War/Conflict:
Persian Revolution
Years of Conflict: 1906-1911
Primary Participants: Shah Mohammed Ali
of Persia vs. Constitutionalist Rebels
Intervening Countries: Russia (aiding
the Shah)
Area(s) of Conflict: Tabriz and Tehran,
and areas of northern Persia
Reasons for
Conflict:
Shah Mohammed Ali, who was the sixth Shah of the
ruling Qajar Dynasty, ruled as a tyrant, and defied
the constitutionalist laws passed by his father,
the late Shah. Those laws established the first
parliament, called the Majlis, in Persian
history.
Mohammed Ali sought to reassert the power of the
Monarchy, and in using artillery to shell the
parliament building on June 23, 1908, set off a
military conflict that would end his reign. The
only government forces the Shah could really rely
on were Russian Cossacks "donated" by the Russian
government. These troops were commanded by Russian
General Liakoff.
Course of the
Conflict:
After the Shah's forces attacked the Majlis, the
Constitutionalist forces centered around the
northeast of the country, in the area of Tabriz to
the Caspian coast. Russian forces aiding the Shah
captured Tabriz after a long siege on April 29,
1909. The revolutionaries rallied around Yeprem
Khan, who seized control of Rasht and then moved on
the capital of Tehran. Negotiations between the two
sides were encouraged by the Russian and British
governments, but the talks broke down and the
advance on Tehran continued. As the government
Cossacks attempted to block access into Tehran from
the west, other rebel forces entered the capital
from the south and occupied the Majlis building and
parts of northern Tehran. After two days of
fighting, the Shah sought refuge in the Russian
Legation (Embassy).
The reconstituted Majlis legally deposed the
Shah and placed his eleven-year old son, Ahmed
Mirza, on the throne as the new Shah, who occupied
the throne on July 17. As the young Shah was not
old enough to actually rule the nation, a Regent
was appointed to run the country in the Shah's
name. The Regent was a political liberal named Azad
ul-Mulk. The now-former Shah was allowed a pension
but ordered to live out his life as an exile. In
September 9, 1909, the ex-Shah left the Russian
Legation for exile in Europe.
Despite the political resolution in Tehran,
violence continued in the countryside, with raids
by mountain tribesmen around Tabriz, violence in
Yezd and Zimjan, and the fall of Ardebil to
tribesmen aligned with Rahim Khan, who favored a
return of the old Shah Mohammed Ali. Government
forces were sent from Tehran and fought Rahim
Khan's forces around Tabriz. The 4,000
pro-government Constitutionalist troops defeated
the rebels and took 400 prisoners.
On July 17, 1911, the former Shah, Mohammed Ali,
landed with a Russian army at Astarabad on the
Caspian coast and marched on Tehran with a Russian
Cossack force. Mohammed Ali's brother, Shu'a'
al-Soltana, led an army that attacked government
positions in Persian Kurdistan, capturing
Kermanshah, Hamedan, and other areas on his way to
join his brother outside of Tehran. Government
forces fought Mohammed Ali's army near Varamin on
September 5, 1911, and defeated him. The deposed
Shah once more fled to Russia.
Despite the defeat of Mohammed Ali, Russia
increased pressure on the Persian government, and
in the face of a Russian military advance toward
Qazvin, the government gave in to Russia's demands
to retain its sphere of influence in northern
Persia.
References:
1. Kohn,
George C. Dictionary
of Wars.
New York: Facts On File Publications.
1999.
2. Dupuy, R. Ernest
and Trevor N. Dupey. The
Harper Encyclopedia of Military History: From 3500
B.C. to the Present
New York, New York: Harper & Row.
1993.
Iranian History -http://www.fouman.com
See also:
Wars of Iran
Wars
of the Middle East
Wars of
Russia (1815-1918)
