Origins and beliefs (1915) In October 1915, Haj Ahmad Kasmai (1264 - 1344 Ghamari/1250 - 1330 Shamsi/1871 - 1951 AD), Kabra Ibrahim Kasmai, Hossein Kasmai (mentioned in Shivan Fumani's poem "Gaav"), Gholam Hossein Kasmai, Dr. Heshmat Taleghani, and
Mirza Kuchik Khan, an experienced activist in the pro-democracy and nationalist
Constitutional Revolution, among others, collectively launched the Jangal movement in the forests of Kasma,
Gilan, demanding autonomous status for the province, an end to central government corruption, an end to foreign interference in affairs of local peoples, and
land reform. Basically, even though the movement was not "separatist", "bourgeois nationalist", or
communist, its main ideas were rooted in ridding the country of government corruption, "foreign imperial domination," and opposition to the country's existing monarchy. With such goals, it is no surprise that the movement enjoyed strong support of the
peasantry,
working class, and poor population within Iran. Even so, Hooshang Amirahmadi describes the movement's leaders as "merchants and landlords" and Mirza as part of the "democratic wing" of the Iranian
bourgeoisie.
Early Jangal movement (1915–18) In years that followed, the movement's guerrillas, Jangalis, fought against foreign invaders. They initially defeated the armies of two landowners, and a force consisting of 550 Russians and 50
Persian Cossacks. However, they were nearly destroyed in January 1916 by
Nikolai Baratov's forces. Still, they managed to defend themselves and recovered, taking control of large amounts of territory in Gilan, even taxing Gilakis. While the Jangalis were described as "small landowners in Gilan" that advocated armed insurgency, they were strong enough to resist the advances of the
Russian Empire, leading the British to become the major military presence in the region instead. After the
Russian Revolution in 1917,
Marxists within Iran became more organized and began collaborating with the Jangal movement, with many of these new revolutionaries directly influenced by the
Bolsheviks. Later, these Marxists would end up forming the
Tudeh Party. Even so, there were undoubtedly differences since Mirza supported land reforms but not land redistribution. Near the end of 1917, the Jangalis organized the
Committee of Union of Islam, since they were affiliated with the Union of Islam movement, which was "bourgeois-nationalist" with democratic elements, with members on the committee mainly comprising landlords and merchants. Still, they drew up a proposed constitution which accepted "private property in land" with certain limitations but also called for
equality,
majority rule, and
freedom. Even with this, the Jangalis failed to change relations between landlords and peasants, but they did continue to hold an anti-
absolutist,
anti-imperialist, and
nationalist position displayed in their magazine,
Jangal, launched in 1917. In December, after the
October Revolution in
Russia, the
Anzali Revolutionary Committee, made up of
Bolsheviks and
Socialist Revolutionaries and led by
Anton Cheliabin, was created. However, the committee and its
Red Guards did struggle to control
Russian forces in the region, as many Russians opposed the Bolsheviks. Noel was arrested before he could take any such action. Colonel Stokes and General
Lionel Dunsterville (whose troops were lightly referred to as
Dunsterforce) were further agitated by Mirza's refusal to let British forces pass through Gilan on their way up north, while Mirza had approved and guaranteed Russian troops returning north safe passage. British forces attacked Rasht as a result, and even bombed Mirza's residence using airplanes. An ultimatum was issued to Mirza by the British to surrender.
Battle of Manjil and temporary neutralization (1918) In 1918, the British brought
White Russian colonel
Lazar Bicherakov and his 1,200 The Dunsterforce of
Russian Telegraph Agency (Russian Telegraph Agency) in
Persian and
Russian reads: Rasht 27 June 1920,
Long Live Mirza Kuchek", in the honor of Mirza Kuchak Khan and celebration of the newly announced
Soviet Republic of Gilan. By 1920, the Jangalis engaged in an uprising in which they demanded regional autonomy and national reforms. There was a turning point in the movement's history when the
Red Army came into the Iranian port of
Anzali from Baku, which the
11th Red Army had
entered on 28 April. As a result, the Red Army and Jangalis agreed on the establishment of the
bourgeois democratic and anti-British/anti-imperialist government in Gilan. The Red
Caspian Flotilla and Jangalis under the command of
Fyodor Raskolnikov and
Sergo Ordzhonikidze defeated the British
North Persia Force and recaptured Anzali on 18 May, advancing towards and entering Rasht with the help of the 11th Army on the same day. The 11th Army captured Rasht on the 4 June and the Jangalis subsequently proclaimed the
Socialist Soviet Republic of Gilan on 5 June. This was followed by a
coup d'état against Mirza on 31 July 1920. As a result, Dustdar became the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Gilan, and thus the main leader of the Gilan SSR. After this, the Jangalis were a key part of maintaining Socialist Soviet Republic of Gilan, showing that Marxists and Muslims could work together in a common cause.
John Foran describes this collaboration: The Communist Party of Iran, led by Haydar Khan Amoughlu, and the Jungle Movement, led by Mirza Kuchak Khan, had formed an alliance to build a soviet socialist republic. In addition, they sent a letter to
Lenin asking for assistance in 'freeing us and all of the oppressed from the chain of Iranian and British oppressors.' They also sent a letter to Tehran proclaiming the monarch government illegitimate.
Fall of the Gilan SSR (1920–21) , Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Gilan in 1920, Chairman of Revolutionary Committee of Gilan SSR twice in 1921 Meanwhile, Mirza Kuchik Khan began secret negotiations with the central government to eliminate the communists, leading to a coup in the Gilan government and later peace between the two forces. This ended the Marxist-Muslim cooperation in September 1920, as the
Communist Party withdrew from the Jangali coalition. In January 1921, British commander
Edmund Ironside would promote
Reza Khan Pahlavi to command the Cossack Brigade and a
coup d'état was launched the next month. Following this, the Soviets came to an
agreement with the Iranian government to withdraw their troops, especially those assisting the Gilan SSR, and soon after the British declared they would be withdrawing their troops. Ultimately, the Soviets told Mirza that the Soviet Republic, due to changed circumstances, was compromised. As a result, there was an internal conflict in which the leader of the Communist Party,
Heydar Khan Amo-oghli, was killed, the "
Revolutionary Committee" of the Soviet Republic fell apart, and the Jangalis were defeated by Reza Khan when government forces captured Rasht in October, followed by the complete collapse of the Jangal movement shortly afterward. Mirza, along with his German companion, froze to death on 2 December as they tried to escape Khan's men. The Jangalis' Soviet republic had lasted close to two years before their leaders were killed and imprisoned. == Legacy ==