Iraj Eskandari facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Iraj Eskandari
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| Minister of Trade, Crafts and Arts | |
| In office 1 August 1946 – 16 October 1946 |
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| Prime Minister | Ahmad Qavam |
| Member of Parliament of Iran | |
| In office 6 March 1944 – 12 March 1946 |
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| Constituency | Sari |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1907 Tehran, Iran |
| Died | 30 April 1985 (aged 77–78) Leipzig, East Germany |
| Political party | Tudeh Party |
| Other political affiliations |
Revolutionary Republican Party of Iran |
| Relatives | Soleiman Eskandari (uncle) Abbas Eskandari (cousin) |
Iraj Eskandari (Persian: ایرج اسکندری; 1907–1985) was an important Iranian politician. He was a Qajar prince who studied in France. Eskandari was the first leader, or general secretary, of the Tudeh Party of Iran. He also served as a member of Iran's parliament. In 1946, he became the Minister of Trade, Crafts, and Arts in a special government led by Ahmad Qavam.
He was part of a famous group known as "The Fifty-Three". At the time, many saw Eskandari as a leader of the more moderate part of his political party.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Iraj Eskandari was born in 1907 in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. His father, Yahya Mirza Eskandari, was a Qajar prince who supported the Persian Constitution of 1906. His uncle, Soleiman Eskandari, was also a Qajar prince who helped create the constitution.
Iraj started his schooling at "Sepehr" school. Then he went to Dar ul-Funun and later studied political science in Iran. When he was 20, he traveled to France to study Law, following his father's wishes.
Learning New Political Ideas
While in France, Eskandari learned about new political ideas from a friend. He became very interested in these ideas. His uncle, Soleiman Eskandari, advised him to connect with Iranian students in Germany. These students had started a left-wing political group called the Revolutionary Republican Party of Iran.
Return to Iran and Career
Iraj Eskandari came back to Iran in 1931. He started working as a deputy prosecutor, which is like a lawyer who works for the government. Around this time, he also helped start a magazine called Donya with Taqi Arani. In 1936, Eskandari left his job at the Ministry of Justice.
The "Group of Fifty-Three"
In 1938, Eskandari was arrested. He was put in prison for three years with 52 other people. This group was known as "The Fifty-Three". They were tried for being involved in political activities that the government did not like. He was freed when the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran happened and Reza Shah stepped down from power.
Starting the Tudeh Party
After being released from prison, Iraj Eskandari helped create the Tudeh Party of Iran. The party wanted to bring together young, progressive, and patriotic people. In his writings, he said they wanted to create a national movement. This movement would be made of democratic, patriotic, and progressive groups.
At the Tudeh Party's first big meeting, Eskandari became one of the three main leaders.
Serving in Parliament
Eskandari was elected to the 14th Iranian Majlis, which is Iran's parliament. He represented the Sari County area from March 1944 to March 1946. In parliament, he supported the Tudeh Party's views. Later in his life, Eskandari said he regretted some of his actions during this time.
Becoming a Minister
In July 1946, Ahmad Qavam, who was the Prime Minister, made a big decision. He gave three important government jobs to members of the Tudeh Party. This was to keep good relations with the Soviet Union and solve some problems related to the Tudeh Party. Eskandari was chosen to be the Minister of Trade, Crafts, and Arts. He held this position until the end of that year.
Death Sentence and Exile
On February 4, 1949, there was an attempt to harm Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. After an investigation, the Tudeh Party was blamed for this event. Soon after, Tehran was put under strict rules, and many Tudeh Party leaders were arrested. Iraj Eskandari was outside Iran when this happened. When he and three other Tudeh members were sentenced to death, he decided to stay outside the country. This marked the start of his thirty-year exile from Iran.
Becoming First Secretary of the Tudeh Party
In December 1969, Eskandari became the first secretary (leader) of the Tudeh Party again. He took over from Reza Radmanesh. In 1970, he was officially elected to this role for the next seven years. He remained the party's leader until 1979, when the Iranian Revolution began.
The Iranian Revolution and Dismissal
Iraj Eskandari's time as leader ended suddenly in early 1979.
On January 4, 1979, there was a disagreement within the Tudeh Party. Eskandari and other members argued about whether to support Ruhollah Khomeini, who was the leader of the Iranian Revolution. Eskandari did not want to support Khomeini. Because of this, he was removed from his position. Noureddin Kianouri, who supported Khomeini, became the new leader. Eskandari later said that his dismissal was due to the difficult political situation in Iran at that time.
After he was no longer the leader, Eskandari sometimes criticized the Tudeh Party's actions. The party strongly disagreed with his criticisms, and he later took back his words. In his last years, he faced a lot of pressure from Tudeh Party leaders, especially Noureddin Kianouri, because of his opposition. This pressure eventually made him leave Iran for good.
Later Years and Death
After the Iranian Revolution was complete and Ruhollah Khomeini's government was in power, many communist and Marxist groups were banned. Their leaders were put in prison or executed. The Tudeh Party inside Iran was almost completely gone after its leader, Kianouri, made a televised confession.
However, outside Iran, the first generation of "Tudeh" members, including Eskandari, tried to restart the party. They held a meeting in 1983 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.
Iraj Eskandari continued to work with the Tudeh Party, though less actively than before.
He passed away from cancer on April 30, 1985, in Leipzig, East Germany.
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