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{{Short description|Iranian politician}}
{{More footnotes|date=July 2011}}
{{ref improve|date=April 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox President
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ahmad Qavam
| name = Ahmad Qavam
| image = Qavam3.jpg
| image = AhmadQhvamPM1324.jpg
| imagesize = 220px
| imagesize = 220px
| birth_date = 2 January 1873
| birth_date = 2 January 1873
| birth_place = [[Tehran]], [[Persia]]
| birth_place = [[Tehran]], [[Sublime State of Persia]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1955|7|23|1873|1|2|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1955|7|23|1873|1|2|df=y}}
| death_place = Tehran, [[Iran]]
| death_place = Tehran, [[Imperial State of Iran]]
| resting_place= [[Fatima Masumeh Shrine]]
| resting_place = [[Fatima Masumeh Shrine]]
| order = 19th
| order = 15th
| office = Prime Minister of Iran
| office = Prime Minister of Iran
| monarch5 = Ahmad Shah Qajar
| monarch5 = Ahmad Shah Qajar
| term_start5 = 4 June 1921
| term_start5 = 4 June 1921
| term_end5 = 21 January 1922
| term_end5 = 21 January 1922
| predecessor5 = [[Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee|Zia'eddin Tabatabaee]]
| predecessor5 = [[Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee|Zia'eddin Tabatabaee]]
| successor5 = [[Hassan Pirnia]]
| successor5 = [[Hassan Pirnia]]
| monarch4 = [[Ahmad Shah Qajar]]
| monarch4 = [[Ahmad Shah Qajar]]
| term_start4 = 22 June 1922
| term_start4 = 22 June 1922
| term_end4 = 15 February 1923
| term_end4 = 15 February 1923
| predecessor4 = [[Hassan Pirnia]]
| predecessor4 = [[Hassan Pirnia]]
| successor4 = [[Mostowfi ol-Mamalek]]
| successor4 = [[Mostowfi ol-Mamalek]]
| monarch3 = Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
| monarch3 = Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
| term_start3 = 9 August 1942
| term_start3 = 9 August 1942
| term_end3 = 15 February 1943
| term_end3 = 15 February 1943
| predecessor3 = [[Ali Soheili]]
| predecessor3 = [[Ali Soheili]]
| successor3 = [[Ali Soheili]]
| successor3 = [[Ali Soheili]]
| monarch2 = Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
| monarch2 = Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
| term_start2 = 28 January 1946
| term_start2 = 28 January 1946
| term_end2 = 18 December 1947
| term_end2 = 18 December 1947
| predecessor2 = [[Ebrahim Hakimi]]
| predecessor2 = [[Ebrahim Hakimi]]
| successor2 = [[Mohammad-Reza Hekmat]]
| successor2 = [[Ebrahim Hakimi]]
| monarch1 = [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]]
| monarch1 = [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]]
| term_start1 = 17 July 1952
| term_start1 = 17 July 1952
| term_end1 = 22 July 1952
| term_end1 = 22 July 1952
| predecessor1 = [[Mohammed Mosaddeq]]
| predecessor1 = [[Mohammed Mosaddeq]]
| successor1 = [[Mohammed Mosaddeq]]
| successor1 = [[Mohammed Mosaddeq]]
| party = [[Democrat Party of Iran|Democrat Party]]
| party = [[Democrat Party of Iran|Democrat Party]]
| otherparty = [[Reformers' Party]] {{small|(1920s)}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Abrahamian|first=Ervand|author-link=Ervand Abrahamian|year=1982|title=Iran Between Two Revolutions|isbn=0-691-10134-5|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|page=[https://archive.org/details/iranbetweentwore00abra_0/page/121 121]|url=https://archive.org/details/iranbetweentwore00abra_0/page/121}}</ref>
| otherparty = [[Reformers' Party]] {{small|(1920s)}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Abrahamian|first=Ervand|author-link=Ervand Abrahamian|year=1982|title=Iran Between Two Revolutions|isbn=0-691-10134-5|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|page=[https://archive.org/details/iranbetweentwore00abra_0/page/121 121]|url=https://archive.org/details/iranbetweentwore00abra_0/page/121}}</ref>
| alma_mater =
| alma_mater =
| spouse = Shazdeh Khanoom (divorced)<br>Zahra Alizadeh (divorced)<br>Zahra Delshad<ref>[http://gilmehr.com/%DA%AF%D9%81%D8%AA%DA%AF%D9%88%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5%DB%8C-%DA%AF%DB%8C%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%AD%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%82/ روزگار قوام در لاهیجان]{{Dead link|date=April 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| spouse = Shazdeh Khanoom (divorced)<br>Zahra Alizadeh (divorced)<br>Zahra Delshad<ref>[http://gilmehr.com/%DA%AF%D9%81%D8%AA%DA%AF%D9%88%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5%DB%8C-%DA%AF%DB%8C%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%AD%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%82/ روزگار قوام در لاهیجان]{{Dead link|date=April 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|children = 1<ref>[https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/173310/%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%DA%AF%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%85-1252-1334 زندگینامه: احمد قوام (1252 - 1334)]</ref>
| children = 1<ref>[https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/173310/%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%DA%AF%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%85-1252-1334 زندگینامه: احمد قوام (1252 - 1334)]</ref>
| website =
| website =
}}
}}


'''Ahmad Qavam''' (2 January 1873 – 23 July 1955; {{lang-fa|احمد قوام}}), also known as '''Qavam os-Saltaneh''' ({{lang-fa|قوام السلطنه}}), was a politician who served as [[Prime Minister of Iran]] five times.
'''Ahmad Qavam''' (2 January 1873 – 23 July 1955; {{lang-fa|احمد قوام}}), also known as '''Qavam os-Saltaneh''' ({{lang-fa|قوام السلطنه}}), was an Iranian politician who served as [[Prime Minister of Iran]] five times.


== Early life ==
== Early life ==
Qavam was born in 1873 to a prominent Iranian family with origins in Ashtian. His uncle, Amin Aldoleh, was a prime minister of Iran. He served in the royal court of [[Nasereddin Shah]] early in his career. He slowly climbed his way up, and obtained the title ''Ghavam al-Saltaneh'' during the [[Constitutional Revolution of Iran]]. [[Hasan Vothuq]] (also known as Vothuq al-Dowleh) was his older brother.<ref>{{cite book|author=James A. Bill|title=The Eagle and the Lion. The Tragedy of American-Iranian Relations|date=1988|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven and London|isbn=978-0-300-04412-6|url=https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300159516-006|page=108|doi=10.12987/9780300159516-006|doi-broken-date=31 October 2021}}</ref> The letter signed by [[Mozaffareddin Shah|Mozaffaredin Shah]] to accept the [[Iranian Constitutional Revolution]] was written by Ghavam, who had the title of ''Dabir-e Hozoor'' (Private Secretary) at the time. In fact Ghavam was instrumental in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution[2]. He became Prime Minister several times during both the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties. Any time the country needed him, he accepted the challenge. Twice he played a significant role in preventing the USSR from separating Iran's northern provinces. Nevertheless, historians have mixed feelings about his legacy.
Qavam was born in 1873 to the prominent [[Iran|Iranian]] [[Qavam family|Qavam family]]. His uncle, Amin Aldoleh, was a [[Prime Minister of Iran]]. [[Vossug ed Dowleh|Hasan Vossug]], another Prime Minister, was his older brother.<ref>{{cite book|author=James A. Bill|url=https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300159516-006|title=The Eagle and the Lion. The Tragedy of American-Iranian Relations|date=1988|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-04412-6|location=New Haven and London|page=108|doi=10.12987/9780300159516-006|s2cid=246116954}}</ref> Qavam served in the royal court of [[Nasereddin Shah]] early in his career and obtained the title ''os-Saltaneh'' during the [[Persian Constitutional Revolution|Constitutional Revolution of Iran]] in 1909. The letter signed by [[Mozaffareddin Shah|Mozaffaredin Shah]] in acceptance of the Constitutional Revolution was written by Qavam, who had the title of ''Dabir-e Hozoor'' (Private Secretary) at the time. Qavam became Prime Minister several times during both the [[Qajar dynasty|Qajar]] and [[Pahlavi dynasty|Pahlavi]] dynasties. Twice he played a significant role in preventing the USSR from annexing Iran's northern provinces.


== Political career==
== Political career==
[[File:Ahmad-qavam.jpg|200px|thumbnail|left]]
[[File:Ahmad-qavam.jpg|200px|thumbnail|left]]
Qavam was appointed governor of [[Khorasan Province]] in 1918, during which time he responded to the [[Persian famine of 1917–1919|ongoing famine]] and the [[Spanish flu]] pandemic.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ahmad Qavam |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ahmad-Qavam |website=Encyclopaedia Britannica |access-date=6 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Spinney |first1=Laura |title=Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and how it Changed the World |date=2017 |publisher=Vintage |location=London |page=112-120}}</ref>
Qavam was appointed governor of [[Khorasan Province]] in 1918, during which time he responded to the [[Persian famine of 1917–1919|ongoing famine]] and the [[Spanish flu]] pandemic.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Ahmad Qavam |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ahmad-Qavam|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Spinney|first1=Laura|title=Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and how it Changed the World|date=2017 |publisher=Vintage|location=London|pages=112–120}}</ref> He was a hardliner administrator and banned some of the newspapers which had been published in the region.<ref>{{cite thesis|author=Hormoz Mehrdad|title=Political orientations and the style of intergroup leadership interactions: The case of Iranian political parties |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/303067167|location=The Ohio State University|page=186|degree=PhD|isbn=979-8-205-08664-6|date=1980|id={{ProQuest|303067167}}}}</ref>


In 1921, during the [[Iranian events of 1921|coup d'état of Tehran]] against the Qajar government, Tabatabaei ordered [[Colonel Pessian]] to arrest many of the opposition, among them Ahmad Qavam. Qavam was arrested and sent to Tehran.
In 1921, during the [[Iranian events of 1921|coup d'état of Tehran]] against the Qajar government, [[Zia ol Din Tabatabaee|Tabatabaee]] ordered [[Mohammad Taqi Pessian|Colonel Pessian]] to arrest many of the opposition, among them Ahmad Qavam.


However, with the fall of [[Zia'eddin Tabatabaee]]'s government, [[Mostowfi ol-Mamalek]] among others was offered the position of Prime Minister, which he and the rest declined, due to the unstable political situation at the time. Hence Ghavam who had just been released from the Ishratabad prison of Tehran was offered the position, which he accepted and became Prime Minister overnight. So unusual was his rise that [[Iraj Mirza]] wrote the following verses:
However, with the fall of Tabatabaee's government and the refusal by [[Mostowfi ol-Mamalek]] and others to accept the position of Prime Minister due to the unstable political situation, Qavam, just released from the Ishratabad prison of Tehran, was offered the position. He accepted and became Prime Minister in circumstances so unusual that [[Iraj Mirza]] wrote the following verses:


یکی را افکند امروز در بند<br>
یکی را افکند امروز در بند<br>
کند روز دیگر او را خداوند
کند روز دیگر او را خداوند


''"One day in prison he is thrown,''<br>
''"One day in prison he is thrown,''<br>''another day the King's chair he'll own"''
''another day the King's chair he'll own"''


Ghavam in fact ordered the arrest of [[Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee]] in an incident 25 years later. He also ordered the crackdown on the revolt of [[Colonel Pessian]] which he crushed with the aid of [[Reza Shah|Reza Pahlavi]].
Qavam in fact ordered the arrest of [[Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee]] in an incident 25 years later. He also ordered the crackdown on the revolt of [[Colonel Pessian]] which he crushed with the aid of [[Reza Shah|Reza Pahlavi]].


Of the major events that occurred during his terms as the Prime Minister, was his invitation to [[Arthur Millspaugh]] for assisting the government in its finances. Another was the riots of 1942 for economic hardship. He appointed [[Sepahbod Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi]] to restore order and end the riots, which he did forcefully. Qavam was also instrumental in the 1942 Tripartite Treaty between Iran, Russia, and Britain.
Of the major events that occurred during his terms as the Prime Minister, was his invitation to [[Arthur Millspaugh]] for assisting the government in its finances. Another was the riots of 1942 for economic hardship. He appointed [[Sepahbod Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi]] to restore order and end the riots, which he did forcefully. Qavam was also instrumental in the 1942 Tripartite Treaty between Iran, Russia, and Britain.


He was again voted Prime Minister on 26 January 1946 with a slim margin in the Majlis of 52–51.<ref>"Iran Chooses Premier in 51 to 50 Vote", ''The Salt Lake Tribune'', 27 January 1946, p8; Manuucher Farmānfarmaian and Roxane Farmanfarmaian, ''Blood and Oil: A Prince's Memoir of Iran, from the Shah to the Ayatollah'' (Random House, 2005), p. 179</ref> The Majlis thought he would have the best chance of resolving the Soviet inspired rebellion of the occupied Azerbaijan province since Qavam was the largest property-owner in the region. Qavam did not disappoint. He ordered the Iranian delegation to the UN to negotiate issues pending before the Security Council directly with the Soviet delegation. He then flew to Moscow to discuss the issues personally with Stalin.<ref name=rfe>{{cite news|last=Samii|first=Bill|title=World War II -- 60 Years After: The Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Iran And Washington-Tehran Relations|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1058759.html|access-date=11 November 2012|newspaper=Radio Free Europe|date=6 May 2005}}</ref>
He was again voted Prime Minister on 26 January 1946 with a slim margin in the Majlis of 52–51.<ref>"Iran Chooses Premier in 51 to 50 Vote", ''The Salt Lake Tribune'', 27 January 1946, p8; Manuucher Farmānfarmaian and Roxane Farmanfarmaian, ''Blood and Oil: A Prince's Memoir of Iran, from the Shah to the Ayatollah'' (Random House, 2005), p. 179</ref> The Majlis thought he would have the best chance of resolving the Soviet-inspired rebellion of the occupied Azerbaijan province since Qavam was the largest property owner in the region. Qavam did not disappoint. He ordered the Iranian delegation to the UN to negotiate issues pending before the Security Council directly with the Soviet delegation. He then flew to Moscow to discuss the issues personally with Stalin.<ref name=rfe>{{cite news
|last=Samii|first=Bill|title=World War II -- 60 Years After: The Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Iran And Washington-Tehran Relations|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1058759.html|access-date=11 November 2012|newspaper=Radio Free Europe|date=6 May 2005}}</ref>


When the Soviets violated the terms of the [[Tripartite Pact]] which called for all foreign military forces to be withdrawn from Iranian territory by 2 March 1946, it drew a strong rebuke from Parliamentary Whip, [[Mohammed Mossadegh]].
When the Soviets violated the terms of the Tripartite Pact which called for all foreign military forces to be withdrawn from Iranian territory by 2 March 1946, it drew a strong rebuke from Parliamentary Whip, [[Mohammed Mossadegh]].


Qavam arranged a deal with the Soviets, granting an oil concession in the North contingent on the approval of the Majlis after the elections. Under the terms of the agreement with Qavam, Soviet troops began withdrawing from Iran. When the new Majlis was seated, they immediately voted against the proposed Soviet oil concession.<ref name=Rubin>{{cite book|last=Rubin|first=Barry|title=Paved With Good Intentions|year=1980|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-502805-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/pavedwithgoodint00rubi/page/33 33–35]|url=https://archive.org/details/pavedwithgoodint00rubi/page/33}}</ref> This earned Qavam the congenial title, "The Old Fox".
Qavam arranged a deal with the Soviets, granting an oil concession in the North contingent on the approval of the Majlis after the elections. Under the terms of the agreement with Qavam, Soviet troops began withdrawing from Iran. When the new Majlis was seated, they immediately voted against the proposed Soviet oil concession.<ref name=Rubin>{{cite book|last=Rubin|first=Barry|title=Paved With Good Intentions|year=1980|publisher=Oxford University Press
|isbn=0-19-502805-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/pavedwithgoodint00rubi/page/33 33–35]
|url=https://archive.org/details/pavedwithgoodint00rubi/page/33}}</ref> This earned Qavam the congenial title, "The Old Fox". It also caused significant opposition against him led by ''[[Atash (newspaper)|Atesh]]'' and its editor Mehdi Mir Ashrafi<ref>{{cite journal|author=Laurence Paul Elwell-Sutton|author-link=Laurence Paul Elwell-Sutton|title=The Iranian Press, 1941-1947|journal=Iran|date=1968|volume=6|page=74|doi=10.2307/4299603|jstor=4299603
|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4299603}}</ref> and ''[[Mard-i Imruz]]'' and its editor [[Mohammad Masud]] who publicly argued that Qavam should be killed due to the oil deal with the Soviets.<ref name=cma01>{{cite journal
|title=Selling and Saving "Mother Iran": Gender and the Iranian Press in the 1940s|author=Camron Michael Amin
|date=August 2001|volume=33|issue=3|doi=10.1017/S0020743801003014|pages=337–338|pmid=18159657|s2cid=6159141
|url=https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020743801003014|journal=International Journal of Middle East Studies}}</ref>


==Death==
==Death==
Line 79: Line 86:
==See also==
==See also==


*[[Pahlavi Dynasty]]
*[[Pahlavi dynasty]]
*[[List of Prime Ministers of Iran]]
*[[List of prime ministers of Iran]]
*[[Reza Shah]]
*[[Reza Shah]]
*[[Mohammad Reza Shah]]
*[[Mohammad Reza Shah]]
Line 88: Line 95:


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
⚫
*The following reference was used for the above writing: 'Alí Rizā Awsatí (عليرضا اوسطى), ''Iran in the Past Three Centuries'' (''Irān dar Se Qarn-e Goz̲ashteh'' - ايران در سه قرن گذشته), Volumes 1 and 2 (Paktāb Publishing - انتشارات پاکتاب, Tehran, Iran, 2003). {{ISBN|964-93406-6-1}} (Vol. 1), {{ISBN|964-93406-5-3}} (Vol. 2).
⚫
*A book in [[Persian language|Persian]] called ''Dar Tir Rase Hadese'', ''The political life of Qavam osSaltaneh''. First published in Tehran, winter of 2006. Author: Hamid Shokat, {{ISBN|9789648897142}}. Published by akhtaranbook (www.akhtaranbook.com)


==Sources==
==Other sources==
⚫
*T'Alí Rizā Awsatí. (2003). ''Iran in the Past Three Centuries'' (''Irān dar Se Qarn-e Goz̲ashteh''), Volumes 1 and 2 (Paktāb Publishing, Tehran, Iran, 2003). {{ISBN|964-93406-6-1}} (Vol. 1), {{ISBN|964-93406-5-3}} (Vol. 2).
*[http://fa.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1046006 Translation from Persian Wikipedia]
⚫
*Hamid Shokat. (2006). ''Dar Tir Rase Hadese'', ''The political life of Qavam osSaltaneh''. Tehran, {{ISBN|9789648897142}}. Published by akhtaranbook (www.akhtaranbook.com)


==External links==
==External links==
*{{Commons-inline}}
{{commons category|Ahmad Qavam}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-off}}
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after= [[Hassan Pirnia]] }}
after= [[Hassan Pirnia]] }}
{{succession box |
{{succession box |
before= [[Hassan Pirnia]]|
before= Hassan Pirnia|
title= [[Prime Minister of Iran]] |
title= Prime Minister of Iran |
years= 1922–1923|
years= 1922–1923|
after= [[Mostowfi ol-Mamalek]] }}
after= [[Mostowfi ol-Mamalek]] }}
{{succession box |
{{succession box |
before= [[Ali Soheili]]|
before= [[Ali Soheili]]|
title= [[Prime Minister of Iran]] |
title= Prime Minister of Iran |
years= 1942–1943|
years= 1942–1943|
after= [[Ali Soheili]] }}
after= Ali Soheili }}
{{succession box |
{{succession box |
before= [[Ebrahim Hakimi]]|
before= [[Ebrahim Hakimi]]|
title= [[Prime Minister of Iran]] |
title= Prime Minister of Iran |
years= 1946–1947 |
years= 1946–1947 |
after= [[Mohammad-Reza Hekmat]] }}
after= [[Mohammad-Reza Hekmat]] }}
{{succession box |
{{succession box |
before= [[Mohammad Mossadegh]]|
before= [[Mohammad Mossadegh]]|
title= [[Prime Minister of Iran]] |
title= Prime Minister of Iran |
years= 1952 |
years= 1952 |
after= [[Mohammad Mossadegh]] }}
after= [[Mohammad Mossadegh]] }}
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{{s-hon}}
{{s-hon}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mohammad Mosaddegh]]}}
{{s-bef|before=Mohammad Mosaddegh}}
{{s-ttl|title=First deputy of [[Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr (electoral district)|Tehran]]|years=[[1947 Iranian legislative election|1947]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=First deputy of [[Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr (electoral district)|Tehran]]|years=[[1947 Iranian legislative election|1947]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mohammad Mosaddegh]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mohammad Mosaddegh]]}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Qavam, Ahmad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Qavam, Ahmad}}
[[Category:1876 births]]
[[Category:1873 births]]
[[Category:1955 deaths]]
[[Category:1955 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Gilan Province]]
[[Category:People from Gilan Province]]
[[Category:Prime Ministers of Iran]]
[[Category:Prime ministers of Iran]]
[[Category:Qavam family]]
[[Category:Politics of Qajar Iran]]
[[Category:Politics of Qajar Iran]]
⚫
[[Category:20th-century Iranian people]]
[[Category:19th-century Iranian people]]
[[Category:Democrat Party of Iran politicians]]
[[Category:Democrat Party of Iran politicians]]
[[Category:Reformers' Party politicians]]
[[Category:Reformers' Party politicians]]
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[[Category:People of Qajar Iran]]
[[Category:People of Qajar Iran]]
[[Category:Politicians from Tehran]]
[[Category:Politicians from Tehran]]
[[Category:People of Pahlavi Iran]]
⚫
[[Category:Iranian people of Jewish descent]]

Revision as of 07:19, 3 May 2024

Ahmad Qavam
15th Prime Minister of Iran
In office
17 July 1952 – 22 July 1952
MonarchMohammad Reza Pahlavi
Preceded byMohammed Mosaddeq
Succeeded byMohammed Mosaddeq
In office
28 January 1946 – 18 December 1947
MonarchMohammad Reza Pahlavi
Preceded byEbrahim Hakimi
Succeeded byEbrahim Hakimi
In office
9 August 1942 – 15 February 1943
MonarchMohammad Reza Pahlavi
Preceded byAli Soheili
Succeeded byAli Soheili
In office
22 June 1922 – 15 February 1923
MonarchAhmad Shah Qajar
Preceded byHassan Pirnia
Succeeded byMostowfi ol-Mamalek
In office
4 June 1921 – 21 January 1922
MonarchAhmad Shah Qajar
Preceded byZia'eddin Tabatabaee
Succeeded byHassan Pirnia
Personal details
Born2 January 1873
Tehran, Sublime State of Persia
Died23 July 1955(1955-07-23) (aged 82)
Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
Resting placeFatima Masumeh Shrine
Political partyDemocrat Party
Other political
affiliations		Reformers' Party (1920s)[1]
Spouse(s)Shazdeh Khanoom (divorced)
Zahra Alizadeh (divorced)
Zahra Delshad[2]
Children1[3]

Ahmad Qavam (2 January 1873 – 23 July 1955; Persian: احمد قوام), also known as Qavam os-Saltaneh (Persian: قوام السلطنه), was an Iranian politician who served as Prime Minister of Iran five times.

Early life

Qavam was born in 1873 to the prominent Iranian Qavam family. His uncle, Amin Aldoleh, was a Prime Minister of Iran. Hasan Vossug, another Prime Minister, was his older brother.[4] Qavam served in the royal court of Nasereddin Shah early in his career and obtained the title os-Saltaneh during the Constitutional Revolution of Iran in 1909. The letter signed by Mozaffaredin Shah in acceptance of the Constitutional Revolution was written by Qavam, who had the title of Dabir-e Hozoor (Private Secretary) at the time. Qavam became Prime Minister several times during both the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties. Twice he played a significant role in preventing the USSR from annexing Iran's northern provinces.

Political career

Qavam was appointed governor of Khorasan Province in 1918, during which time he responded to the ongoing famine and the Spanish flu pandemic.[5][6] He was a hardliner administrator and banned some of the newspapers which had been published in the region.[7]

In 1921, during the coup d'état of Tehran against the Qajar government, Tabatabaee ordered Colonel Pessian to arrest many of the opposition, among them Ahmad Qavam.

However, with the fall of Tabatabaee's government and the refusal by Mostowfi ol-Mamalek and others to accept the position of Prime Minister due to the unstable political situation, Qavam, just released from the Ishratabad prison of Tehran, was offered the position. He accepted and became Prime Minister in circumstances so unusual that Iraj Mirza wrote the following verses:

یکی را افکند امروز در بند
کند روز دیگر او را خداوند

"One day in prison he is thrown,
another day the King's chair he'll own"

Qavam in fact ordered the arrest of Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee in an incident 25 years later. He also ordered the crackdown on the revolt of Colonel Pessian which he crushed with the aid of Reza Pahlavi.

Of the major events that occurred during his terms as the Prime Minister, was his invitation to Arthur Millspaugh for assisting the government in its finances. Another was the riots of 1942 for economic hardship. He appointed Sepahbod Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi to restore order and end the riots, which he did forcefully. Qavam was also instrumental in the 1942 Tripartite Treaty between Iran, Russia, and Britain.

He was again voted Prime Minister on 26 January 1946 with a slim margin in the Majlis of 52–51.[8] The Majlis thought he would have the best chance of resolving the Soviet-inspired rebellion of the occupied Azerbaijan province since Qavam was the largest property owner in the region. Qavam did not disappoint. He ordered the Iranian delegation to the UN to negotiate issues pending before the Security Council directly with the Soviet delegation. He then flew to Moscow to discuss the issues personally with Stalin.[9]

When the Soviets violated the terms of the Tripartite Pact which called for all foreign military forces to be withdrawn from Iranian territory by 2 March 1946, it drew a strong rebuke from Parliamentary Whip, Mohammed Mossadegh.

Qavam arranged a deal with the Soviets, granting an oil concession in the North contingent on the approval of the Majlis after the elections. Under the terms of the agreement with Qavam, Soviet troops began withdrawing from Iran. When the new Majlis was seated, they immediately voted against the proposed Soviet oil concession.[10] This earned Qavam the congenial title, "The Old Fox". It also caused significant opposition against him led by Atesh and its editor Mehdi Mir Ashrafi[11] and Mard-i Imruz and its editor Mohammad Masud who publicly argued that Qavam should be killed due to the oil deal with the Soviets.[12]

Death

Qavam died at the age of 82 in 1955 in Tehran. He was survived by his second wife and his only son, Hossein.

See also

References

  1. ^ Abrahamian, Ervand (1982). Iran Between Two Revolutions. Princeton University Press. p. 121. ISBN 0-691-10134-5.
  2. ^ روزگار قوام در لاهیجان[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ زندگینامه: احمد قوام (1252 - 1334)
  4. ^ James A. Bill (1988). The Eagle and the Lion. The Tragedy of American-Iranian Relations. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 108. doi:10.12987/9780300159516-006. ISBN 978-0-300-04412-6. S2CID 246116954.
  5. ^ "Ahmad Qavam". Encyclopaedia Britannica.
  6. ^ Spinney, Laura (2017). Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and how it Changed the World. London: Vintage. pp. 112–120.
  7. ^ Hormoz Mehrdad (1980). Political orientations and the style of intergroup leadership interactions: The case of Iranian political parties (PhD thesis). The Ohio State University. p. 186. ISBN 979-8-205-08664-6. ProQuest 303067167.
  8. ^ "Iran Chooses Premier in 51 to 50 Vote", The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 January 1946, p8; Manuucher Farmānfarmaian and Roxane Farmanfarmaian, Blood and Oil: A Prince's Memoir of Iran, from the Shah to the Ayatollah (Random House, 2005), p. 179
  9. ^ Samii, Bill (6 May 2005). "World War II -- 60 Years After: The Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Iran And Washington-Tehran Relations". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  10. ^ Rubin, Barry (1980). Paved With Good Intentions. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–35. ISBN 0-19-502805-8.
  11. ^ Laurence Paul Elwell-Sutton (1968). "The Iranian Press, 1941-1947". Iran. 6: 74. doi:10.2307/4299603. JSTOR 4299603.
  12. ^ Camron Michael Amin (August 2001). "Selling and Saving "Mother Iran": Gender and the Iranian Press in the 1940s". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 33 (3): 337–338. doi:10.1017/S0020743801003014. PMID 18159657. S2CID 6159141.

Other sources

  • T'Alí Rizā Awsatí. (2003). Iran in the Past Three Centuries (Irān dar Se Qarn-e Goz̲ashteh), Volumes 1 and 2 (Paktāb Publishing, Tehran, Iran, 2003). ISBN 964-93406-6-1 (Vol. 1), ISBN 964-93406-5-3 (Vol. 2).
  • Hamid Shokat. (2006). Dar Tir Rase Hadese, The political life of Qavam osSaltaneh. Tehran, ISBN 9789648897142. Published by akhtaranbook (www.akhtaranbook.com)

External links

Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Iran
1921–1922 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Hassan Pirnia
 Prime Minister of Iran
1922–1923 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Iran
1942–1943 		Succeeded by
Ali Soheili
Preceded by Prime Minister of Iran
1946–1947 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Iran
1952 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Vacant
Party founded
 Leader of the Democrat Party of Iran
1946–1948 		Vacant
Party dissolved
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Mohammad Mosaddegh
 First deputy of Tehran
1947 		Succeeded by
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