Ardeshir Reporter

Ardeshir Reporter or Sir Ardeshir Ji Reporter a son to Edulji Reporter was born in a Zoroastrian Parsee family in Bombay on August 22, 1865. He was a secret British Intelligence agent in Iran for many years. In fact, he lived and worked in Iran as a secret British Intelligence agent since 1893. He came to Iran under the cover of Times' reporter. It was he who introduced General Ironside to Reza Khan, and it was Ironside who encouraged Reza Khan to seize power. According to his own will, he was the one, who discovered Reza Khan and guided him in the coup on February 22, 1921.[1] Therefore he was instrumental in Reza Khan's 1921 military coup and the consequent establishment of the Pahlavi dynasty and enthronement of Reza Shah in Iran in 1925. Ardeshir Reporter died in Tehran in 1933. His son, Shapoor Reporter, was also a secret agent of the British Intelligence Service in Iran who served the Pahlavi family after Reza Shah's death.

Ardeshir Ji Reporter
Born22 August 1865
Mumbai, India
Died
Iran
EducationScience, Political Studies and History
OccupationReporter, Agent
Era Qajar dynasty, Pahlavi dynast
Spouse(s)Shireen Banoo
ChildrenShapoor, Edelji, Jamshid, Laal
Ardeshir Reporter


Ardeshir Reporter

Life As an Active Secret Agent

Ardeshir was born in Bombay and he was sent to Britain to study once he became a young man. Graduating from Science, Political Studies and History in Britain, he returned to India at the age of 27. At the time, as the Chair to Iran's Parsi Panchayet, Kay Khosrow Jee Khan Saheb, passed away, Ardeshir was sent to take over the position. During his mission in Iran, he was appointed to four different key positions: Political Consultant to Britain Embassy in Iran, Chair to Iran's Parsi Panchayet, Representative to Tata Company and Reporter to the Times London. In his handwritten biography, which some parts have been survived, he emphasized that above all his roles, he was committed to oversee Iran's highlighted political trends and report them back to India. The forty years he spent in Iran was characterized by the major political transformations of the country, commencing before Naser al-Din Shah Qajar assassination and covering Reza Shah taking over the power through the Coup. Ardeshir has highlighted his role across this critical period not as a sheer observer but as an active player.[2] His name has been reported amongst the main teachers at Tehran School of Law and Political Science next to other prominent figures like Mohammad Ali Foroughi. [3]

Ardeshir Reporter handwritten biography

Some loose pieces of evidence support that in 1906 he became an influential player at Reveil de l'Iran, the first formal known masonic French lodge in the country. His relations and bonds with high profile Iranians and British politicians and influencers allowed him to play a remarkable role during Iranian Constitutional Revolution. His name has been recorded among the forty founders of Freedom Seekers of Iran Secret Association being established before the revolution in Tehran. The secret association was aimed at facilitating the network of constitutionalists through collective responses, introducing political and religious icons to the network and publishing anonymous papers promoting anti-monarchy ideas.[4] Some historians argued that he was the one who sought the approval from British embassy for the mass sanctuary of constitutionalists at Britain's embassy compound in 1906 which followed by granting the constitution by Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar.[5][6]

Ardeshir, In his biography, clarifies his tremendously significant mission for the nomination of a suitable replacement among Persian Cossack Brigade to overthrow Qajar Dynasty and topple Qajar's last king, Ahmad Shah. He has openly detailed his responsibility in coaching Reza before and after becoming the King of Iran. Under commandment of Britain's Minister of Defence, Winston Churchill, he assisted Britain to target, educate and direct Reza toward his journey in taking over the power. He, as stated himself, has introduced Reza to William Edmund Ironside who later on promoted and supported Reza in seizing the capital, Tehran.

In his biography, Ardeshir openly elaborates his viewpoints on the key directions of ruling Iran and the role he played in smartly pushing Reza toward his suggested pathways. Some of these key directions include:

  • Nomadic groups: He strongly recommends Reza to depower and if needed diminish the diverse ethnic and nomadic groups for the favour of a powerful independent centralized government. Ardeshir, as he claimed, had been living with Iran's different nomadic groups for over fifteen years and in his words, he tries to paint them as unfaithful and opportunist.
  • Islamic Clerics: He endeavoured to persuade Reza on the uselessness and deceitfulness of clerics and how they should be dismissed from the source of power.
  • Foreign allies preferences: Although Reza himself was serving Persian Cossack Brigade which was inclined to Russia's interests, Ardeshir, as an Agent to Britain, non-surprisingly tries to highlight the downsides and risks of building a long term alliance with Russia and convinces Reza on the preference of Britain, as a reliable and beneficial ally, over the northern neighbour of the country, Russia.[7]

Later on, Ardeshir's son, Shapoor, continued his father legacy by becoming one of the top secret MI-6 agents in Iran all over Mohammad Reza Shah era.

Iran's Parsi Panchayet

The remaining correspondence between Iran's Parsi Panchayet members and the Iran's government at the time, explicitly indicates the growing dissatisfaction under Ardeshir's management. Zoroastrians of Kerman in a telegraph dated 1915 addressed Iran's Ministry of Internal Affairs to announce their disapproval of Mr. Reporter as their appointed Chair. They stated that Ardeshir's mismanagement has led the community toward disparity and contention rather than unity and integrity. The telegraph ends by emphasizing that many reasons of this unhappiness is preferred to be kept unexpressed and Iranian Zoroastrians strongly opt for an Iranian Chair rather than a representative from overseas. In this significant document the political deeds of Ardeshir have been highlighted as controversial and misaligned with the true objectives of the Iran's Zoroastrian community.[8] In a parallel correspondence, Kerman's Zoroastrians requested Indian Panchayat authorities like Dinshaw Maneckji Petit, to replace Ardeshir with a proper representative whole truly respects the religion's principles.[9] This unhappiness evidently was associated with the Reporter's candid approaches for promoting Zoroastrians to convert to Bahaism [10]

Promotion of Bahaism

Existing pieces of evidence support that Mr. Reporter in an unprecedented effort, has promoted and supported Zoroastrians conversion to Bahaism at the time he was a Chair to Iran Parsi Panchayet. Objections to this improper action have been reflected in reports and even media at the time. In one case the author of an article in The Times of India has defended Ardeshir's conversion attempts. The author tries to convince the reader that Bahaism is the key solution to all the country diverse issues. He brings few quotes on his conclusion:

″Shma-ul-Ulema Dr Sir Jivanii Modi used to declare that by adopting Bahaism a Zorostraian became a true Zoroastrian and a Musalman a true Musalman. Will Mr Madan tell us that if there are no attempts, even remote or indirect, at converting the Parsians of Persia, how does his friend and colleague, Mr Ardeshir Edalji Reporter hope to bring about the immense increase in the number of Zoroastrians in the near future in Persia? Bahaism which diffused itself in less than five years from one end of Persia to another and which was bathed in the blood of its martyrs has been silently progressing and propagating itself. If Persia is to be at all re-generate it will be through this new faith″.[11]

References
  1. Sirus Ghani. Iran and the Rise of Reza Shah: From Qajar Collapse to Pahlavi Power.Bloomsbury Academic. 2000. https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1860646298
  2. عبدالله شهبازی. ظهور و سقوط سلطنت پهلوی. جلد دوم. موسسه مطالعات و پژوهش های سیاسی. چاپ سی و دوم. ۱۳۹۶
  3. باستانی پاریزی, محمدابراهیم (۱۳۹۷). تلاش آزادی. تهران: انتشارات علم. Check date values in: |year= (help)
  4. مهدی ملکزاده. زندگانی ملک المتکلمین. علی اکبر علمی و شرکا. ۱۳۲۵. صفحه ۱۵۶. https://dl2-1m.maxiran.com/dli/20201228-0145125-zndgany_mlk_almtklmyn.pdf
  5. حسین آبادیان، فرهنگ ناموران معاصر ایران. جلد دوم. صفحه ۳۷۶
  6. http://www.iichs.ir/News-884/%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%B4%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%AC%DB%8C-%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%BE%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B1-/?id=884
  7. عبدالله شهبازی. ظهور و سقوط سلطنت پهلوی. جلد دوم. موسسه مطالعات و پژوهش های سیاسی. چاپ سی و دوم. ۱۳۹۶
  8. تلگراف شکایت زرتشتیان به علاء السلطنه رئیس الوزرا، ۹ تهران، ۹ محرم ۱۳۳، مرکز مطالعات تاریخ معاصر ایران، شماره ش 17089‌-ن
  9. تلگراف زرتـشتیان کـرمان به سردینشاه پتیت، کرمان، مرکز مطالعات تاریخ معاصر ایران، بی‌تا،ش 17086-ن
  10. حسین آبادیان، ریپورترها و تحولات تاریخ معاصر ایران: بخش اول، مرکز مطالعات و پژوهش های سیاسیhttps://psri.ir/?id=hmc79gt7،
  11. A GRIEVANCE: PROBLEM OF PARSIS AND PERSIA TO THE EDITOR OF "THE TIMES OF INDIA." LALKAKA, L K.The Times of India (1861-current); Mumbai, India [Mumbai, India]21 Feb 1931: 16.
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