Constitutionalist movement of Gilan - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Jangal movement, in Gilan, was a rebellion against the monarchist rule of the Qajar central government of Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

. It is considered as the extension of Constitutional Revolution of Iran and lasted from 1914 to 1921.

History of the movement

In 1914 Mirzâ Kuçak Xân

Mirza Kuchak Khan

Mīrzā Kūchik Khān was an early twentieth century revolutionary and is considered a national hero in modern Iranian history...

met in Tehran

Tehran

Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...

with other prominent figures of the Constitutional Revolution and helped organize a plan of reform for Iran, which called for the total independence of the nation, land and social reforms for the poor, and Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

ic unity. Obstacles to this program included foreign imperialists, the landed elites, and tribal leaders. From the constitutionalist perspective, the Tehran government had by this time lost its independence and had fallen completely under the influence of the British and Russians. Kuchak Khan and the Jangalis then formally disavowed the central government and proclaimed their intention to free Iran from both the foreign influences and the domination of landed elites and tribal rulers.

During the next few years, the Jangalis fought against the Russian and British forces that had threatened to advance towards Tehran from Gilan. They also waged campaigns against the tribes and robber bandits that threatened the security of the region. At this point, the Jangali movement was still fiercely committed to Iran, rather than pursuing Gilani nationalism which had not yet become an issue.

However, after the Russian Revolution of 1917

Russian Revolution of 1917

The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...

, foreign domination over the central government of Tehran was no longer as strong, and while the British continued to maintain a high level of influence over the Imperial Court, the government was now able to act more independently than before. Kouchak Khan and the Jangalis, as well as other constitutionalists and nationalists, saw this as an opportunity to join the central government and begin implementing their long-awaited democratic and social reforms. The Anglo-Persian Treaty of 1919, however, put an end to such an opportunity. The treaty was widely viewed by Iranians as having made the nation into nothing more than a British protectorate

Protectorate

In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...

. Its chief negotiator, Prime Minister Vosough od-Dowleh

Vosough od-Dowleh

Hasan Vothuq al-Dowleh was a Prime Minister of Qajar era Iran.He served as Prime Minister of Iran on 3 separate occasions. He was an Leader of Constitutional Movement of Iran.He was the older brother of Ahmad Qavam....

, was seen as a servant of the British. Kouchak Khan thereafter made this announcement in response to the terms of the treaty:

"My purpose and that of my friends is the independence of the state and the reforming and strengthening of the central government."

Kuchak Khan made a public declaration that he was against the idea of separating Gilan from Iran, and that Gilan would return to the jurisdiction of the central government as soon as it rejected the treaty and reformed itself. This, however, did not happen, and antagonism towards Britain and the ruling elites of the Qajar Court who were subservient to their interests grew to unprecedented heights. In June 1919, the Bolsheviks officially ended the Czarist era practice of extracting special privileges and concessions from Tehran.

In May 1920 the Soviet Navy

Soviet Navy

The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...

led by Raskolnikov

Fedor Raskolnikov

Fyodor Fyodorovich Raskolnikov , real name Fyodor Ilyin , was a Bolshevik, participant in the October Revolution, commander of Red fleets on the Caspian and the Baltic during the Russian Civil War, and later a Soviet diplomat...

and accompanied by Sergo Ordzhonikidze entered the Caspian

Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...

port of Anzali. This mission was declared to be only in pursuit of the Russian vessels and ammunition taken to Anzali

Bandar-e Anzali

Bandar-e Anzali , also Romanized as Bandar-e Pahlavī, Bandar Pahlavi, and Bandar Pahlevi, or simply as Pahlavī, Pahlevī, and Pehlevi; earlier, Enceli and Enzeli) is a city in and the capital of Bandar-e Anzali County, Gilan Province, Iran...

by the White Russian

White movement

The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...

counter-revolutionary general Denikin, who had been given asylum by British forces in Anzali. Upon their arrival based on some preliminary communication between Mirza and the Bolsheviks, Mirza agreed to enter into an alliance with the Soviets against the British. Among the conditions was the establishment of the Soviet Republic of Gilan.

However, soon arose disagreements between Kuchak Khan and his group of advisors on one side and the Soviets and the Iranian Communist Party (evolved from the Baku based Edalat (Justice) Party)on the other. Kuchak Khan's efforts to resolve the bloody disputes by sending a petition through a delegate of two of his men to Lenin [1] did not result in a resolution. By 1921 and particularly after the agreement reached between the Soviet Union and Britain the Soviets decided to give no further support to the Gilan Republic. As a result, the government forces led by Reza Khan crushed the dispersed forces of the Republic.

Historians have tried to analyze the factors that contributed to the demise of the Jangal movement. Some of the main studies including those by Gregor Yeghikian and Ebrahim Fakhrayi (minister of Culture in Mirza's Cabinet of the Red Republic) suggest a role for both extremist actions taken by the Communist (Edalat) Party that provoked opposing religious sentiment among the public, and Mirza Kuchak Khan's religious and at times somewhat conservative views on collaboration with the Communist Party as possible factors.

Of note is that Haydar Khan e Amo-oghli

Haydar Khan e Amo-oghli

Haydar Khan e Amo-oghli or Haidar Khan Amu Ogly Tariverdiev - a revolutionary activist who acted in Iran, Republic of Azerbaijan and Central Asia and used terror to radicalize Persian politics in the early 20th century.-Early years:He was born in Salmas or Urmiainto the Tariverdiev family and...

(secretary-general of the Communist Party of Iran, from Baku

Baku

Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...

), was arrested by Mirza's men and was later killed by the locals. This act, according to some sources, was not approved by Mirza however, was considered a reactionary and discouraging move by the Soviets. The Gilan republic lasted from June 1920 until September 1921.

Mirza and his German friend Gauook (Hooshang), while escaping the government forces died of frost bite in Khalkhal mountains. His body was decapitated by a local landlord and his head was displayed in Rasht to establish the government’s new hegemony [2] over revolution and revolutionary ideas.

Flag

The flag of the Jangal movement was a red banner with the name Kaveh
Kaveh
Kāveh the Blacksmith, also known as The Blacksmith of Isfahan or Kaveh of Isfahan is a mythical figure in Persian mythology who leads a popular uprising against a ruthless foreign ruler, Zahhāk. His story is narrated in the Epic of Shāhnāma, the national epic of Iran by the 10th century Persian...

(a heroic figure in the Shahnama) written upon it. This was a reference to the Derafsh-e-Kaviani
Derafsh Kaviani
The Derafsh Kaviani , was the legendary royal standard of the Sassanid kings. The banner was also sometimes called the "standard of Jamshid" , the "standard of Fereydun" , and the "royal standard" .-Name:The name Drafš e Kāvīān The Derafsh Kaviani (Middle Persian: Drafš e Kāvīān), was the...

(Kaviani Banner) and symbolized the movement's struggle against the monarchist central government in working to establish a democratic Iranian republic.

Further analysis

Initially, when commencing the movement, Mirza and his allies formed a union called Ettehad-e-Islam (The Islamic Union). Although in the beginning, they were in conformity over the aims of the movement, eventually the movement began witnessing considerable friction as some members had diverging tendencies toward Ahmad Shah Qajar

Ahmad Shah Qajar

Ahmad Shah Qajar ‎ was Shah of Iran from July 16, 1909, to October 31, 1925 and the last of the Qajar dynasty.- Reign :...

while others such as Mirza specifically called for an Iranian "Republic." (See Tarikh-i Enghelab-i Jangal by Muhammad Ali Gilak, Rasht, 1992)

Not only did Mirza specifically use the term "Republic of Iran," as can be seen in his letters (printed in Sardar-i Jangal by Ibrahim Fakhra'i, 1963, p282), but he had also declared his interest in a "Republic" before the advent of the Communist Party of Iran

Communist Party of Iran (1920)

The Communist Party of Iran was an Iranian communist party founded in June 1920 in Bandar-e Anzali .Haydar Khan e Amo-oghli, one of the leaders of the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, was elected as its general secretary...

. (Nehzat-i Jangal by Shapur Ravasani, ISBN 964-5799-64-3 , p59) In fact Mirza was removed from his posts in the Red republic

Persian Socialist Soviet Republic

The Persian Socialist Soviet Republic was a short-lived Soviet republic in the Iranian province of Gilan that lasted from June 1920 until September 1921...

only 17 days after the party's formation (Masa'il-i Inghilab-i Iran by Irandust, 1927, Vol 5, p132). Mirza did not seem to agree with Marxist ideology, being a devout man of faith, even though many of his allies until the end were members of the Communist Party.

Concerning other points of interest is Mirza's insistence on separating church from state. This is clearly stated in Article 5 of the Jangal Movement's Constitution, where it states: "Enfekak-e Rohaniyat az Omur-i Siyasi va Moa'ashi" ("The separation of the clergy from the affairs of politics and economics"). Mirza was himself a cleric by training.

One of the reasons for the success of Mirza's movement were his many educated reformist allies, such as Hossein Kasma'i, who was the Editor in Chief of the movement's newspaper Jangal, or Ashrafeddin Hosseini, Editor in Chief of the paper Naseem e Shomal, who died during the movement's struggle.

With the movement picking up momentum, the British, Russians, Ottomans, and Germans sent envoys to absorb the movement into their political spheres, but soon all their envoys were retracted in favor of ties with the central government in Tehran.

Mirza did however employ some German officers who were former prisoners of the British in Rasht

Rasht

Rasht is a city in and the capital of Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 551,161, in 159,983 families.Rasht is the largest city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast. It is a major trade center between Caucasia, Russia and Iran using the port of Bandar-e Anzali...

. These officers established training camps for Mirza in Gurab Zarmokh, the movement's military headquarters. A military school was also established in Lahijan

Lahijan

Lahijan is a city in and the capital of Lahijan County, Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 71,871, in 21,518 families....

, and by 1917, the Gendarmerie

Gendarmerie

A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...

and Cossack

Cossack

Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...

forces of Rasht had joined the movement.

The British did not take Mirza's successes lightly, and sent Captain Noel to assassinate Mirza (Fakhrai, p13). The British captain was arrested before he could take any such action. Colonel Stokes and General L.C. Dunsterville (whose troops were lightly referred to as the Dunsterforce) were further agitated by Mirza's refusal to let British troops pass through Gilan on their way up north, while Mirza had approved and guaranteed Russian troops returning north safe passage. British forces attacked Rasht as a result, and even bombed Mirza's residence using airplanes. An ultimatum was issued to Mirza by the British to surrender.

The Russians joined the British and sent in 20,000 troops to capture Mirza. Many prominent members of the movement such as Haj Ahmad Kasmai, and Dr Talequani Heshmat surrendered and the latter was executed despite the immunity that he was granted.

It must be emphasized that Mirza was not after the secession of Gilan from Iran, but rather to establish an independent Republic for all of Iran, as was clearly stressed repeatedly in his communiques.

In the wake of his final defeat and the demise of the movement, Mirza is known to have bitterly remarked in a letter shortly before his death:

"How sad that Iranians are supportive of the dead (mordeh-parast) and still do not realize the value of this movement. Of course they will come to realize after we are gone: who we were, what we wanted to achieve, and what we did."

Historical references

, ASIN

Asín

Asín is a municipality located in the Cinco Villas comarca of the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, located a few kilometers west of Orés. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 106 inhabitants....

B0007DXLE2

Ebrahim Fakhrayi, Sardar-e Jangal (The Commander of the Jungle), Tehran: Javidan,1983.
Gregor Yaghikiyan, Shooravi and jonbesh-e jangal (The Soviet Union and the Jungle Movement), Editor: Borzouyeh Dehgan, Tehran: Novin, 1984.
Khosro Shākeri, Milāde Zakhm: Jonbesh-e Jangal va Jomhuri-ye Shoravi-ye Socialist-e Iran (The Birth of the Lesion: The Jangali movement and the Consultative Socialist Republic of Iran), in Persian, first edition, 715 p. (Akhtarān Press, Tehran, 2007). ISBN 978-964-8897-27-2

History of the movement

Flag

Further analysis

Historical references

See also