Battle of Varamin

Battle of Varamin
Date5 September 1911
Location
Persia
Result Nationalist Victory
Belligerents

Nationalist forces

  • Iranian Gendarmes
  • Armenian Volunteers
  • Bakhtiari People
 Turkman people
Commanders and leaders
Yeprem Khan Arshad Al-Dawleh
Strength
1200

400 infantry

1600 cavalry

The Battle of Varamin was fought in 1911 between the Qajar dynasty under Arshad Al-Dawleh and the Majles under Yeprem Khan.[1]

In 1909 or 1910 (sources differ), Muhammad Ali Shah Qajar was deposed from his position as Shah of Persia and exiled to Russia by the constitutional revolution.[2][3][4] In July 1911 Muhammad Ali returned to Persia to retake power.[5][6] On 5 September 1911, almost 1,200 Gendarmes, Bakhtiari, and Armenian volunteers, led by Yeprem Khan, fought 2,000 Turkman tribesmen under Al-Dawleh.[1] The battle was a defeat for the forces under Muhammad Ali's banner, and forced him to flee to Russian Protection.[1]

Background

In 1907, Muzaf-far al-Din Shah died.[7][8] Immediately before his death, he was forced by the constitutional revolution to grant a constitution to Persia.[7][8] His successor, Muhammad Ali wanted to retake power from the new Majles.[7] In 1908 Muhammad Ali staged a coup and attempted to restore the monarchy to a position of absolutism.[9][10] This resulted in a year-long civil war, and in 1909 Muhammad Ali was exiled to Russia, and replaced by his 12-year-old son Ahmad Shah Qajar.[11][12]

In 1911, Muhammad Ali returned to Persia to retake power.[5] He recruited many members of the Shahsavan and Turkman tribes to his side.[5] In early September, 40 miles (64 km) away from Tehran, Muhammad's general al-Dawleh fought the national forces at a battle near Varamin.[1]

Battle

The battle opened with Al-Dawleh sending in a diversion of 300 fighters into Varamin.[1][13] The Nationalist forces used a maxim gun and three artillery pieces to open fire on the diversionary force, before attacking them with Bakhtiari cavalry.[1][13] The diversionary force of the Royalist forces was thrown into confusion and routed back into their main army.[1] This caused the rest of the royalist force to launch a disorderly retreat from the battlefield.[1] Al-Dawleh was wounded and captured.[1]

Aftermath

Al-Dawleh was executed the next day.[1] Further North, Muhammad Ali was ambushed a few days later and escaped to Russian protection.[1] Muhammad Ali's brother Salar Al-Dawleh would be defeated as well near Qom.[1] Ahmed Shah remained the Shah of Persia until 1925.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ward, Steven (2009). Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces. Georgetown University Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-58901-258-5.
  2. ^ Ward, Steven (2009). Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces. Georgetown University Press. pp. 100–101. ISBN 978-1-58901-258-5.
  3. ^ Abrahamian, Ervand (2008). A history of modern Iran. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-521-82139-1.
  4. ^ Donzel, E. J. van (1994). Islamic desk reference. Leiden: Brill. p. 285. ISBN 978-90-04-09738-4 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ a b c Ward, Steven (2009). Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces. Georgetown University Press. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-58901-258-5.
  6. ^ Donzel, E. J. van (1994). Islamic desk reference. Leiden: Brill. p. 286. ISBN 978-90-04-09738-4 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ a b c Ward, Steven (2009). Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces. Georgetown University Press. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-58901-258-5.
  8. ^ a b Martin, Vanessa. "Constitutional revolution: ii. Events". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 24 December 2024. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  9. ^ Ward, Steven (2009). Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-58901-258-5.
  10. ^ Abrahamian, Ervand (2008). A history of modern Iran. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-521-82139-1.
  11. ^ Ward, Steven (2009). Immortal: A military History of Iran and its armed forces. Georgetown University Press. pp. 95–101. ISBN 978-1-58901-258-5.
  12. ^ Abrahamian, Ervand (2008). A history of modern Iran. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-82139-1 – via Internet Archive.
  13. ^ a b Farrokh, Kaveh (2011). Iran at War 1500-1988. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 227. ISBN 9781780962405.
  14. ^ Sheikh-ol-Islami, Mohammad Javad (8 June 2018) [15 December 1984]. "Aḥmad Shah Qājār". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 27 Feb 2025.
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