Triumph of Tehran

The Triumph of Tehran (Persian: فتح تهران, romanized: fath-e tehrān) refers to the entrance of the pro-constitutionalists in Tehran on 13 July 1909, which led Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar to seek refuge at the Russian legation in Tehran, before he was sent in exile.^[1] The event ended the period in Iranian history known as the minor tyranny.

Following numerous clashes between Mohammad Ali Shah and the Majlis (Iranian Parliament) in 1286 and 1287 AH, the Shah dissolved the parliament on July 2, 1287 AH, and imposed martial law on Tehran. Despite his claims of continued loyalty to the constitutional monarchy, many constitutionalists in Tehran and other Iranian cities were arrested or forced into exile. However, in Tabriz, government forces were unable to gain control, and constitutionalist fighters led by Sattar Khan and Baqir Khan initiated an armed resistance. The resistance of the people of Tabriz revived the hopes of the constitutionalists, and while exiled political activists and the ulema of Najaf condemned Mohammad Ali Shah's coup, movements formed in Rasht and Isfahan, ultimately leading to the capture of these cities by the constitutionalists.

On May 5, 1288 AH, several hundred constitutionalist forces from Rasht, commanded by Mohammad Vali Khan Tonekaboni and Yeprem Khan, captured Qazvin, aiming to advance towards Tehran. From the south, Bakhtiari forces, led by Sardar Assad Bakhtiari, marched from Isfahan towards Tehran on May 21, 1288 AH, and eventually joined the Gilani army, which had crossed Karaj and reached the vicinity of Tehran. Sardar Maryam Bakhtiari and a number of Bakhtiari forces secretly entered Tehran before the arrival of the constitutionalist forces to fortify positions around the parliament as soon as the clashes began. On July 13, the constitutionalist forces managed to enter Tehran. The clashes in the city continued for three days until July 17, when Mohammad Ali Shah sought refuge in the Russian embassy, and the capital came under the control of the constitutionalists. Following the capture of Tehran, a High Council was formed, which deposed Mohammad Ali Shah and appointed his son, Ahmad Mirza, as Shah.

One of the unique features of this event was the intervention of the Bakhtiari tribe in the Constitutional Revolution, marking the first participation of an Iranian tribe in support of the constitutionalist movement. Prior to this, Iranian tribes had either not intervened in the constitutional movement or had sided with Mohammad Ali Shah.