زﻧﺪﮔﯿﻨﺎﻣﻪ «ﻫﺎوارد jﺎﺳﮑﺮوnﻞ» ﺷﻬZﺪ ﻣ st ﺖZﻃو :Howard C. Baskerville ﯾﻮﺳﻒ ﻋnyﺰی ﻧﮋاد ﺧﻮ•~ Martyr of Constitutionalism ﺎ ‰ ەﺎ ﺧ†…ی ﻠﺤﺗ Z• ﺎﻤﻧ ﻧ ﻪﻣﺎ By Yousef Aziz-Nejad Khoi ۲۱•۰۹•۱۳۹۸ Translated by the Baskerville Institute The Constitutional Revolution in Iran (1905-1911) is one of the most prominent events in the history of Iran and Asia and had a great impact on the emergence of movements in other Asian countries1 . Many freedom fighters from other countries were encouraged by the development and came to Iran to fight alongside the Iranians for their Constitutional movement ( 1905-1910).• When despotic forces (Istebdad) with the support of Tsarist Russia, were pressuring the constitutionalist forces, famous foreigners held rallies in support of the Iranian freedom fighters. For example, Zia al-Din, son of Mahmud Pasha, organized and chaired meetings with allies in Istanbul supporting the efforts of the Iranian freedom fighters.2 Apart from these regional activities, other freedom fighters from faraway countries took notice of Iran and joined the constitutionalists. Their names have been recorded in Iran for their bravery. Such as German Fyodor, a Mojahedin artilleryman in the Gilan province, Aliev Shalatov, a naval sailor, Patomectin, a national army gunner, Fonarov, a fugitive Russian soldier, and Charles Semino, a Frenchman who died and left his mark on the history of the Constitutional Revolution. Another person, Saeed Salmasi, 2 was able to mobilize a large number of young Ottoman Turks to join the other fighters defending the constitutionalism of Azerbaijan.• Perhaps the name of Panov, a member of the Russian Social Democratic Party, and his clever actions in constitutionalist propaganda are one of the shining *Pictures & illustrations added to the translation by the Baskerville Institute. 1 Mehrab Mohammad, 100th Anniversary of the Constitution, Special Issue, Akhtar magazine, P. 24 • Translator note: For more on Iran’s Constitutional Revolution see H.E. Chehabi, and Vanessa Martin, edited , Iran's constitutional revolution : popular politics, cultural transformations and transnational connections, I. B. Tauris, 2010 2 Ibid.. Among the wealthy and powerful people of Azerbaijan, cooperation with Haidar Amu Oghli in the uprisings of Khoy and Tabriz, and with the Ottoman Union and Progress Society helped the constitutionalists and the Mujahideen of Khoy, and the Kurds in Khoy • Trans.note: On June 24, 1908, Sayyid Hassan Taqizadeh, a prominent constitutionalist intellectual fled and took refuge in Istanbul, joining others who had fled earlier and forming alliances with their Turkish colleagues. pages of constitutionalism. In sum, forty-two pro-freedom world revolutionaries were killed or wounded during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution. One of these anonymous and devoted personalities was Mr. Howard C. Baskerville, a young freedom- loving American teacher. Howard Baskerville (1885-1909), was born in North Platte, Nebraska, graduated from Princeton University in 1907( 1286). He came to Iran to teach at the American Boys' School in Tabriz, which was part of the organization of American Presbyterian missionaries in this city. Baskerville, 24, taught history and international law. 3 Before the constitutional movement, as well as in its early years, the American School in Tabriz (Memorial School)4 was popular with constitutionalists. Because it was the only place where English and European sciences were taught, and many young smart Iranians attended this school.5 Baskerville’s registration with U.S. Consulate in Tabriz, September 5, 1908 The solidarity of the school and the Constitutional Movement was due to one teacher in that school, and this is the story of Mr. Baskerville joining the Tabriz Mojahedin. According to Ahmad Kasravi: "It was Baskerville, a 25-year-old who arrived in Tabriz shortly before the Tabriz War to teach from the United States. He had taken and his first job was to come to teach in this school after receiving his B.A. from 3 Janet Afary, Iranian Constitutional Revolution, ( translated by Reza Rezai), Bisetoon Press, 1379, P. 494 4 American Memorial School of Tabriz established in 1881 was one of the most prominent schools of its kind. Hundreds of Iranian received their secondary education in Memorial School. The school had 12 classes. Its official language was English and it had its own program. n 1935-1936 following the order of Reza Shah to nationalize all of the private school. In 1908 98 percent of the Iranian population were illiterate, three-fourth lived in rural areas. 5 Ahmad Kasravi, Iran’s Constitutional Revolution, Amir Kabir Press, P. 897 Princeton University. When the pure-hearted young man arrived in Tabriz and found the whole city in turmoil, his blood boiled and he became attached to the freedom of Iran."6 Baskerville, who lived in complete freedom and comfort, and had never tasted oppression in his life, suddenly entered an environment dominated by political oppression and abuse. In this case, it was not surprising that he was moved by great exuberance for change. Seeing the oppression of the youth and hearing the speeches of the late Sharifzadeh and Rezazadeh Shafaq7, this free-spirited young man became very attached to the constitution, and especially the killing of the late Sharifzadeh, shook the heart of this young American and made him very uneasy. After watching the misconduct of foreign agents such as the Russian and British consuls, Baskerville could not stay indifferent, he wanted to do something. He therefore became acquainted himself with English-speaking freedom fighters and in conversing with them he expressed his interest to help the freedom fighters. Because he had completed his military service in the United States and had training, he recruited young people to train them for the fight.8 Watching Baskerville in revolutionary Mojahedin uniform created a strange excitement in Tabriz. Some young people from Tabriz, as well as businessmen who had not taken up arms until that day, appeared in the square in battle uniforms and carried Baskerville's orders with their necks stretched, even though observers knew more or less that Baskerville had a formidable task, and he was unaware of the forces in the civil war, the tribes and nomads, and that he would soon perish and this will intimidate other young people [ from joining the Constitutional Movement], but as long as he taught military training, many benefits from his leadership example.9 6 Ibid. 7 Rezazadeh Shafaq, born in 1310 (AH ) in Tabriz, had completed his primary and secondary education in Islamic sciences and English at the American School and the Russian and French language courses in Tabriz. He published a newspaper called Shafaq. 8 Kasravi, op.cit., P. 891 ( translator note: He chose Kasravi ( 1889-1945) was a prominent an Iranian historian, linguist, researcher, jurist, and a nationalist thinker.] He was a nationalist professor of law at the University of Tehran and a lawyer in Tehran. He is the author of more than 70 volumes in Persian and Arabic. His book on the history of Iran's constitutional movement was published in 1939. This book has also been translated into English by Evan Siegel ( Mazda Press 2006.) 9 Karim Taherzadeh Behzad,, Azerbaijan Uprising in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution, pp. 266 and 267. According to sources, it was from February that Baskerville became acquainted with these young men and was determined to teach them military service, so he worked from those days and, so that the American consul and the American school would not be aware, set up the Ark Field for military training of this recruits.• Every day at dusk, young people would gather there and practice. In this way, Baskerville's work progressed, and during his training, hundreds of well-known merchants came to the training ground and looked at him with admiration and praise. According to Kasravi: "A simple young man has a great dream in his heart."10 Baskerville made a pact with each of the forces under his command to be at the forefront of the battle, and as they approached the enemy, they should gallantly push forward, kill and be killed by the enemy. The same young people, after receiving the required training, trained others as trained instructors. Young people trained directly under Baskerville were called "rescue regiments.” ( Fouj’e Nejat) Baskerville’s “Rescue Regiment.” Baskerville’s friend, Sadeq Rezazadeh Shafaq, 3rdman standing from the left • Trans.note: On February 4, 1909, Russian forces surrounded Tabriz and its neighborhood, preventing people and food supplies from entering the city. This is known as the Tabriz siege. 10 Kasravi, op.cit., During training of his men Baskerville noticed a handful of inexperienced wealthy young people. Taherzadeh Behzad writes in this regard: "Most of the trainees were not interested in going to war, but wanted to wear special clothes and train with bullets and walk the streets of Tabriz. So after Baskerville, none of them stayed in the battlefield."11 During Baskerville's training, the American consul became aware of his work and became concerned. One evening, when the barracks was full of people and Sattar Khan Sardar and a number of representatives of the association were there, the consul came to the barracks, and when he met Baskerville, he reminded him that his involvement in the Constitutional Revolution in Iran was a violation of America law.• He told him that his actions would lead to punishment , and he threatened Baskerville and asked him to return to teaching at school. At this point, Baskerville took out his American passport and returned it to the consul. Sardar Khan and the representatives of the association who were present and watching the incident, addressed him: We are very happy with you, but we do not want you to be harmed in the way of the liberation of Iran and we would like you to return to your place in the school.