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Sultanzade: The Forgotten Revolutionary Theoretician of Iran: A Biographical Sketch

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Cosroe Chaqueri
Cosroe Chaqueri*
Affiliation:
Ecole des Haute Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris
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Extract

Avetis Mikailian, better known as Sultanzade, was born in 1890 in Maragheh, a small town in northwestern Iran, to an extremely poor peasant family. According to an Armenian source, he attended a small Armenian school in his native town between 1903 and 1906, where the first section of Hnchak (the Armenian left Social-Democratic Party) had been founded in 1896. A former director of that school, Alexander Der-Vartanian, has reported that the young Avetis was sent to Djamaran, an Armenian ecclesiastical college in Ejmeyasin, near the city of Yerevan, although his father, Husayn Sultan, and his mother, Maryam Badji, had already embraced the Muslim faith. The school director relates that the young Avetis had, during the course of his studies, been strongly influenced by the Hnchak Party, a majority of whom later turned to Bolshevism.

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Articles
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Iranian Studies , Volume 17 , Issue 2-3 , Spring Summer 1984 , pp. 215 - 235
Copyright
Copyright © Association For Iranian Studies, Inc 1984

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References

Notes

1. Der-Vartanian, Alexandre, Hnĉ'akean Kowskac'owt'ean Gorcnêowt'iwne Parrskastanowm (The Activity of the Hnchakist Party in Persia), Memorial Dedicated to the 40th Anniversary of the Hnchakist Party (Paris, 1930), pp. 112–115.Google Scholar Let us add that Sultanzade was not related to Kristapor Mikailian, born in 1859, the Dashnak leader, who was the first president of the Armenian Republic from 1918 to 1920.

2. See Nalbandian, L., The Armenian Revolutionary Movement, (Los Angeles, 1963).Google Scholar

3. Der-Vartanian, op. cit.

4. Sovetskaja Istoriĉeskaja Enseklopedija (SIE), Vol. 13 (Moscow), p. 951.Google Scholar

5. An old activist of the CPI has supplied this information.

6. SIE, op. cit.

7. Secret Report, Sûrté Nationale Française, Archives Nationales, F7, 13506.

8. Sultanzade, Persija (Moscow, 1924), pp. 85-87; let us note that G. B. Garibzanian, in his work, Lenin i Bolŝevistkie organizacii za Kavkazija, 1893-1924 (Yerevan, 1967), p. 447Google Scholar, mentions Lenin's notes on the Project presented to him by Sultanzade for the Second Comintern Congress, but does not mention the latter's election to the Council for Propaganda and Action in the East (p. 450). For differences among the two party factions see volumes I and IV of Historical Documents of the Workers', Social Democratic, and Communist Movement in Iran, hereafter referred to as Hist. Doc. (Florence, respectively 1970 and 1973, and Tehran, 1979); also see Sultanzade, A., Ecrits Economiques, ed. Chaqueri, C. (Florence, 1980).Google Scholar

9. See the translation of the Project infra.

10. For the Pavlovich Report see Le Premier Congrès des Peuples d'Orient (Bakou, 1920 and Paris, 1971), pp. 123–149.Google Scholar

11. See Akhundzade (Sirus Bahram), Donya, Anno IX, 1347 (1968), No. 4.

12. See Fakhra'i, Sardar-e Jangal (Tehran, 1351 [1972]), 4th Edition, pp. 290–302.Google Scholar The distribution of copies of the letters at the congress was reported by the Georgian newspaper Slovo on October 28, 1920; for a copy of this newspaper report see Archives of the Minisère des Affaires Etrangères, Paris.

13. This question is discussed fully in our forthcoming work, The Communist Party of Iran, Genesis, Development and Dissolution, 1916-1932, Chapter IV.

14. Ekonomiĉeskaja Politika Finansovo Kapitala (Moscow, 1920.Google Scholar

15. Ibid.

16. L'Internationale Communist, Nos. 13 and 14, 1920.

17. Ẑizn Nacional'nostej, Nos. 28, 29, 30, 1920; for the Persian and French translations see respectively: Hist. Doc., Vol. IV, and La Social-Démocratie en Iran (hereafter, SDI) (Florence, 1978), and Le Mouvement Communiste en Iran (hereafter, MCI) (Florence, 1979), all three edited by C. Chaqueri.

18. “Les Evénément du Proche Orient,” Bulletin Communiste, No. 4 (January 27, 1921); also in l'ordine Nuovo (January 11, 1921); see also the session of the ECCI on November 28, 1920 as reported in l'Internationale Communiste, No. 15 (1921), p. 3421. We may note here that, to our knowledge, this was the first time the terminology “national bourgeoisie” was used in the Comintern, and without the “positive” connotation it acquired later.

19. See “Le Cas Levi,” in L'Internationale Communiste, No. 17 (1921), p. 4202.

20. Sultanzade, A., Sovremennaja Persija (Moscow, 1922)Google Scholar, Introduction; see also Hist. Doc., Vol. IV.

21. Dehgan was the representative of Iran's Central Council of Trade Unions in Profintern, the International of Red Trade Unions; see also Sultanzade, Persidskaja Pressa in Novyi Vostok No. 7 (1922), and also Hist. Doc., Vol. 7 (Florence, 1978), Introduction.

22. Lazitch, B. and Drachkovitch, M., Biographical Dictionary of Comintern (Stanford, 1973), pp. 391–92.Google Scholar Their assertion as to the presence of Sultanzade at the Third Congress is confirmed by the photograph taken of him there and kindly put at our disposal by Mr. Boris Souvarine, former leader of the French Communist Party. For the Tudeh account see Donya, Anno XI, No. 2, pp. 21-22, and also Hist. Doc., T. IV, p. 8.

23. “Perse,” in Bulletin Communiste, II° Année, No. 3 (1921), pp. 506-07; also in Moscow, Organ of the Third Comintern Congress, No. 37 (1921); MCI, pp. 247-249; Hist. Doc., Vol. IV, pp. 61-62.

24. See Taetigkeit der Exekutive und Praesidiums des E. K. der K. I. (vom 13 Juli 1921 bis 1 Feb. 1922) (Petrograd, 1922), pp. 6 and 100; et Bulletin du Comité Executif de l’ I.C., No. 1 (Petrograd, September 8, 1921).

25. Sultanzade, “Bor'ba Za Mirovoyeistoĉniki nefti,” in Narodnoye Khozjajstvo (April, 1921), pp. 127-34.

26. Sultanzade, Krizis Mirovovo Khozjajstva i novoja voenna-ja groza (Moscow, 1921).Google Scholar

27. “Une Nouvelle Menace de Guerre” in l'Internationale Communiste, No. 17 (1921), pp. 4121-4134; the Italian and German versions are respectively in: Internazionale Comunista (Roma, Giugno, 1921), pp. 213-26 and Kommunistische Internationale, No. 17 (1921), pp. 252-68.

28. Ibid.

29. Sultanzade, Ekonomika i Problemy Nacional'nikh Revoljuciounnyj (Moscow, 1922).Google Scholar

30. Sovremenneja Persija, op. cit.

31. Compte Rendu de la Conférence de l'Executif Elargi de l'I. C. (21 Fev.-4 Mars, 1921) (Paris, 1921), p. 13.Google Scholar

32. Bericht Ueber die Taetigkeit des praesidiums und der Exekutive der K. I. (für Zeit vom März bis 11 Juni 1922) (Petrograd, 1922), p. 76.

33. “The Agrarian Problem in Iran,” Novyj Vostok, No. 1 (1922), pp. 133-46; “Le Mouvement Syndicale en Perse,” l'Internationale Syndicale Rouge (April-May, 1922); see also, Sultanzade, Politische Schriften, ed. by Chaqueri, C. (Florence, 1975), pp. 52–57Google Scholar; and The condition of the Working Class in Iran, ed. by Chaqueri, C. (Florence, 1978), pp. 7–9.Google Scholar A. Sultanzade, “The Struggle for Iranian Oil” (Russian) in Narodnyj Komissariat po Instrannym Vestnik, No. 6, pp. 56-63 (1922); German translation in Politische Schriften, op. cit., pp. 61-68. “Die Lage der Frauen in Persien,” in Inprekorr, No. 14, dated 27.5.1922 and Politische Schriften, op. cit., pp. 58-60. “The Question of Industrialization of India,” pod Znamenem Marksizma, No. 1-2 (1922), pp. 63-65.

34. The CPI representative at the Sixth Congress was Karim Nikbin (also known as Fars, Hassanov); see Protokoll des IV° Kongresses der K. I. (Petrograd and Moscow, November 5-December 5, 1922), pp. 626–27Google Scholar; for Nikbin's biography, see Donya, Anno XI, No. 3, pp. 48-55.

35. Protokoll des IV° Kongresses, op. cit.

36. Protokoll des Konferenz der Erweiterten Exekutive der K. I. (Moskau, 12-23 Juni, 1923) (Petrograd, 1923).Google Scholar

37. F.O. 371/9026/Northern Summary (17.8.1923), f. 110; the same information was reported by the French Secret Service; see French National Archives, F7 13506; we may note that this campaign did not seem to have a great echo in Iran except a simple mention in the CPI paper Kar, in the summer of 1923.

38. Sultanzade, A., The World oil Industry (in Russian) (Moscow, 1923).Google Scholar

39. Persija (Moscow, 1924); Kolonial'nyj Vostok, ed. by Sultanzade, (Moscow, 1924).Google Scholar

40. Lazitch-Drachkovitch, op. cit.

41. S.I.E., loc. cit.

42. Kredit i Khozjajstva, Nos. 10-11 (1927) (Moscow), pp. 102-06; this review was founded in 1925; see “The Editor's Note,” in Nos. 1-2 (1927), pp. 1-2.

43. Kreditnyj Spravoĉnik na pod redakcej, ed. by Prof. A. A. Manuilov, N. V. Popov, editor in charge A. C. Sultanzade (Moscow, 1926).

44. Bulletin Périodique de la Presse Russe (Bolchevique), No. 150 (1925), p. 7; we should mention that a year earlier Sultanzade had spoken of Reza Khan, the Republican, as the “creator of the National Army,” “valuable politician,” and a “popular” man among the masses; an erroneous appraisal, no doubt, that was ephemeral and to be corrected in his later works; for the mistaken attitude above see Persija, op. cit., pp. 90-91 and our Introduction to the VIth Volume of Hist. Doc.

45. “Der Zweite Parteitag der KP des Iran,” in Kommunistische Internationale, Heft 51 (December 1927); also in Politische Schriften, op. cit., pp. 144-150.

46. “Wege der Entwicklung im: Modernen Persien,” in K.I., Heft 48 (November 1927), pp. 2359-69; also in Politische Schriften, op. cit., pp. 116-126; the English version in The Communist International, dated January 1, 1928, pp. 9-13.

47. “Gibt Es Eine Epoche des Finanzkapitals?,” Die K.I., (Juli, 1928); also in Politische Schriften, op. cit., pp. 127-143; the French version in Ecrits Economiques, op. cit.; see also his speeches at the congress in the German, Russian, English, and French editions of the Inprecorr; Germ, versions, in Nos. 112 and 95, respectively dated October 4 and September 3, 1928; Fr. versions in Nos. 100 and 128, respectively dated October 25, 1928; English versions, infra.

48. “Anglijskij Imperializm v Persii i Social'no-ekonomiĉeskajaPriroda Monarkhii Reza ŝakha Pekhlevi” in Revoljucionnyj Vostok, No. 3 (1928), pp. 83-111.

49. Kolonial'nye Strany i Mirovoye Khozjajstva (Moscow, 1928).Google Scholar

50. This information is supplied by Sultanzade himself in his book noted above in No. 49; we were unable to consult the article ourselves.

51. “Die Vorbereitungen Englands fur den Krieg Gegen die UdSSR,” in Die K.I. (July-December, 1929), pp. 1475-77; also in Die Politische Schriften, op. cit., pp. 158-77.

52. Avanessian, Hist. Doc., op. cit., Vol. I, pp. 121-22.

53. Persija (Moscow, 1929); Persian translation in Hist. Doc., Vol. IV, pp. 145-55.

54. For the case of Paykar, see Hist. Doc., Vol. IX, and MCI, as well as our forthcoming book, The Communist Party of Iran, op. cit.; for the list of articles in these two PCI publications see Hist. Doc., Volumes VI and IX.

55. Regarding the Abadan strike see The Conditions of the Working Class in Iran, op. cit.

56. CPI references to the tribal revolt are to be found in Hist. Doc., Vol. VI, and MCI, op. cit., pp. 25-26, as well as The Communist Party of Iran, op. cit., Chapter IV.

57. Ekonomiceskoe Razvitie Persii i Anglijskij Imperializm (The Economic Development of Iran and English [sic] Imperialism) (Moscow, 1930); French translation in Ecrits Economiques, op. cit.

58. “Persien als Vorposten des Britischen Imperialismus,” Inprekorr, No. 44 (May, 1931), pp. 1057-58; “Le Part du Proche Orient dans la Preparation de la Guerre Anti-Sovietique,” Inprekorr, No. 43 (May 16, 1931), p. 595; English version in the same publication, No. 25 (May 13, 1931), p. 453. “Problemy Ekonomiceskovo Razvitija Agrarnoj Revoljucii v Persii,” Agrarny Problemy, Nos. 5-6 (1931), pp. 112-26.

59. Persija (Moldaja Gvardija) (Moscow, 1931).

60. The interested reader can refer to the following publications for the Persian and/or foreign translations of those articles that we have been able to republish. Our efforts over the years to obtain the others have not been successful, for strong interests “protect” these publications, impeding later generations from learning from the critical attitude and method of the CPI. The only two issues of Paykar and Setareh Sorkh are to be found in Hist. Doc., Volume VI, MCI, op. cit., The Conditions of the Working Class…, op. cit. The double number of Setareh Sorkh was given to us by the late Amirkhizi, an old CPI militant, during our visit to Moscow in 1973. He asked us not to reveal our source as long as he was alive; a condition which we scrupulously honored.

61. Lazitch-Drachkovitch, op. cit., p. 392; see also Ŝamide, A. I., Haidar Amu Ogli (Baku, 1973) (Russian), p. 39Google Scholar; a footnote asserting that Sultanzade went back to working in the economic system of the Soviet Union after 1932.

62. Ranjbar (real name G. C. Gel'bras), “Tov. Sultanzade, Kok Vyraztel’ melkoborẑuaznovo vlijanija v Voprosakh, persidskoj Revoljucii,” Revoljucionnyj Vostok, No. 1, pp. 54-73, and No. 2, pp. 74-90 (1933); also “Editorial Note,” No. 2 (1934), pp. 184-85; as to Setareh Sorkh, see Nos. 1-2, pp. 372-377 (Persian translation in Hist. DOC., op. cit., Volume IX).

63. Bolŝaja Sovetskaja Ensoklopedija, Volume 45 (Moscow, 1940)Google Scholar; see also the English translation of the third edition, Volume 10 (London, 1970), p. 401.

64. Ibid., Volume 18 (1952), pp. 414-416.

65. M. N. Ivanova, “Nacional'no-osbvoboditelnoje dviẑennije v Gilanskoj Provincii Irana v Godov 1920-1921,” in Sovetskje Vostokovedennija, No. 3 (1955), p. 52.

66. S.I.E., op. cit.; other Iranian Communists such as Nikbin, Morteza Alavi, Sharghi, Hesabi, Zarreh were also exterminated in the purges; see Naderi, loc. cit., and Kindheit in Gefangenschaft by Peter Jakir, Insel Verlag GFR (1972).

67. Here one last note is in order. Quite often Sultanzade has been mistakenly taken for Javadzade (Pishevari), his close collaborator. Such is the opinion of Lenczowski, G., Russia and the West in Iran (New York, 1948), p. 224Google Scholar, or Ferrau, F. W., Le Reveil du Monde Musulman (Seuil, n.d.), p. 131.Google Scholar We do not need to prove that Sultanzade and Pishevari are two different persons; we have done it elsewhere (Hist. Doc., Volume IV, Introduction, p. 13). It is not even necessary to rebuff groundless “assertions” of M. N. Roy, Memoirs (London, 1964) or Desanti, D., L'Internationale Communiste (Paris, 1970)Google Scholar, et al. who have spoken of Sultanzade more through ignorance, if not with venom, than scientific objectivity. One cannot take serious note of the insinuation, originally fabricated by the French Military Attaché in Teheran, Captain Ducroq (Le Monde Musulman, Vol. 52 [1922], p. 147), repeated by Eudin, X. and North, R., The Soviet Russia and the East (Stanford, 1964), p. 99Google Scholar, and by Lenczowski, op. cit., p. 98; also reproduced in Carrère d'Encausse, H. and Schram, S., Le Marxisme et L'Asie (Paris, 1965), p. 47Google Scholar and Histoire Générale du Socialisme, ed. by Droz, , Vol. III (Paris, 1977), p. 636Google Scholar, according to which Sultanzade “was” the chief of the Near Eastern Department of the Soviet Commissariat for Foreign Affairs. Any ordinary researcher could have easily ascertained that the man in charge of the department in question was not Sultanzade but Voznesensky; one needed to consult, inter alia, Soviet Russia, dated September 11, 1920 and Crowley, The Soviet Diplomatic Corps (New Jersey, 1970)Google Scholar; this verifiable “inexactitude,” this laxiety of ideological origin, of which Sultanzade has systematically been the victim, is hardly becoming of those who strive to disprove Soviet lack of scientific objectivity and honesty. As for the Soviet historians, it needs to be mentioned that the latest Soviet books on the subject do continue their accusations, although in a more mitigated form. See, for instance, The Comintern and the East, ed. by the Soviet theoretician of the Third World, R. A. Ulyanovsky (Moscow, 1979).Google Scholar It is also worth mentioning that this latter book refers to two articles by Sultanzade in Izvestia of Tashkent, dated March 25 and 31, 1920. Our efforts to obtain these articles from the Soviet Union have remained fruitless.