Sheikh Khazal rebellion

Khuzestan (also known as Arabistan) had become an autonomous functioning region and remained much out of the reach of the central Persian government by 1923. Prior to the rise of Reza Khan, foreign influence had significantly undermined Persia's independence and stability. During the Constitutional Revolution, Persians attempted to eliminate Anglo-Russian dominance in their government but were unsuccessful. Following this period, Persia became a battleground during World War I, leading to British forces occupying much of the country and exerting control over the government in Tehran. As a result, cities such as Tabriz, Rasht, and Mashhad defied orders from Tehran, and many tribal populations, comprising about one-quarter of the populace, disregarded central authority. In response to this situation, various Persian leaders adopted four distinct policies: alignment with Britain, alignment with Russia, seeking support from a third power, and pursuing isolationism. Although he collected taxes in the region, he remitted only a small fraction to the central government. From April 29 to May 2, 1922, Sheikh Khazal and Bakhtiari Khans convened in Dar-e Khazinah to establish cooperation. Another meeting in Ahwaz produced a formal agreement that Khazal and the Bakhtiaris would collaborate in all respects, while both pledged to "continue to serve the Iranian government faithfully and loyally." This agreement was a significant step toward the formation of the Southern League. The nucleus of the alliance, based on Sheikh Khazal and the Bakhtiaris, sought to attract additional members, including the Vali of Posht-e Kuh, Qavam ol-Molk of Khamsah, and possibly Sawlat ol-Dowlat. However, the League lacked formal structure and was largely a temporary tribal confederation with shared interests. ==Conflict==

1922 events In July 1922, a column of 274 Persian soldiers, including 12 officers under command of Colonel Hasan Agha, were sent by Reza Khan to Khuzestan through the Bakhriari mountains to put pressure on Sheikh Khazal. Two task forces were organized: one for Dezful, headed by Major-General Ayrom, and another, under General Zahedi and Colonel Ali Akbar Javaheri-Farsi, which advanced from Isfahan and Shiraz through the Zagros Mountains into the Khuzestan Plain. The force under General Zahedi and Colonel Javaheri-Farsi defeated the Bakhtiari tribe, who were Khazal's allies, and brought other Bakhtiari groups into submission. Reza's arrival in Bushehr and the concentration of Persian soldiers around Ahwaz persuaded Sheikh Khazal to seek a negotiated settlement. During the rebellion of Arabs in Mohammerah, on July 24, 1925 British forces provided logistical and naval support to the Persian government. A report from the British Vice-Consul in Muhammara stated that, following the Arabs capture of Mohammerah, British officials requested reinforcements from Basra. In response, the Royal Navy deployed HMS Triad along with armored vehicles and additional troops, aiding the Persian reoccupation of Muhammerah on July 25, 1925 in which 130 Arabs were killed. Khazal sought London protection, but the British deemed his position untenable and instead backed Reza Pahlavi as a bulwark against Soviet influence. Realizing he had lost British support, Khazal disbanded his Arab forces and retired to Muhammara. In return for his submission, Reza Pahlavi granted him a pardon, and Persian troops occupied Ahwaz while military governors were installed in the region. However, this arrangement did not last long, and in April 1925, Reza ordered General Zahedi to capture Khazal. ==Aftermath==

1925 conclusion In January 1925, Reza Shah dispatched military commanders to Khuzestan to assert the authority of the provisional government in Tehran. An Imperial farman (executive order) was issued, changing the province name to Khuzestan, instead of Arabistan, and Sheikh Khazal lost his authority over the various tribes under his command. Later that spring, Reza Shah made two attempts to convince Khazal to meet him in Tehran to discuss his position in the new government. However, Khazal was suspicious of Reza Shah's motives and refused to go, stating that he would send an emissary instead. In April 1925, Reza Shah ordered one of his commanders, General Fazlollah Zahedi, who had a friendly relationship with Khazal, to meet with him and ostensibly convince him to travel to Tehran. General Zahedi, accompanied by several government officials, met with Khazal and spent an evening on his boat, anchored in the Shatt al-Arab river. Later that evening, a gunboat led by Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian, sent by Reza Shah, stealthily approached the boat, which was then boarded by fifty Persian soldiers. The soldiers arrested Khazal and transported him by motorboat to Mohammerah, where a car awaited to take him to a military base in Ahvaz. From there, he was taken to Dezful, accompanied by his son, then to the city of Khorramabad in Lorestan, and eventually to Tehran. Upon his arrival, Khazal was warmly greeted and well received by Reza Shah, who assured him that his problems would be quickly settled and that he would be treated well in the meantime. However, many of Khazal's personal assets in Persia were swiftly liquidated, and his properties eventually came under the domain of the Imperial government after Reza Shah was crowned the new Shah. The sheikhdom was abolished, and the provincial authority took full control of regional affairs, eliminating any form of local Arab autonomy along with the attempt to remove all Arab identity. House arrest and death Sheikh Khaz’al, the influential Emir of Mohammerah, was kidnapped and exiled to Tehran following the 1921 Persian coup and under the consent of Britain. After years of being held under strict surveillance by Reza Shah's regime, Sheikh Khaz’al was eventually murdered by police officers on the orders of Reza Shah. Although the circumstances of his death were suspected from the start, it wasn't until after Reza Shah's exile that the details of his murder were officially documented. Sheikh Khaz’al’s death was tied to a broader pattern of political repression during Reza Shah's rule, which sought to centralize power in Persia. Abbas Bakhtiari, known as "Six-Fingered," played a central role in the murder, collaborating with other police officers under the direct command of Reza Shah's security apparatus. Bakhtiari's confession during the trial detailed the brutal murder of Sheikh Khaz’al, where the victim was strangled, and his body was subsequently disposed of. Bakhtiari and several others involved in the crime were detained and interrogated, leading to confessions that implicated them in the political assassination. The trial of the perpetrators revealed the deep involvement of various members of Reza Shah's police force, including high-ranking officers like Rokneddin Mokhtari. After Reza Shah's exile, the individuals involved in the murder of Sheikh Khaz’al were tried and sentenced for their roles in the assassination. Abbas Bakhtiari received a ten-year sentence, while other officers involved were also sentenced to hard labor. Mokhtari, the chief of police, received a sentence but was later granted a royal pardon by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Sheikh Khaz’al's body was not allowed to be moved for burial until 1955, when his family, after years of struggle, was permitted to transfer his remains to Najaf, where he was finally laid to rest beside his family. ==See also==