Niloofar Kasra

About the year 1891, in Sorkhab neighborhood of Tabriz, a boy was born who was named MohammadTaghi. His father, major MohammadBagher Khan Pessian of Kurdish tribes, and his mother Fatimeh Sultan EzzatolHajieh attempted in the child’s education from his early youth. He spent his early education in Tabriz and he came to Tehran for the completion of his education, 1906, and entered the military school. He entered the military service in 1911 as second lieutenant, and was promoted step by step. In 1913, he entered the ranking officials school of Gendarmerie, and in 1914 he fought bravely in a fight with the Lors of Borujerd and was wounded. After his triumph over the Lors, he was promoted as a major by the Gendarmerie headquarters. On June 15th, 1914, he was appointed as the chief of Hamadan Battalion.  During the First World War, he fought along with the nationalists against the Russians and the fame of his extreme bravery even reached out to outer borders of Iran. Subsequent to the retreat of the nationalists, he left for Germany. However, after the war he returned to Iran, and shortly after he became the head of Gendarmerie of Khorasan. Qavamossaltaneh was the ruler of Khorasan at the time. Upon his arrival, the colonel took the office to establish order and security, and began to make reforms in the governor’s system. His strictness offended Qavamossaltaneh. After the coup of 22nd Feb. 1921, and Seyyed Ziaaddin Tabatabai’s taking the power in his hands, Colonel Pessian as directed by the prime minister, proceeded to arrest Qavamossaltaneh (2nd April 1921) and sent him under watch to Tehran; but after a while Sayyed Ziaaddin escaped himself, and Qavamossaltaneh became Prime Minister, and the conflict between Colonel and Qavamossaltaneh began. Qavamossaltaneh appointed Najdossaltaneh as the governor of Khorrasan, but the colonel was fearful of Qavam’s government, and was thinking of rebellion against him and to take the power in Khorrasan in his hands. Hardly a few days had passed from Najdossaltaneh’s office that he arrested Najdossaltaneh without any grounds and excuse; took the power in his own hands and detained and exiled some of the dignitaries and authorities of the city.

In August 1921, again, the government appointed Samsamossaltaneh Bakhtiari as the governor of Khorasan. It was perhaps to deceive or to appease him that Samsamossaltaneh appointed Colonel Mohammad Taghi Khan Pessian as deputy governor of Khorassan, being quite aware of his popularity and influence in the region so he had decided to tolerate him.

However, in mid August, Qavamossaltaneh expressed his opposition to the Colonel publicly, and proposed him to leave the country  under the following conditions:

1. Colonel receives his two-year salaries and leaves to Europe.

2. Colonel finishes the computations within 15 days, and concedes the affairs to the custodianship of the holy shrine of Imam Reza.

3. Colonel grants security to all officers, gendarmes and the government officials.

4. Government will recommend to tribe forces to tolerate Colonel and take him to the borders.

But the Colonel rejected this proposal; Qavamossaltaneh sent telegrams to the local rulers and chiefs, and called Pessian a lawless and unruly man and issued commands against him. Thus, the governor of Bojnurd, Sardar Moazzez, Shoja’olmolk, the chief of Hezareh tribe, Showkatossaltaneh, and Seyyed Heidar of Sariri tribes, and Salarkhan Baluch were mobilized to fight against Colonel.

Amir Showkatolmolk wished for the conclusion of the case with peace and reconciliation and while arranging for a meeting with Colonel in Gonabad, Sardar Moazzez attacked Quchan with Quchani Kurds; disarmed the Gendarmerie and took the power of the town in his hands.

Upon hearing the news, Colonel left Gonabad for Quchan. In Jafarabad, in 12 kilometers distance from Quchan, a heavy battle began between Colonel’s forces and Kurds of Quchan. The colonel himself was personally fighting at Jafarabad hills with gun and rifle, but due to severe siege and shortage of ammunition he was unfairly killed. The Colonel’s head was cut off from his body by Kurds. When the news of the Colonel's death and the defeat of Gendarmerie were heard, Mahmud Khan Nozari informed the government of the murder of Colonel and also expressed his obedience immediately. Colonel’s body and head were brought to Mashhad at 7th Oct. 1921 with great salute and respect and many residents of the city, and gendarmes participated in his funeral with heavy hearts. Gendarmerie officers and some of his supporters delivered passionate speeches, and with the great crowd gathered at the place, expressing strong feelings, his body and head were buried at the tomb of Nadir Shah. After his martyrdom, every year for 5 years general mornings were held for him in Mashhad until when the Pahlavi dynasty came to power, and the mourning ceremonies conducted on the occasion of the anniversary of the disaster was banned.