APA presents the article “Azerbaijan Newspaper” by Mohammad Rahmanifar within the framework of the “Discover South Azerbaijan” project.
You can read the previous article of the project here.
When the Azerbaijan National Government was established in South Azerbaijan in December 1945 under the leadership of Seyid Jafar Pishevari, the newspaper "Azerbaijan" was presented as the official organ of the said government, and official government news began to be published in that newspaper. Historically, the newspaper gained such a reputation that today, when its name is mentioned in South Azerbaijan, the period of the Azerbaijan National Government and the said newspaper immediately come to mind. However, this was not the first newspaper published under the same name in Azerbaijan. Both in North Azerbaijan and South Azerbaijan, before and after this newspaper, numerous newspapers and publications were issued under the name "Azerbaijan". In this short article, we will take a look at newspapers published under the name "Azerbaijan" in South Azerbaijan.
Newspapers named “Azerbaijan”
The period of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran (1905–1911) is considered a time of flourishing and growth of journalism and public interest in newspapers. The need to inform and educate the public and to promote political ideas and ideals led to the publication of numerous newspapers during this period. South Azerbaijani Turks were among the most active in this field. Along with newspapers published in Tehran by Azerbaijani intellectuals and journalists, newspapers were also published in many cities of South Azerbaijan, such as Tabriz, Ardabil, Khoy, Maragha, and others. It was precisely during this period, namely the time of the Constitutional wars, that a newspaper titled "Azerbaijan" began to be published in Tabriz. It is said that when the first issue of the "Azerbaijan" newspaper was given to Sattar Khan, his eyes filled with tears. “Today is Azerbaijan’s holiday,” Sattar Khan said. However, this was not the first newspaper published under the name "Azerbaijan."
In fact, the first newspaper published under the name "Azerbaijan" appeared approximately 50 years before the newspaper that Sattar Khan saw and shed tears of joy over, calling that day “Azerbaijan’s holiday.” The first newspaper titled "Azerbaijan" was published in 1858. The first newspaper published in Tabriz using lithographic printing had progressive ideas. In fact, this publication, which was essentially a monthly journal, used different titles in different issues, but in all of these titles, we encounter the word “Azerbaijan”: “Azerbaijan,” “National Newspaper of the Country of Azerbaijan,” “Events of the Protected Country of Azerbaijan,” “News of Dar al-Saltaneh-yi Azerbaijan.” During its 21 years of activity, this newspaper was banned twice, and finally, by order of Mozaffar al-Din Mirza, who was living in Tabriz at that time as the crown prince of the Qajar dynasty, it resumed publication under the name Tabriz.
(Azerbaijan newspaper, 1907)
As mentioned earlier, the "Azerbaijan" newspaper published in Tabriz during the Sattar Khan movement period is actually considered the second newspaper bearing that name. The first issue of this newspaper was published in Tabriz on February 19, 1907. At the same time, the first page of the first issue bore the date “1906.” However, the second page of the same issue featured the date “February 19, 1907.” This newspaper, published in eight pages, devoted four of its pages to illustrations. The similarities between the illustrations and images in this newspaper and those in the Molla Nasreddin magazine published in North Azerbaijan attracted the interest of researchers. The articles in the newspaper were written in Persian or Azerbaijani Turkic. Apparently, more than 20 issues of the "Azerbaijan" newspaper were not published, and its founders later attempted to publish another newspaper. However, the surviving issues of "Azerbaijan" demonstrate the courage of those who published it, especially the person who created its illustrations.
(Azerbaijan newspaper, 1907)
Azerbaijan joined the Constitutional Movement with hopes of freedom and justice, but after the adoption of the Constitution, South Azerbaijan lost even its previous freedoms. The master poet Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar explained this situation very well:
"We overthrew the despotic sultan so that our people might be free,
Then we saw that freedom also left with that sultan."
With the strengthening of Reza Khan and eventually the transition of the monarchy from the Qajars to the Pahlavis, "Azerbaijan"’s share in journalism was reduced to twelve Persian-language newspapers and one Armenian-language newspaper. Throughout this period, no newspaper bearing the name "Azerbaijan" could be published. The newspapers that were published reflected not the wishes of the people, but the propaganda of the oppressive regime.
In 1941, with the occupation of Iran by the Allied forces (Great Britain and the Soviet Union), Reza Shah’s authoritarian and despotic rule came to an end. South Azerbaijan, which had been under the heaviest pressure and suffocated throughout those years, found an opportunity to breathe again and resume activity. Shortly after Reza Shah was exiled from Iran, the first newspaper to begin publication appeared under the name Azerbaijan. This newspaper was, in fact, the third newspaper published by South Azerbaijani Turks under the name "Azerbaijan."
The newspaper began its activity under the leadership of Ali Shabistari and the editorship of Ismail Shams, and in fact served as the organ of the “Azerbaijan Society” established in Tabriz after Reza Shah was exiled from the country. Articles in this newspaper were published in Persian and Azerbaijani Turkic. The articles were bold and critical. This newspaper also criticized the central government’s attitude toward Azerbaijan during the period of Reza Shah’s dictatorship and emphasized the necessity of ensuring the rights of the Azerbaijani people. In addition to publishing articles and poems in the Turkic language, the newspaper also published articles on the Azerbaijani language, literature, and history, as well as on the defense of provincial and regional councils.
(An example of poetry and writing in Azerbaijani Turkic in the Azerbaijan newspaper. Only one page of issue No. 35 is written in Persian; all remaining pages are written in Azerbaijani Turkic.)
Although the Iranian central government was in its weakest position after Reza Shah’s exile, it did everything possible to prevent the newspaper’s distribution. In many issues of the newspaper, one can find notes stating that the Iranian central government obstructed its distribution and sale in Tehran and other places. As a result, after approximately six months of activity, the “Azerbaijan Society” was dissolved by order of the Iranian central government, and the publication of the newspaper was halted. However, this was not the end of the road. Three years later, the same newspaper would reappear.
Approximately three years after the dissolution of the “Azerbaijan Society” and the closure of the newspaper, the Azerbaijan Democratic Party issued a declaration on September 3, 1945, announcing its existence. Two days later, the "Azerbaijan" newspaper resumed publication. Published continuously in Tabriz until December 1946, the newspaper served as the official organ of the Party and the Azerbaijan National Government. The newspaper was published in Azerbaijani Turkic, and with very rare exceptions, all news, analyses, and even advertisements were written in our native language. Thus, for the first time, South Azerbaijan had a newspaper published entirely in its mother tongue. The language of the articles is so fluent and accurate that even today it is a pleasure to read them.
(Azerbaijani women read the Azerbaijan newspaper)
At the same time, the editorial board did not forget poets and writers. In all issues of the newspaper, a section was devoted to poems by poets and stories by writers. Some of the poets and writers who published their works in this newspaper during their youth later became well-known Azerbaijani poets and writers. The first literary works of many Azerbaijani poets and writers, such as Bulud Garachorlu (Sahand), Madina Gulgun, Hakima Buluri, Mohammad Biriya, Professor Mohammad Tagi Zehtabi, Master Mohammad Ali Farzaneh, Habib Sahir, and Ganjali Sabahi, who left a significant mark on South Azerbaijani short story writing, were published here.
(Pishevari reading the Azerbaijan newspaper)
Among newspapers published under the name "Azerbaijan", this newspaper is associated with both the sweetest memories and the bitterest fate. The establishment of the Azerbaijan National Government, the granting of official status to the Azerbaijani Turkic language in South Azerbaijan, women’s participation in elections for the first time, ceremonial events related to Azerbaijani culture and proud decisions, the opening of Tabriz University, peasants gaining ownership of agricultural land—in short, the sweet memories related to the sovereignty of the people of South Azerbaijan over their own destiny were recorded in this newspaper. However, when Tabriz was completely occupied by the army of the Pahlavi regime on December 17, 1946, alongside all the inhumane crimes committed by the army, a cultural crime was also perpetrated. In the squares of the city, all books written in Azerbaijani Turkic, including the "Azerbaijan" newspaper, were burned in flames of hatred and animosity. We conclude this article with a fragment of a poem by the great Azerbaijani poet Samad Vurghun, which he recited in protest against that event:
Executioner! The books you burned in heaps,
Are the glory of a thousand virtues, the dream of two hearts…
We depart from this world, they remain as a legacy,
On every page are engraved so many human emotions,
The glory of a thousand virtues, the dream of two hearts…
