Sattar Khan

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A picture of Sattar Khan.

Sattar Khan (Persian: ستارخان, Azerbaijani: ستارخان , pronounced [sætːɒːɾ xɒn]) (1868—November 9, 1914, Persian: ستار خان), honorarily titled Sardār-e Melli (Persian: سردار ملی meaning National Commander), born in Tabriz (Janali village), located in Iranian Azerbaijan, was a key figure in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution. Initially an unknown man, he became a main figure of the revolution by galvanizing the people of Tabriz to endure two sieges in defence of the Iranian Constitution of 1906 ^[1], 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 Shah. 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, thos refused to obey the government order to disarm. 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.^[2].

Constitutionalists of Tabriz The two men in the center are Sattar Khan & Bagher Khan

[edit] References

^ 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