Iran Teymourtash
Encyclopedia
Iran Teymourtāsh the eldest daughter of Abdolhossein Teymourtāsh, is considered a pioneer among women activists in 20th century Iran
. Her father's position as the second most powerful political personality in Iran, from 1925 to 1932, afforded Iran Teymourtāsh the opportunity to play a prominent role in that country's women's affairs early in life.
Prior to her father's removal from office in 1932, she attended the American Girl's College in Tehran
, and is believed to have been the first female to appear in public unveiled when she delivered the commencement address for her graduating class from high school in 1930.
Shortly later, she founded an association of women with the intended goal of establishing a boarding school
for destitute women. This organization would remain active in the years that followed by engaging in charitable work, and among others, establishing evening educational classes for women.
In 1931, Iran Teymourtāsh was sent abroad to attend preparatory college in London
; however, after a year of attending college, she returned to Iran upon hearing that her father had been arrested on the orders of Reza Shah
for having fallen out of favour. Abdolhossein Teymourtāsh was murdered in prison in 1933, and his immediate family was held under house arrest on one of its farflung estates for an extended period of time. While it was not uncommon for Reza Shah to imprison or kill previous associates or prominent politicians, the decision to impose severe collective punishment on Teymourtāsh's family was likely unprecedented during his reign. As such, Iran Teymourtāsh endured eight years of incarceration and exile with several other members of her family.
After being released from exile in 1941, Iran Teymourtāsh travelled to Iraq
and succeeded in arranging for the extradition to Iran of the individual believed to have killed her father, Dr. Ahmad Ahmadi ("Pezeshk Ahmadi"), who was subsequently tried and sentenced in Tehran for having arranged the murder of various individuals at Qasr prison on the orders of Reza Shah.
Subsequently, given the flourishing of the free press in the period that followed the removal of Reza Shah from the throne, Iran Teymourtāsh served as the first female editor of an Iranian newspaper after she established and published the Rastakhiz newspaper. Nonetheless, within several years of publishing Rastakhiz, Iran sensed that freedom of the press was slowly deteriorating as Mohammad Reza Shah consolidated his hold on power, and she moved to Paris
where she lived for the remainder of her life.
Iran Teymourtāsh earned a Ph.D. in litetarture while residing in France
where she pursued a career in journalism, and acted briefly as the press attache at the Iranian embassy in Paris. She became an active member of PEN International and André Malraux
's International Association of Writers for the Defense of Culture. Like her father, Iran Teymourtāsh was awarded France's highest civilian honour, the Legion d'honneur
.
Apart from her brief engagement to Hossein Ali Qaragozlu before Abdolhossein Teymourtāsh's fall, Iran Teymourtāsh opted to remain single for the remainder of her life. Ironically, the posthumous release in 1991 of the Confidential Diary of Asadollah Alam
, the Shah's closest confidant, revealed that Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
intimated to Alam that during his late teenage years he "was head over heels in love with Iran Teymourtash".
More recently, a book chronicling the lives of Iran Teymourtash, Ashraf Pahlavi
and Mariam Firouz
, entitled Een Se Zan (These Three Women) was authored by Masoud Behnoud and published to wide acclaim in Iran. It is believed to be one of the best selling books to have been published in Iran in recent memory.
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...
. Her father's position as the second most powerful political personality in Iran, from 1925 to 1932, afforded Iran Teymourtāsh the opportunity to play a prominent role in that country's women's affairs early in life.
Prior to her father's removal from office in 1932, she attended the American Girl's College 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...
, and is believed to have been the first female to appear in public unveiled when she delivered the commencement address for her graduating class from high school in 1930.
Shortly later, she founded an association of women with the intended goal of establishing a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for destitute women. This organization would remain active in the years that followed by engaging in charitable work, and among others, establishing evening educational classes for women.
In 1931, Iran Teymourtāsh was sent abroad to attend preparatory college in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; however, after a year of attending college, she returned to Iran upon hearing that her father had been arrested on the orders of Reza Shah
Reza Shah
Rezā Shāh, also known as Rezā Shāh Pahlavi and Rezā Shāh Kabir , , was the Shah of the Imperial State of Iran from December 15, 1925, until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on September 16, 1941.In 1925, Reza Shah overthrew Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar...
for having fallen out of favour. Abdolhossein Teymourtāsh was murdered in prison in 1933, and his immediate family was held under house arrest on one of its farflung estates for an extended period of time. While it was not uncommon for Reza Shah to imprison or kill previous associates or prominent politicians, the decision to impose severe collective punishment on Teymourtāsh's family was likely unprecedented during his reign. As such, Iran Teymourtāsh endured eight years of incarceration and exile with several other members of her family.
After being released from exile in 1941, Iran Teymourtāsh travelled to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and succeeded in arranging for the extradition to Iran of the individual believed to have killed her father, Dr. Ahmad Ahmadi ("Pezeshk Ahmadi"), who was subsequently tried and sentenced in Tehran for having arranged the murder of various individuals at Qasr prison on the orders of Reza Shah.
Subsequently, given the flourishing of the free press in the period that followed the removal of Reza Shah from the throne, Iran Teymourtāsh served as the first female editor of an Iranian newspaper after she established and published the Rastakhiz newspaper. Nonetheless, within several years of publishing Rastakhiz, Iran sensed that freedom of the press was slowly deteriorating as Mohammad Reza Shah consolidated his hold on power, and she moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where she lived for the remainder of her life.
Iran Teymourtāsh earned a Ph.D. in litetarture while residing in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where she pursued a career in journalism, and acted briefly as the press attache at the Iranian embassy in Paris. She became an active member of PEN International and André Malraux
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
's International Association of Writers for the Defense of Culture. Like her father, Iran Teymourtāsh was awarded France's highest civilian honour, the Legion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
Apart from her brief engagement to Hossein Ali Qaragozlu before Abdolhossein Teymourtāsh's fall, Iran Teymourtāsh opted to remain single for the remainder of her life. Ironically, the posthumous release in 1991 of the Confidential Diary of Asadollah Alam
Asadollah Alam
Amir Asadollah Alam was an Iranian politician who was Prime Minister from 1962 to 1964. He was also Minister of Royal Court, President of Pahlavi University and Governor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province.-Early life:...
, the Shah's closest confidant, revealed that Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
intimated to Alam that during his late teenage years he "was head over heels in love with Iran Teymourtash".
More recently, a book chronicling the lives of Iran Teymourtash, Ashraf Pahlavi
Ashraf Pahlavi
Princess Ashraf ul-Mulki Pahlavi , is the twin sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the late Shah of Iran and the Pahlavi Dynasty. She currently resides in Paris, France. Princess Ashraf is the oldest living member of her family...
and Mariam Firouz
Maryam Farman Farmaian
Maryam Firouz or Princess Maryam Farman Farmaian was a daughter of Prince Abdol Hossein Mirza Farmanfarma and Batoul Khanoum. She founded the women's section of the Tudeh party in Iran....
, entitled Een Se Zan (These Three Women) was authored by Masoud Behnoud and published to wide acclaim in Iran. It is believed to be one of the best selling books to have been published in Iran in recent memory.
Sources
- Agheli, Bagher, Teymourtash Dar Sahneye-h Siasate-h Iran ("Teimurtash in the Political Arena of Iran") (Javeed: Tehran, 1371).
- Behnoud, Masoud, Een Se Zan, Ashraf Pahlavi, Mariam Firouz, va Iran Teymourtash
- Cronin, Stephanie, The Making of Modern Iran: State and Society Under Reza Shah (Routledge: London, 2003) ISBN 0-415-30284-6.
External links
- Genealogy http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Persia/qajar31.htm and http://v8nu74s71s31g374r7ssn017uloss3c1vr3s.unbf.ca/~mrezun/teymourtashgene.html
- Friendship with Henry CorbinHenry CorbinHenry Corbin was a philosopher, theologian and professor of Islamic Studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, France.Corbin was born in Paris in April 1903. As a boy he revealed the profound sensitivity to music so evident in his work...
and André MalrauxAndré MalrauxAndré Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
http://www.amiscorbin.com/textes/anglais/anglaistextes.htm#shah