Howard Baskerville: A Story of Relations Between Iran and America

The Story of Relations Between Iran and America

Chapter One: Howard Baskerville

In a small yard, between apricot and almond trees, a simple tombstone proclaims the words, “Howard C. Baskerville, born April 13, 1885, died April 20, 1909.” One hundred years ago, on this ground in the northwestern city of Tabriz, there came to be a cemetery and hospital for Presbyterian Christian clergymen and missionaries.

Here is the grave of a young American who graduated from Princeton University. Here lies a martyr of the constitutionalist movement, who still has the respect of the Iranian people as a man who was different and special.

As a young teacher, Baskerville decided to become a reverend. His fate brought him beyond the roles of either teacher or priest, but in the perspective of the constitutional struggle, he found a dignity that was higher than either of his dreams of teaching or religious life.

Baskerville’s family had a heritage of religious beliefs coming from a line of Scottish Presbyterians. His father and grandfather were clergymen. He had four brothers who also chose the same profession. Howard was born in the state of Nebraska, and prior to his entering Princeton University, his family moved to North Dakota. Despite his main course of religion, his two other issues of interest were Judicial Investigations and government-based constitutions. In 1879, he was taught by Woodrow Wilson (who later became President of the United States in 1912). This influence was profound and had a considerable effect on his future and also on his religious studies.

Shortly after graduation, Baskerville wrote a letter to the board of directors of the Presbyterian Church regarding an expedition out of the country. Although he decided to continue his studies at Princeton University, he referred to the gaining of experience in a foreign language and culture. Thus, he was selected for a two-year teaching mission in Tabriz.

In the fall of 1907, Baskerville taught English and science at the Memorial American School, which was run by Presbyterian Missionaries in Tabriz. The school registry contained 80 Muslims and 135 Christian Armenians and Assyrians.

Sadegh Rezazadeh Shafigh, the Pahlavi senator, was one of Baskerville’s students in this school. On the 50th anniversary of Baskerville’s death, a memorial was published in which Shafigh wrote, “He was very reputable and many wanted to attend his classes. Some older students from Doctor Samuel Wilson (principal) asked for a class on established international law; he accepted and gave the responsibility of the class to Baskerville.”

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Iran’s policy was in between competitors Great Britain and Russia for the control of Central Asia, an adventure that Rudyard Kipling called, “The Great Game.” Kings of Iran at that time had to appeal to European powers and borrow from them, and gradually began the influx of foreigners, who were handed privilege and a large part of the wealth of country. In 1907, Great Britain and Russia had an agreement and divided Iran into regions of influence: the southern provinces for Britain and northern provinces, including Tabriz, for Russia. The middle range of land remained neutral. The so-called “St. Petersburg Agreements” were signed without even consulting Iran. In 1907, Baskerville criticized the English-Russian treaty to his pupils, and also made his feelings known to Sir Edward Grey, the British foreign minister.

In 1906, Iran’s Constitutional Revolution began and protesters forced Mozafaredin Shah (heir of a dynasty that began in 1779, nearly simultaneously with American independence) to determine a new parliament. The Iranian constitution was the first constitution in Central Asia or the Middle East, and Mozafaredin Shah signed it into law in December 1906. The new constitution established the legislation and promised citizens equality before the law and individual rights of freedom; it established the need for the king’s consent from the parliament for foreign loans and required parliamentary consent to sign contracts with foreign entities, established public education and promised freedom of the press.

In 1907, a few weeks after signing the constitution, Mozafaredin Shah died and his despotic son, Mohammad Ali Shah, came to the monarchy. Although the First Amendment to the constitution was signed and sworn, and there were hopes he would become engaged in strengthening the constitution, he began to suppress the freedoms of this fledgling nation. During a coup in June 1908, Mohammad Ali Shah shot down the parliament and cannonade and ordered the execution of many liberals.

Objections against Mohammad Ali Shah rose in Tehran, and around Tabriz, due to the region’s close proximity to the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) and Russia, as there was a higher concentration of European influence in ideas and culture. A pioneer armed opposition leader, Satarkhan, was a man from the Tabriz neighborhood of Amirkhyz. When resistance came to Tabriz, the Shah ordered a siege of the city. The Royal force gradually transformed the routes leading to Tabriz and took control of the city, stopping the arrival of food to the city, in anticipation of the surrender of Tabriz to the pressure of a famine hunger.

Baskerville’s arrival to Tabriz was in strong support of the constitutional ideal. For example, after finishing the school day, he journeyed to the battle line and brought food for the constitutional soldiers. He was very impressed by some of his students and revolutionary friends, including Shariff Zadeh. Young Shariff Zadeh was shot in the eyes and died.

In March 1909, Baskerville decided that 150 of his students ought to help Sattar Khan in organizing the defense of Tabriz. In the last class meeting, Baskerville spoke with his students about their responsibility to defend their homeland.

This was not the expected behavior from an American citizen or a missionary, and for this reason, he was strongly under pressure for his opinion and behavior. One day, when Baskerville and his students were engaged in military exercises, William. F. Duty, the American consul in Tabriz, came where they were practicing. He said to Baskerville, “I’m obliged to remind you as an American citizen, you do not interfere in internal affairs and politics in this country,” and insisted, “You are here as a teacher, not a revolutionary.”

According to the writings of Reza Zadeh Shfagh, Baskerville replied, “I cannot ignore the suffering of these people as they fight for their rights. I’m human and cannot stop my sympathetic feelings for the people of this city.” When Duty asked for his passport, Baskerville refused to hand it over.

Baskerville’s changing behavior raised opposition among the fellow Presbyterian missionaries. They were opposed to his participation in combat operations and involvement in domestic political disputes, and they believed that due to Baskerville’s behavior, sending other missionaries to the region would be too dangerous. So Baskerville resigned from his religious mission.

In April 1909, 10 months after the siege began, all the food and medicine in the city of Tabriz had been depleted and the city, besieged by the royal force, had no way to receive supplies. Sattar Khan had not successfully prepared the cannon that promised to break the siege. On April 19, the city’s wheat store was reduced to enough for one more day. Many people were even forced to eat grass. In mid-April, it was decided that a small group was to cross the siege line and take food from nearby villages. Baskerville and a young English journalist volunteered themselves for this mission.

At dawn on April 20, Baskerville and two other groups crossed the fences. Reza Shafagh Zadeh was also with them and wrote of this in his memoirs.

When Baskerville guided his men to the wall of city, a royal force sniper shot at him in a moment that all went wrong. Baskerville fired back, imagining the sniper had escaped from the area, and called his men forward with hand signals. When Baskerville turned his back, the sniper shot him twice, through his heart and out the other side of his body. The Mission doctor believed that he died instantly.

Five days after Baskerville’s funeral, his parents received a telegram from Sattar Khan in Minnesota that stated: “Iran is grieving the loss of your son, who died for freedom. In this pain, we swear he will always be greatly remembered in history throughout the future of Iran.”

Later on, Sattar Khan wrapped Baskerville’s gun in the flag of Iran and sent it to his family.

Although Baskerville’s mission failed, the cause he died for never failed. With the atmosphere of propaganda following Baskerville’s death, representatives of Russia and England put Mohammad Ali Shah under pressure to allow their representatives to enter Tabriz (apparently because European citizens wanted to leave Tabriz). This contributed to the end of the siege of Tabriz and, at the same time, allowed the constitutional force to gain victory in other parts of the country, which ultimately led to the dismissal of the shah. Nevertheless, a constitutional democracy did not last long in Iran.

Within 24 hours, Baskerville’s sacrifice became a national legend and his funeral ceremony was an enormous mourning. Thousands of people came to the streets of Tabriz to see his coffin and say goodbye to him. His coffin was covered with 16 wreaths, and a music group played mourning music and accompanied the coffin to the cemetery. In the cemetery, Hassan Taghizadeh, one of Iran’s parliament representatives, said in a brief speech, “Young America, young Baskerville made a sacrifice for Iran’s young constitution.”

Finally, in November, when Parliament resumed its sessions, Taghizadeh delivered an elegy for Baskerville in the opening speech.

Baskerville’s memory will always remain in Iranian minds. After the end of the occupation in Azerbaijan, Stalin withdrew from Iran to the serious warning of America (the only holder of atomic bombs at that time), and in 1950 the government gave the order to place a memorial plaque on Baskerville’s grave, which has since been repaired. A poem by Aref Ghazvini, Iran’s national poet, was engraved on the plaque:

He was brave and chief justice for equity

For Iran’s happiness you sacrificed your life

Your name will always be in our memories, your soul always happy

Several schools in Tabriz and other cities of Iran still remember Baskerville and were named after him. They were, of course in the passage of time, later renamed. In 2003, a bronze bust of Baskerville was built at Sattar Khan’s house. Under the bronze statue, this sentence was written: “Howard C. Baskerville — He was a liberal and a historic figure.”

Note: I wrote this story under the influence of a graduate of Princeton University, which, 100 years after Baskerville’s birth, now has a large number of talented Iranian students. I have adapted and summarized the story.