Howard Baskerville

Howard Conklin Baskerville (April 10, 1885 - April 19 1909) was an American teacher in the Presbyterian mission school in Tabriz, Iran. He is often referred to as the "American Lafayette in Iran". "(J. Lorentz)"

Life and death

In 1908, during the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, he decided to join the Constitutionalists and fight against the Qajar despot King Mohammad Ali Shah. He was shot while leading a group of student soldiers to break the Siege of Tabriz.

The affection that many Iranians have for America perhaps may have roots in Tabriz, where this Nebraskan missionary was killed. Baskerville was a teacher in the American School, one of many such institutions created by the American missionaries who had worked in the city since the mid-19th century. He arrived in 1907 fresh out of Princeton Theological Seminary to teach at the American Memorial School in Tabriz, and was swept up in the revolutionary mood in Iran, fought a royalist blockade that was starving the city. On April 19, 1909, he led a contingent of 150 nationalist fighters into battle against the royalist forces. A single bullet tore through his heart, killing him instantly nine days after his 24th birthday. He has been quoted as saying "The only difference between me and these people is my place of birth, and this is not a big difference."

The same day the Arg of Tabriz was attacked and bombed by 4000 Russian troops. The Persians held out for four days. While the US consulate was in the line of fire, some Americans like Baskerville, took to arms, helping the people of Iran.

Many Iranian nationalists still revere Baskerville as an exemplar of an America that they saw as a welcome ally and a useful “third force” that might break the power of London and Saint Petersburg in Tehran.

Modern Tributes

Iranians still pay tribute to Baskerville and consider him a martyr. He is buried in the Christian Armenian cemetery in Tabriz, Iran, a fact that impedes tourists and ordinary people to freely visit his grave. However, "a mysterious admirer" is reported to "regularly" place "yellow roses" on his grave. [Molavi, Afshin, "The Soul fo Iran", Norton, (2005), p.218]

A sculpture of him is today located in the "Tabriz constitution House" as a martyr.

A Persian carpet with his picture woven on it was also made by the carpet weavers of Tabriz and sent to Baskerville's mother in America, in recognition of his courage and sacrifice which is [http://www.flickr.com/photos/9012023@N08/2351523411/ viewable here] .

References

* John H. Lorentz, "Historical Dictionary of Iran" (Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, 1995). ISBN 0-8108-2994-0, ISBN 978-0-8108-2994-7.

See also

* Famous Americans in Iran
* Amin Maalouf, "Samarkand: A Novel", translated from French by Russell Harris (Interlink Books, New York, 1998). ISBN 1-56656-293-7, ISBN 978-1-56656-293-5.

External links

*
* "Images of Revolution. The Constitutionalist Revolution: 1906-1909." [http://www.irvl.net/const-gallerty.htm]
* [http://www.iranian.com/History/Aug98/Baskerville/ Article on Iranian.com]
* "I am Persia's" - American wife of a missionary in Tabriz writes on Baskerville's death." [http://www.iranian.com/History/Aug98/Baskerville/letter.html]
* [http://www.iranchamber.com/religions/articles/american_presbyterian_missionaries_zirinsky.pdf Another article in PDF format]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/9012023@N08/2351523411/ Image of a carpet made by people of Tabriz for his mother as a sign of appriciation]