Chronology of Iranian Contemporary History

Book Review:

Volume 4, 21 March 1924-20 March 1925
Hedayatollah Behboodi,
Published by: Political Studies & Researches Institute (PSRI), 2011

Historical documents have long been paid attention by those who are interested in historiography. The finding and rereading of documents contribute to being documentary of historical events. A historian can find historical issues by putting documents and evidences together and sometimes by getting assistance from oral history, and partly comes close to the past incidents.

The chronicles are considered a method of documentation in historical researches for preparation of which the calendars, handwritings and the remained memories are also used.

The fourth volume of the Chronology of Iranian Contemporary History has been authored by Hedayatollah Behboudi, and was published in March 2011. The book covers the daily events of 1303 solar year (1924-25) and has been published by the Political Studies and Researches Institute.

The first volume was authored by Hassan Farahani and published in 2006. The second and third volumes were also written by Hedayatollah Behboudi and published in the spring of 2009, and 2010 respectively.

Behboudi in the introduction has elaborated briefly on the events of 1303 and reminded some points about the collection of the information:

"The volume four of the series of the books Chronology of Iranian Contemporary History is about the events happened in 1303 (1924-5). During the beginning days of the course of republicans, the change of political regime and revocation of Qajar monarchy was still circulating. Reza Khan did not succeed to achieve his main goal in Nowruz of 1303 (1924-5) which was concurrent with three feasts (Nowruz, the birthday of 12th Shiite Imam and Friday). The opposition helped by the demonstrations of people of Tehran had been able to confront the demand and led the republicans on the verge of collapse. The parliament had announced that the change of Iranian political system was not within his authority and a referendum should be held. The demonstrations of the people of Tehran on March 22nd against republicanism raised the anger of Reza Khan. His presence in the parliament and insult to one of the lecturers and the disputes on one hand and a split in the lines of the military forces some of whom openly supported Ahmad Shah on the other hand caused Reza Khan to pull back his harsh demands. The course of republicanism stopped in Tehran sooner than other cities. Reza Khan left Tehran for the city of Qom on March 26th and met with the religious authorities who had emigrated from the Mesopotamia. It seemed that the meetings had provided the grounds for the return of the immigrant Ulema to the holy cities in Iraq but the main talks were about the revocation of republicanism. Reza Khan who had become sure that his goal would not be achieved, by going to Qom and meeting with sources of emulation Isfahani, Naeeni and Ha'eri Yazdi while canceling the change of Iranian political system, could attract their view for his survival. Five days later, in a statement he announced protection from "grandeur of Islam and Iran's independence", abolishing the republicanism. Although the statement was announced to the commanders of army that is the executive agents of Reza Khan in the country, it stressed that the measures taken for the dethrone of Ahmad Shah and Qajar dynasty should be followed seriously without putting an emphasis on republicanism."

Then, the writer refers to the story of the republicans' assassination and the establishment of martial law in Tehran and other main cities, elaborating on the key events and effective courses on the process of Iran's governing in 1303.

In the footnote of each event, the source has been brought and the reader can partly find out the method of the book's formulation and writing. However, there are also information about the difference between solar and lunar dates in order to inform the reader of the method of compilation and recognition of documents as well as the type of their impression, and the newspapers have been regarded as the source for comparing the dates.

The book's list of contents includes 12 months of the year 1303 (1924-25), the list of sources, pictures and an announcement together with the specimen signatures of the ministers, ambassadors and politicians. The writer has also used cables, pictures, documents, letters and the clipping.

The book like the previous ones has been formulated on the basis of the existing documents in Marble Palace – consisting of administrative correspondence, the section of letters, correspondence of ordinary people and civil and military statesmen of war ministry period and the person of Reza Khan. In addition to Marble Palace documents, firsthand sources including the then newspapers, the books considered as the main source of that historical period and the documents of the British National Archive have also been used for keeping the form of chronology and receiving a coherent view of the political, cultural, social and economic atmosphere of that period.

In formulating this collection, the centers such as The General Office of Documents and Diplomatic History of Foreign Ministry,   The National Library & Archives of Islamic Republic of Iran, The Library, Museum of the Document Centre of Iranian Parliament and the Professional Library of Islamic Revolution and Iranian Contemporary History attached to the Bureau for the Islamic Revolution Literature at Arts Center (Hoze Honari) have cooperated.
Chronology of Iranian Contemporary History has been published for the researchers in octavo size, paperback and in 1500 copies.

Maliheh Kamaleddin
Translated by: Mohammad Baqer Khoshnevisan