57
Shah strived for consolidating his power in all regions of the
country, the sternest resistance came from Tabriz.
127
Tabriz resistance that began in June of 1908 with
Sattar Khan and Bagher Khan took the world’s attention.
128
Reports of the incidents in Ottoman press mobilized the
Committee of Union and Progress and became influential as
much as Reval negotiations. Tabriz resistance turned into a
human tragedy after forces of the Shah besieged the city
with the help of Russian forces; hunger erupted and the
resistance lasted for ten months thanks to skillful maneuvers
of the Tabriz executive committee and democratic manners
and determination of Sattar Khan. The city fell after Russian
assault resulting in a massacre.
129
In the meantime, riots
broke out in Gilan province with initiatives of democrat
executive committee members and riot initiated by Bahtiyarî
tribe in the South in favor of the constitutional order
changed the momentum. As rebellious forces marched
swiftly and reached Tehran in July of 1909, Mohammad Ali
Shah sought refuge in Russia
130
and the parliament was
reinstated. Constitutional forces appointed his ten-year-old
sun Ahmed Shah (1909-1925) instead of Mohammad Shah
and Sheikh Fazlullah Nuri was hanged based on a court
order that was established in a state of emergency.
Execution
of a high-level religious leader for the first time in Iran
Shiite history sparked controversy which has continued until
today.
127
Melekzâde,
op.cit., Vol: IV, p. 844 et al.
128
For more information about the Tabriz resistance and Sattar Khan, see
İsmail Emirhizi,
Kıyam-e Azerbaycan va Settar Han, Çap 23, Tahran,
1379.
129
Browne states that the incident of March 31 caused Mohammad Ali
Shah to inflict more violence on Iranian constitutionalists,
The Persian
Revolution, ss. 271- 272; however Melekzade argues that the declaration
of the second constitutional reform period encouraged Iranian
constitutionalists,
op.cit.., Vol:V, p. 954.
130
Mohammad Ali Shah who lived in Çamlıca and Prince Islands in 1917-
1923 moved to Paris in 1923 and passed away there. Crossing through
Istanbul on his way to Europe in 1922, General Hasan Arfa held a meeting
with Mohammad Ali Shah, see
Under Five Shahs, Edinburgh, 1964, pp.
156- 157; for Istanbul embassy staff Sasani’s visit to Mohammad Ali
Shah, see
Yadbudha-yı Sefaret-i İstanbul, ss. 38- 46, 226- 229. For his
attempt in 1911, see Melekzâde
, op.cit.., Vol: VII, p. 1394 et al; Browne,
The Press and Poetry of Modern Iran, p. 329 et al.
58
Activities of Iranian Constitutionalists in Istanbul
and other Ottoman Cities:
Although Iranians founded some charity and
solidarity organizations in Istanbul after 1895, they were not
involved in cultural and political activities. It is not known
why Iranian community in Istanbul kept silent during
emergence of political opposition in Iran and declaration of
the constitutional reform between 1896 and 1905. One
exception, however, was
Süreyya and
Perveris newspapers
published by Mohammad Kasani (who wrote for Ahter as
well) in Egypt between 1898 and 1901. Another newspaper
named
Şernâme also began publishing in 1904.
131
Despite
the fact that Iranian community in Istanbul were silent, not
mobilized and did not publish anything on the matter,
Iranians who carried out trade along Istanbul, Baghdad,
Basra and Erzurum route provided illegal published
materials to Iran and reported on developments in Iran
through European press including those by the Young Turks.
It was also Iranians in Istanbul who informed the
international community about what was going on in Iran at
the time of constitutional change. Keeping up with
developments on a daily basis in Azerbaijan where executive
committee network was strong due to trade affairs and in the
north west region which included Tehran, these merchants
encouraged the ulema in Iraq to support the opposition.
132
Despite these efforts, opponents who ended up in Istanbul
after the first constitutional parliament was bombarded by
Mohammad Ali Shah did not receive support from the
Iranian community in Istanbul, particularly merchants.
However, the Ottoman government opened their doors to
them by giving them government jobs and granted
citizenship to some young Iranians and admitted them to
police academy. The standoff between merchants and
opponents in this period was mainly due to opponents’
affinity to socialist ideas. However, a connection between
131
Anja W. M. Luesink, “The Iranian Community in Cairo at the Turn of
the Century”,
Les Iraniens D’Istanbul, p. 194 et al.
132
Melekzâde,
op.cit., Vol: V, pp. 1015- 1021; Dawlatabadî,
age., Vol:
III, pp. 54- 56, 69- 70; Seyyid Hasan Takizâde states that the Ottoman
embassy in Tehran, Union and Progress administration in Istanbul and
ulema in Najaf and Karbala helped constitutionalists during Mohammad
Ali Shah’s tyranny.
Hitabe: Moştemal ber Şemmei ez Tarih-e Evvel-e
İnkılab va Meşrutiyet-e İran, Tahran, 1338, p. 79.