{"id":22207,"date":"2018-07-17T11:07:38","date_gmt":"2018-07-17T11:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/?p=22207"},"modified":"2026-03-19T11:30:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T11:30:31","slug":"american-hero-in-iranians-hearts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/american-hero-in-iranians-hearts\/","title":{"rendered":"Howard Baskerville: An American Martyr in Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

His name was Howard Baskerville<\/strong>, a young American<\/strong> fella who came to teach English, history and geometry in Tabriz<\/a> <\/strong>and made his own history in Iran. He had a strong bond with his students, both girls and boys, and even directed the famous play \u201cThe Merchant of Venice\u201d with them. But how he became a martyr of Iran\u2019s constitutional revolution then?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating from Princeton Theology School, 22-year-old Baskerville<\/strong> came to Tabriz<\/a> in 1907, the same year that the newly crowned king, Mohammad Ali Shah has attacked the one-year-old parliament house with cannon gun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The war between the government and the revolutionaries broke out in 1908 and Tabriz was one of the major cities opposing the king. During the conflicts Baskerville felt \u201che could not watch calmly from a classroom window the starving inhabitants of the city who were fighting for their right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Howard\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Photograph taken at the start of the 42nd academic year at the American Memorial School on August 30, 1923. Baskerville is the third standing person from right side.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

He already had taken Jurisprudence and Constitutional Governance courses at Princeton and that could be a reason for his involvement in the conflicts. With his experience of military service, he formed a voluntary force, consisting of 100 young men<\/strong>, most of them his students. \u201cInstead of telling dead people\u2019s story\u201d in his own words, he decided to teach military techniques and help people defend themselves. Even after the American consul and his wife tried to discourage him, he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe only difference between me and these people is my place of birth, and this is not a big difference.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They later realized that Baskerville has used the Encyclopedia Britannica at the library of the American Consulate, in order to learn how to make grenades.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Some members of the “Fowj Nejat” group led by Baskerville, Mashq Square<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Baskerville had two groups of opponents. First, parents of the students he encouraged to fight, and second, the Evangelical Presbyterian Missionary that was furious with him for taking side in a battle and participating in violence, they were worried that his acts jeopardize their mission in Iran, so Baskerville decided to resign. On his last day of working at the American Memorial School, he told stories of the American Revolution to his students and talked to them about their duty to serve their country.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Howard\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Howard Baskerville<\/a> – Photographer: Unknown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

By April 19, 1909 Tabriz was barely tolerating 11 months of siege and Baskerville went on a mission to break the line and bring food to the people. During this mission he was shot by a sniper and died immediately. The event was a shock to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Howard<\/a>
 Howard Baskerville\u2019s portrait, in Tabriz Constitutional Museum. Painted in 1956 (1335)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Five days later, at his funeral in the Armenian Cemetery of Tabriz, hundreds of people, colleagues, members of the Memorial school and its students gathered to honor the young hero. A telegram was sent to his mother in Spicer, Minnesota:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persia much regrets honorable loss of your dear son in the cause of liberty, and we give our parole that future Persia will always revere his name in her history like Lafayette and will respect his venerable tomb.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sattar Khan and Jamani Ayoleti<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Howard\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Howard Baskerville’s Tomb in the Armenian Cemetery of Tabriz – Photo: baskervilleinstitute.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n