar khan and Bagher khan reached Tehran on 3 April 1910. Sattar Khan was received by Tehran citizens as a savoir.
Sattar Khan, together with his followers was accommodated in Atabey Park. In August 1910 Sattar Khan refused to obey the government order to disarm. Shah's troops and police forces led by Yeprem Khan (Davidyans), head of Tehran police with a brief but violent confrontation at night, on 7 August 1910, surrounded and disarmed the Sattar Khan's forces. At that night, Sattar Khan was injured in his leg. Sattar Khan stayed in Tehran until his death at the age 48, on November 9, 1914. He was buried in Shah Abdul Azim cemetery in Shahr-e Ray near Tehran. Many poems and verses have been written about Sattar Khan's heroism, and his devotion to the Constitutional Revolution and his Iranian people.
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[edit] Biography
Initially an unknown man, he became a main figure of the revolution by galvanizing the people of Tabriz to endure two sieges in defense of the Iranian Constitution of 1906,[2] resisting against the royalist forces sent by Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar. He later led the Azerbaijani contingent of Iranian constitutionalist forces (along with contingents from Gilan, Isfahan and Bakhtiari tribal forces) to Tehran in order to protest the abolishment of the constitution by the Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar. As a result of these efforts, the constitution was restored, and Mohammad Ali deposed. Upon his return to Tabriz, Sattar Khan was treated as a national hero.
Sattar Khan had a major fall out with the interim constitutionalist government over disarming and disbanding of his forces. In 1910, Sattar Khan & Haj Baba Khan-e- Ardabili refused to obey the government order to disarm, believing that their volunteer militias were Iran's best defense against any future attempts by the British and Russians to saddle Iran with another tyrant puppet like Mohammad Ali Qajar. After a brief but violent confrontation at Atabek Park in Tehran, Yeprem Khan, Sattar Khan's former comrade and now the police chief of Tehran, disarmed his forces using Bakhtiari tribesmen and Armenian veterans. Sattar Khan was wounded during the confrontation. He was later pensioned off and his followers were disbanded. There are some claims that Sattar Khan died in 1914 from the wounds he sustained at Atabek Park.[3]
[edit] Legacy
Sattar Khan is remembered in his country for his heroic actions in defense of the freedom of the Iranian people, and today is often referred to as the Zapata of Iran (Sardār-e Melli that means "National General"). A street in west Tehran has been named after him.
[edit] See also
- Bagher Khan, Sālār-e Melli
- Constitutional Revolution House of Tabriz
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.iranchamber.com/history/sattarkhan/sattar_khan.php
- ^ Sharif Al Mujahid. Quaid-i-Azam Jinnah: Studies in Interpretation, Quaid-i-Azam Academy, 1981, p. 294
- ^ Ervand Abrahamian. Khomeinism: Essays on the Islamic Republic, I.B. Tauris, 1993, ISBN 1850437793, p. 93
[edit] External links
- Sattar Khan, Encyclopædia Iranica
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