55
Azerbaijani carpets / TABRIZ GROUP
Azerbaijan’s revolution-
ary commander Sattar
Khan is depicted on
horseback on this carpet.
On the top of the middle
field of the carpet is writ-
ten “Sattar Khan” in a
medallion and “Serdar”
on a ketebe.
The middle part of the carpet is surrounded with an arch designed in the Eastern Romantic style. On the bottom of the
middle field, there is a depiction of a meadow. On the main and minor borders, there are vegetal elements and lambs. The
people’s love for Sattar Khan can be felt in the weaver’s expression. Sattar Khan is sitting on a horse as a proud and invin-
cible hero. The hero’s clothes are depicted as they originally were and the saddle of the horse is decorated with patterns.
By depicting the horse rearing up, the weaver illustrates that Sattar Khan is setting out for a battle. The descriptions and
details were accomplished with a special mastery.
Sattar Khan was born in 1868 in the Janali village of southern Azerbaijan’s province of Karabakh. The movement known
as “Meshrute” in 1905-1911 raised Sattar Khan to a great level as a commander.
Through the unusual heroism and bravery he demonstrated while leading the freedom fighters of the Amirkhiz district
of Tabriz, he became their favorite general. After shelling Majles and the 40,000 armed forces of the shah attacking Tabriz
during the main period of revolution in June 1908, the High Military Council was established under Sattar Khan’s leader-
ship. Sattar Khan was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Council, Baqer Khan his deputy, and Ali Musyo, Hadji
Ali, and Seyed Hashem khan as members.
In 1909, the rebels in Tabriz were able to drive out the enemies’ armed forces despite losing huge number of fighters.
Taking into account Sattar Khan and Baqer khan’s heroism during the battle, Sattar Khan was honored with the title of
“Serdar-el-melli” (National General) and Baqer khan received the title “Salar-el-melli” (National Leader) by order of the
assembly. The Military Council was assigned the task of defending Tabriz. This rebel victory had great influence on the
other regions of Azerbaijan and all of Iran. Special committees were established in Tehran, Rasht, Qazvin, Isfahan, and other
cities under the name of Sattar Khan. The town commission of Tabriz introduced himself as the delegate of the Council of
Assembly. Most Azerbaijani cities were cleared of enemies by October 1908. Being afraid of the strengthening revolution-
ary movement in the country, the shah authorized the reopening of the National Assembly in Tehran. The second Majles
held in December 1908 ordered a plaque of honor with the images of Sattar Khan and Baqer khan carved in gold as a token
of appreciation for their service and ordered the plaque to be hung on the tribune in the next session of the Assembly. The
strengthening of the revolutionary power after the rebel fighting in Tabriz frightened the loyal forces of the shah as well as
Russia and Great Britain.
To discredit Sattar Khan and his supporters, they tried to separate Sattar Khan and Baqer khan from their followers and
take them out of Tabriz. A telegram (dated March 3, 1910) sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain to its Am-
bassador in Iran, Mr. George Birly, reads that Sattar Khan and Baqer khan should be sent away from Tabriz immediately.
After that, the Prime Minister of Iran and the National Assembly meddled in this affair and made Sattar Khan and Baqer
khan leave for Tehran. On March 6, 1910 Sattar Khan and Baqer khan, along with 300 of their followers, headed to Tehran.
Sattar Khan reached Tehran on April 3, 1910. The citizens of Tehran greeted him as a savior and “gurban” (sacrifice) were
made for his sake.
Sattar Khan and his followers were accommodated in Atabey Park. On August 7 1910, the Shah’s troops and police forces
led by YepremKhan Davidian’s (Armenian by nationality), who had defended against the Shah’s regime with Sattar Khan’s
forces, deceitfully attacked Atabey Park at night and tried to disarm Sattar Khan’s forces. During the violent confrontation,
Sattar Khan was wounded in his leg. His forces were not given a chance to leave Tehran. Finally, Sattar Khan died by a bul-
let wound at the age of 48, on November 9, 1914 and was buried in Shah Abdul Azim cemetery in Tehran.
The middle field of the carpet is surrounded by a brick red main border decorated with stylized lamb images and trees
with flowers and leaves.
The main border is surrounded on both sides by ivory minor borders decorated with vegetal elements. The edges of the
main and minor borders are completed with black “su”.
The carpet’s pile is woolen and its wrap and weft are made of cotton. The yarn was dyed with natural dyes and eight
colors were used. The carpet was woven with a technique called “shirazi-sekkizvari.” Its loom is beige and its fringe is one
centimeter. The thickness is 40x50. It is in excellent condition and was hung on the wall. The carpet has a great artistic,
historic, and scientific importance.
The sentence “It is a very heart-warming
company” is repeated on the trim.
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