Qazî Muhammad (1893–1947)
First President of the Republic of Mehabad | Martyr of Kurdish Independence
Qazî Muhammad was a Kurdish judge, intellectual, and political leader best known as the founding president of the Republic of Mehabad - the first modern Kurdish state - established in 1946 in Eastern Kurdistan. He is remembered as a courageous and principled figure who gave his life for the dream of Kurdish self-determination.
Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025
Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025
Early Life and Legal Career:
Born in Mehabad, Rojhilat (East Kurdistan) (then called Sablakh), Qazî Muhammad came from a well-known religious and scholarly family. He became a judge (qazî) under the Iranian judiciary, where he earned respect for his integrity, education, and fairness. His deep understanding of both Islamic law and Kurdish culture gave him moral authority in the region.
Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025
Rise of Kurdish Nationalism:
During World War II, with the weakening of central control in Iran and the presence of Soviet forces in northern Iran, Kurdish nationalists saw an opportunity to assert their rights. Qazî Muhammad became the leading voice of a growing Kurdish political movement, emphasizing Kurdish language, education, and self-rule.
In early 1946, he founded the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and was chosen as president of the newly declared Republic of Mehabad - the first Kurdish republic in modern history.
Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025
The Republic of Mehabad (1946–1947):
Established on January 22, 1946, the Republic of Mehabad was a bold and hopeful moment for Kurds. It was backed by the Soviet Union, and its capital was in Mehabad. The republic promoted Kurdish education, published books and newspapers in Kurdish, and raised the Kurdistan flag - a first in modern history.
Qazî Muhammad appointed Mustafa Barzani as Minister of Defense. Barzani and his experienced Peshmerga fighters became the backbone of the new state’s military defense. The collaboration between Qazî Muhammad and Barzani symbolized unity between Rojhalati and Bashuri Kurds.
Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025
Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025
Fall of the Republic and Final Days:
After a year, the political winds shifted. The Soviets withdrew from Iran under international pressure, and the Iranian government moved swiftly to crush the Kurdish republic. As the Iranian army approached, Barzani urged Qazî Muhammad to flee with him to the Soviet Union to continue the struggle from exile.
But Qazî Muhammad refused to abandon his people. He believed the leader must stay and face the consequences, hoping to spare Kurdish civilians from bloodshed. In a powerful final gesture, he gave the first Kurdish flag of Mehabad to Barzani, who folded it and placed it in his pocket before escaping into exile.
Qazî Muhammad was arrested, tried by a military tribunal, and publicly executed by hanging on March 31, 1947, in Mehabad’s main square - along with his brother Sadr Qazî and cousin Seyfi Qazî. He was just 54 years old.
Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025
Legacy and Martyrdom
Qazî Muhammad is venerated as a martyr and founding father of Kurdish nationalism. Though the Republic of Mehabad lasted only 11 months, it left a deep emotional and political legacy. Qazî’s commitment to Kurdish identity, education, and non-sectarian governance became a model for future generations.
His name is still honored across Kurdistan, and the Kurdistan flag he passed to Barzani remains a living symbol of Kurdish unity, resistance, and aspiration.
Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025
Posted by Zagrosian · 12 May 2025
Florida State University Libraries
Posted by Zagrosian · 22 May 2025
Description of Qazî Muhammad
Posted by Zagrosian · 11 June 2025
While Kurds have often been accused by some Iranians of being communists or Soviet sympathizers, historical evidence shows that the Pahlavi regime itself made significant concessions to the Soviet Union, including supplying billions of dollars’ worth of oil, mainly to dissuade Moscow from supporting Kurdish movements. These oil concessions, given so that the Soviets would not support the Kurds, contributed to the collapse of the Iranian economy under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. Since the revolution against the Shah grew largely out of that economic crisis, Iran might still be a monarchy today had Qazi Muhammad not established a Kurdish republic. Shown here is a rare picture of Reza Shah with Stalin.
Posted by Zagrosian · Found by Namo · 29 July 2025
Some Iranians claim that Qazi Muhammad was a Soviet puppet, yet it was the Shah of Iran who made concessions to the Soviets. Qazi Muhammad himself told Archibald Roosevelt: “Kurdistan is a free country. Our republic is not a puppet of the Soviets. If we were, then where are the Soviet soldiers?”
Posted by Zagrosian · Found by Namo · 29 July 2025