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Mahabad

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For other uses, see Mahabad (disambiguation).
Mahabad
مهاباد
city
Lake of Mahabad
Lake of Mahabad
Country Iran
ProvinceWest Azerbaijan
CountyMahabad
BakhshCentral
Government
 • ParliamentJalal Mahmudzadeh [1]
Population
 (2012)
 • Total149,000
Time zoneUTC+3:30 (IRST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+4:30 (IRDT)
Area code0444 - 0442
Websitewww.mohabad-ag.ir

Mahabad (Persian: مهاباد, Template:Lang-ku; also Romanized as Mahābād and Mehābād; formerly known as Sāūjbulāgh or Sawcheblagh)[2] is a city in and the capital of Mahabad County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 133,324, in 31,000 families.[3]

The city's population is predominantly Kurdish, with the city lying south of Lake Urmia in a narrow valley 1,300 metres above sea level in Iranian Kurdistan, a part of northwestern Iran.[4][5]

Etymology

The town was founded in the Safavid period, and its first name was Savoujbolagh. Savoujbolagh is a Turkic word meaning cold spring. Later, in the Qajarid period,[when?] the town was called Savoujbolagh Mokri, meaning Savoujbolagh of the Mukri tribe, due to the residence of the Mukri tribe in the town. This was the name of the town until 1936, when the town was named Mahabad by Rashid Yasemi from the Academy of Persian Language and Literature.[6][7]

History

Mahabad is situated in a region that was the center of the Mannaeans, who flourished in 10th to 7th centuries BC. Mannaeans "after suffering several defeats at the hands of both Scythians and Assyrians, the remnants of the Mannaean populace were absorbed by an Iranian people known as the Matieni and the area became known as Matiene. It was then annexed by the Medes in about 609 BC."[[1]]

In the medieval period, the Kurdish dynasty of Hasanwâyhids (959-1015) was ruling the region. After destruction under the Mongols, Ilkhanate, and Timurid dynasty, the region was controlled by Kara Koyunlu (1375–1468) and Aq Qoyunlu (1378–1501)(both Oghuz Turkic tribes). As Muhamed Amin Zaki in his book, A Short History of the Kurds and Kurdistan, during regional conflicts between Kara Koyunlu and Aq Qoyunlu, the Mukri kurds gained power in the fertile valleys of south of Lake Urmia.

Murki kurds participated in several wars between Safavid dynasty and Ottoman Empire, and gained more predominance. In 17th century AD, Mahabad became the seat of Mukri principality (known as Murkriyan). Many believe Budaq Sultan Murki, who built Mahabad's Jameh Mosque is the founder of the current city.

Modern Kurdish State in Mahabad

Main article: Republic of Mahabad

Mahabad was briefly the capital of the short-lived Republic of Mahabad, which was declared independent on January 1, 1946 under the leadership of Kurdish nationalist Qazi Muhammad. Qazi Muhammad was hanged on 31 March 1947.

The republic received strong support from the Soviet Union, which occupied Iran during the same era and included the Kurdish towns of Bukan ,Piranshahr, Sardasht and Oshnavieh.[8]

After an agreement brokered by the United States, the Soviets agreed to leave Iran in which sovereignty would be restored to the Shah in 1947. The Shah ordered an invasion of the Republic of Mahabad shortly afterwards under which the leaders of the republic including Qazi Muhammad were arrested and executed.[9][10][11]

References

  1. ^ "Account Suspended". M-jalal.com. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  2. ^ Mahabad can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3073397" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
  3. ^ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)" (Excel). Statistical Center of Iran. Archived from the original on 2011-09-20.
  4. ^ S. J. Laizer, Martyrs, Traitors, and Patriots: Kurdistan after the Gulf War, Zed Books, 1996, ISBN 978-1-85649-396-3, p. 56.
  5. ^ Marion Farouk-Sluglett, Peter Sluglett, Iraq Since 1958: From Revolution to Dictatorship, .B.Tauris, 2001, ISBN 978-1-86064-622-5, p. 28.
  6. ^ Seebauer, Renate. Mosaik Europa: Diskussionsbeiträge zur ethnischen und sprachlichen Vielfalt. LIT Verlag Münster, 2006 (87)
  7. ^ "The Supreme Muslim Council: Islam Under the British Mandate for Palestine - Uri M. Kupferschmidt - Google Books". Books.google.com. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  8. ^ McDowall, David (2004). " A modern history of the Kurds. I.B. Tauris. pp. 244–245. ISBN 1-85043-416-6. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  9. ^ McDowall, David, A Modern History of the Kurds, I. B. Tauris, 1996 (Current revision at May 14, 2004). ISBN 1-86064-185-7.
  10. ^ [1][dead link]
  11. ^ [2][dead link]
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