Jungle Movement of Gilan

The Jangal (Forest or Jungle) Movement () was a rebellion against the monarchist central government of the Sublime State of Iran in Gilan, which lasted from 1915 to 1921.

Conquest of Tehran

In July 1909, following the dissolution of the parliament during the reign of Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar and the 1908 bombardment of the Majlis, constitutionalist fighters from Gilan and the Bakhtiari tribe advanced toward the capital. With the capture of Tehran, alongside the Bakhtiari tribesmen, they reestablished the constitutional system in Iran. Sepahdar-e Azam Tonekaboni, the commander of the Gilani constitutionalists, was also appointed Prime Minister.

History of the movement

left|thumb|Mirza Kuchik Khan in the prelude to the Jangali rebellion

Origins and beliefs (1915)

In October 1915, Haj Ahmad Kasmai (1264 - 1344 Ghamari/1250 - 1330 Shamsi/1871 - 1951 AD), Kabra Ibrahim Kasmai, Hossein Kasmai (mentioned in Shivan Fumani's poem "Gaav"), Gholam Hossein Kasmai, Dr. Heshmat Taleghani, and Mirza Kuchik Khan, an experienced activist in the pro-democracy and nationalist Constitutional Revolution, among others, collectively launched the Jangal movement in the forests of Kasma, Gilan. They demanded autonomous status for the province, an end to central government corruption, an end to foreign interference in affairs of local peoples, and land reform. Basically, even though the movement was not "separatist", "bourgeois nationalist", or communist, its main ideas were rooted in ridding the country of government corruption, "foreign imperial domination," and opposition to the country's existing monarchy. With such goals, it is no surprise that the movement enjoyed strong support of the peasantry, working class, and poor population within Iran. Even so, Hooshang Amirahmadi describes the movement's leaders as "merchants and landlords" and Mirza as part of the "democratic wing" of the Iranian bourgeoisie.

thumb|Kabra Ibrahim Kasmai, the brother of Haj Ahmad Kasmai, and one of the key figures of the Jangal Movement.

thumb|Front cover of Haj Ahmad Kasmai's book Yad Dashtaye Ahmad Kasmai az Nehzateh Jangal: Gardavari, Tas-hee, va Tashiye Manouchehr Hedayati (translation: Ahmad Kasmai's Notes from the Jungle Movement: Gathered, Edited, and Notated by Manouchehr Hedayati)

thumb|Back cover of Haj Ahmad Kasmai's book Yad Dashtaye Ahmad Kasmai az Nehzateh Jangal: Gardavari, Tas-hee, va Tashiye Manouchehr Hedayati (translation: Ahmad Kasmai's Notes from the Jungle Movement: Gathered, Edited, and Notated by Manouchehr Hedayati)

Early Jangal movement (1915–18)

In years that followed, the movement's guerrillas, Jangalis, fought against foreign invaders. They initially defeated the armies of two landowners, and a force consisting of 550 Russians and 50 Persian Cossacks. However, they were nearly destroyed in January 1916 by Nikolai Baratov's forces. Still, they managed to defend themselves and recovered, taking control of large amounts of territory in Gilan, even taxing Gilakis. While the Jangalis were described as "small landowners in Gilan" that advocated armed insurgency, they were strong enough to resist the advances of the Russian Empire, leading the British to become the major military presence in the region instead. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Marxists within Iran became more organized and began collaborating with the Jangal movement, with many of these new revolutionaries directly influenced by the Bolsheviks. Later, these Marxists would end up forming the Tudeh Party. Even so, there were undoubtedly differences since Mirza supported land reforms but not land redistribution.

Near the end of 1917, the Jangalis organized the Committee of Union of Islam, since they were affiliated with the Union of Islam movement, which was "bourgeois-nationalist" with democratic elements, with members on the committee mainly comprising landlords and merchants. Still, they drew up a proposed constitution which accepted "private property in land" with certain limitations but also called for equality, majority rule, and freedom. Even with this, the Jangalis failed to change relations between landlords and peasants, but they did continue to hold an anti-absolutist, anti-imperialist, and nationalist position displayed in their magazine, Jangal, launched in 1917. In December, after the October Revolution in Russia, the Anzali Revolutionary Committee, made up of Bolsheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries and led by Anton Cheliabin, was created. However, the committee and its Red Guards did struggle to control Russian forces in the region, as many Russians opposed the Bolsheviks. Noel was arrested before he could take any such action. Colonel Stokes and General Lionel Dunsterville (whose troops were informally referred to as Dunsterforce) were further agitated by Mirza's refusal to let British forces pass through Gilan on their way up north, while Mirza had approved and guaranteed safe passage for Russian troops returning north. British forces attacked Rasht as a result, and even bombed Mirza's residence using airplanes. An ultimatum was issued to Mirza by the British to surrender.

Battle of Manjil and temporary neutralization (1918)

In 1918, the British brought White Russian colonel Lazar Bicherakov and his 1,200 The Dunsterforce

left|thumb|Red Iran: "Rosta" [[wall newspaper of Russian Telegraph Agency (Russian Telegraph Agency) in Persian and Russian reads: Rasht 27 June 1920, Long Live Mirza Kuchek", in the honor of Mirza Kuchak Khan and celebration of the newly announced Soviet Republic of Gilan.]]

By 1920, the Jangalis engaged in an uprising in which they demanded regional autonomy and national reforms. There was a turning point in the movement's history when the Red Army came into the Iranian port of Anzali from Baku, which the 11th Red Army had entered on 28 April.

Further analysis

Initially, when commencing the movement, Mirza and his allies formed a union called Ettehad-e-Islam (the Union of Islam). Although in the beginning, they were in conformity over the aims of the movement, eventually the movement began witnessing considerable friction as some members had diverging tendencies toward Ahmad Shah Qajar while others such as Mirza specifically called for an Iranian "Republic."

Not only did Mirza specifically use the term "Republic of Iran," as can be seen in his letters, but he had also declared his interest in a "Republic" before the advent of the Communist Party of Iran. In fact Mirza was removed from his posts in the Persian Socialist Soviet Republic only 17 days after the party's formation. Mirza did not seem to agree with Marxist ideology, being a devout man of faith, even though many of his allies until the end were members of the Communist Party.

Jungle Movement of Gilan

Conquest of Tehran

History of the movement

Origins and beliefs (1915)

Early Jangal movement (1915–18)

Battle of Manjil and temporary neutralization (1918)

Further analysis

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links