Iran between Islamic Nationalism and Secularism by Vanessa Martin

Author:Vanessa Martin [Martin, Vanessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780766638
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Published: 2013-09-16T00:00:00+00:00

The Struggle between the Local Authorities in Tabriz: Autumn 1907

In the following months Tabriz itself was largely quiet, but there was unrest in Urumiya and amongst the Kurds, who also harassed Khoy and Salmas. The struggles, particularly around Savujbilagh, continued. At the end of August the Ottomans attacked Urumiya. September brought a new governor in Farman Farma, with some reservations about his appointment on the part of the more radical section of the Anjuman. In a letter to Nahzat al-Daula, a relative of Farman Farma, Shaikh Salim threatened that if he came to Azarbaijan and showed a negative attitude to the people and the mashruta, not only would Nahzat al-Daula’s ‘property and soul’ be destroyed, so would that of Farman Farma.121 Nahzat al-Daula responded reassuringly that he would not be so oppressive and irreligious as to ill-treat believers, and Farman Farma would do his best to improve matters for the people. In fact, Farman Farma endeavoured to establish co-operation with the Anjuman on the basis of working towards the execution of the decrees on constitutionalism, and to bring down the price of wheat and bread. He also pointed out that the Anjuman should ensure an adequate budget for the army because of the problems of security. There was a considerable struggle over resources; objections were made to more being expended on the war when the price of food in Tabriz was so high.122 On the grounds that not all affairs could be discussed publicly, Farman Farma came to an arrangement with the Anjuman that four representatives of their choice should see him as necessary to discuss the rectification of any problems. He insisted on taking over the policing of the town and asked that the local government servants be paid by the Anjuman. However, he felt his authority was weakened by the assassination of Amin al-Sultan, which otherwise occasioned joy in Tabriz.123 The socialist newspaper Mujahid published a picture of his assassin, ‘Abbas Aqa, surrounded by a poetic text saying, ‘You are greater than Khizr. I call you the Messiah, but you are more exalted.’ It added, ‘You are not dead – you are alive, and that is all.’124 Indeed, after the assassination the confrontation between absolutists and constitutionalists grew more bitter. In Tabriz, as in other towns, the opposition to absolutism was increasingly represented by radical societies.125

The local authorities blamed each other both over the expenditure of funds, and the failure to bring in more. In yet another debate on the army in the Anjuman of Tabriz in early October 1907, for example, Shaikh Salim criticised Farman Farma for not raising adequate funds; Aqa Mirza Aqa said it was the central government’s duty to do so; and Mu‘in al-Ru‘aya pointed out that the problem was the lack of clear regulations regarding administrative expenses.126 The Anjuman, however, did co-operate on occasion with the mayor, the baiglarbaigi, as for example on town sanitation. Regulations were drawn up on matters such as the slaughtering of livestock so as to avoid the spread

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