Today is Monday; 20th of the Iranian month of Esfand 1397 solar hijri; corresponding to 4th of the Islamic month of Rajab 1440 lunar hijri; and March 11, 2019, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

3444 solar years ago, on this day in 1425 BC, Thutmose III, 6th Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, died at the age of 56 after a 54-year reign – 32 years as absolute ruler – and was succeeded by his son, Amenhotep II. He created the largest Egyptian empire from Niya in northern Syria to the 4^th Cataract of the River Nile in Nubia. In 1457 BC, in the Battle of Megiddo he defeated a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Kadesh in Palestine. It is believed to be the first battle recorded in relative detail. This battle is also the first recorded use of the composite bow as well as body count, as is evident by hieroglyphic writings of military scribe Tjaneni on the Hall of Annals in the Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak, Thebes (now Luxor). Tell Megiddo or Har Megiddo – as called in Hebrew – was corrupted to “Armageddon” in the Greek translation of the Bible, and is associated with some crucial battles in history. It is supposed to be the site (though its authenticity is open to doubt), of the last battle in the end times between the forces of good and evil. Of the two other crucial battles that took place in Megiddo, is the one fought in 609 BC between the Egyptians and the Israelites, in which Pharaoh Necho II while leading his army to fight the Babylonians in Syria, defeated the Kingdom of Judah and killed King Josiah, as recorded in the Old Testament. The last and the best-known Battle of Megiddo was in 1918 during the closing months of World War I when a British force made up of soldiers of different lands including Arabs and Indian Muslims, and led by General Edmund Allenby, defeated the Ottoman Turks to seize control of Palestine.

1914 solar years ago, on this day in 105 AD, China’s Tsai Lun invented paper from the pulp of bamboo, mulberry and other fibers. As an official of the Han Dynasty, he presented samples of paper to Emperor Han Ho Ti, who promoted him and bestowed riches. Later he got involved in palace intrigue, which led to his downfall. He ended his life by drinking poison. In China the oldest known archaeological fragments of the precursor to modern paper date to 2nd century BC, but Tsai's invention was a scientific move at a time when Europeans were living in the dark ages. Paper spread from China to the Islamic world and thence to medieval Europe in the 13th century.

1115 solar years ago, on this day in 904 AD, the island of Malta in the Mediterranean became part of the Islamic World after a series of struggles with Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire, starting in the year 870. The conquest of Malta is closely linked with that of Sicily and involved a Muslim army of Arabs, Berbers, and Iranians. Muslims built irrigation systems and introduced new fruits and cotton, as well as the Sicilo-Arabic language that has evolved into present day Maltese. In 1091, Malta became a vassal of the Christian Normans, who gradually expelled the Muslims to North Africa. Of Malta’s half a million population, only 3,000 are Muslims today.

848 lunar years ago, on this day in 592 AH, the poet, Mohammad ibn Ali al-Waseti, popularly known as “Ibn Mo’allem”, passed away at the age of 91. He focused on ethical and social topics in simple terms. Part of his poems is about mystical topics and some are eulogies.

517 solar years ago, on this day in 1502, Shah Ismail I was crowned the First Safavid Emperor of Iran, after defeating the Aq Qoyunlu army in western Iran. To Ismail and the Safavids go the credit of giving Iran its present political, cultural, religious, and national identity, although in terms of geography many of the areas of the Safavid Empire were lost to the aggressors and colonialists by the later dynasties. Ismail I was devoted to the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Born in Ardabil to the head of the Safaviyya Sufi order, Shah Haidar, he was the direct descendant of the famous mystic, Safi od-Din Ardabeli, and hence traced his lineage to the Prophet’s 7th Infallible Heir, Imam Musa Kazem (AS). At the age of 13, Ismail launched his campaign in Erzinjan (presently in Turkey), and with the help of a 7,000 force of Qizl-Bash (literally ‘Red-Heads’ from the colour of their caps), he defeated the Shirvan-Shah, took control of Baku (presently in the Republic of Azerbaijan) and crowned himself  King of Azarbaijan in Tabriz. By 1509, he unified all of Iran, Iraq, the Caucasus, parts of Central Asia, and western Afghanistan, and took the title of Shah of Persia. The dynasty founded by him lasted 235 years, reviving Iran's Islamic glories in science, art, architecture, philosophy, culture, and literature, and wielding spiritual influence outside Iran as well, amongst the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt in Iraq, Syria, Anatolia (Turkey), the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Deccan Plateau of India. The Timurid prince, Babar, who later founded the Mughal Empire in northern India, regarded Shah Ismail as his suzerain, and so did the Deccan Sultanates of Yusuf Adil Shah of Bijapur and Sultan Quli Qutb Shah of Golkandah.

492 lunar years ago, on this day in 948 AH, the Ottomans achieved a resounding victory over the Spaniards and other European Christian powers who tried to attack Algeria with a huge army. More than twenty thousand European invaders were killed and their corpses scattered for several kilometers along the Algerian coast. The Ottomans captured 130 ships, and reaffirmed their superiority in the Mediterranean over the European powers.

453 lunar years ago, on this day in 987AH, the Ottomans, after seizing Daghestan and some northern parts of Azerbaijan in a surprise attack, set up naval bases on the shores of the Caspian, with the aim of dominating this inland sea, similar to their sway in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The timely counterattack by the Safavid Empire, however, thwarted Ottoman designs, as Daghestan and Azerbaijan's Shirwan region, along with most of the Caucasus, returned to the control of Iran.

423 solar years ago, on this day in 1596 AD, Ahmadnagar, capital of the Persianate Nizam-Shahi Dynasty of the Deccan (southern India) was attacked by forces of Akbar Shah, the Moghal Emperor of Hindustan (northern Subcontinent), and was bravely defended by Princess Chand Sultana, the  regent of her minor grand-nephew, Bahadur Nizam Shah. The attackers led by Prince Murad were forced to enter into peace negotiations and withdrew on the ceding of Berar to them. Chand Sultana, the widow of Ali Adel Shah I of the neighbouring Persianate Dynasty of Bijapur also served as regent to her minor stepson, Ibrahim. She is famous for resisting the Moghal invasion by mobilizing the rulers of Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Golkandah-Haiderabad. Well-versed in Arabic, Persian, Marathi and Kanarese, she maintained relations with the Safavid Emperors of Iran. The Nizam-Shahis had become staunch followers of the School of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt under influence of the migrant Iranian scholar, Seyyed Taher Hussaini Qazvini, and attracted Iranians of all walks of life to their court, where Persian language flourished and important books were written.

235 solar years ago, on this day in 1784 AD, the Treaty of Mangalore ended the 2nd Anglo-Mysore War between Fath Ali Khan Tipu Sultan of Mysore in south India and the British colonialists. The 5-year war started in 1779 when Tipu Sultan's father, Hyder Ali Khan, was the ruler, and had received a contingent of 1000 troops from Karim Khan Zand of Iran. It involved a seesaw struggle and saw a series of defeats for the British. In 1782 Hyder died and Tipu Sultan became king, and in 1784 he retook Mangalore from the British. With neither side in a position to win, the war ended in stalemate with the signing of the Treaty of Mangalore. The treacherous British twice broke the terms of the treaties and finally in 1799, they attacked Mysore and martyred Tipu Sultan. The language of the Mysore court was Persian. Among history books of this period are those written by the migrant Iranian scholar, Mir Hussain Ali Khan Kirmani, titled “Nishan-e Haideri”, and “Tadhkirat-al-Belaad wa’l-Hukkaam”.

224 solar years ago, on this day in 1795 AD, at the Battle of Khardla, army of the Persianate state of Haiderabad-Deccan, suffered a setback from the brink of victory over the Marathas, because of a quirk behaviour by the wife of the ruler, Nizam Ali Khan Asef Jah II. Terrified by cannon fire, Bakhshi Begum threatened to unveil if her husband doesn’t leave the battlefield for the nearby fort, despite the bravery of the commanders such as the Iranian origin Nawabs of Banganapalle, Seyyed Asad Ali Khan Muzaffar ol-Mulk and his nephew, Seyyed Ghulam Ali Khan Mansour od-Dowla, who had penetrated the centre of enemy lines. The pullback of the royal entourage from the battlefield gave the impression of retreat to the troops who were driving back the Marathas, and the ensuing panic resulted in a humiliating treaty – formally signed on 17th April – according to which the strategic fortresses of Daulatabad, Ahmadnagar, Sholapur and a huge swath of territory were ceded, along with prime minister Arastu Jah as a hostage at the Maratha court. The situation soon reversed in October that year with the sudden death of the Maratha leader, Madhav Rao II, and in the resulting chaos, the Nizam got back his territory without any effort, while Arastu Jah managed to free himself from prison.

102 solar years ago, on this day in 1917 AD, Baghdad’s Ottoman governor, Khalil Pasha was defeated and fled as the Iraqi capital was captured by General Stanley Maude, commander of the Anglo-Indian forces. The people welcomed the British and Indian troops as liberators from Ottoman rule.

69 solar years ago, on this day in 1950 AD, British engineer Ralph Freeman, who designed the world’s largest and longest bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge, died at the age of 70. His masterpiece in Australia, completed in 1932 with a main steel arch span of 500 meters (1,650 feet), and a 50-meter wide deck, carries eight lanes of highway traffic, two train lines, a footway and a cycleway. He also designed the Tyne Bridge, Newcastle, England, and the Victoria Falls Bridge over Africa’s Zambezi River.

69 lunar years ago, on this day in 1371 AH, the renowned Islamic scholar of Syria, Ayatollah Seyyed Muhsin al-Amin al-Ameli, passed away in Damascus at the age of 86 and was laid to rest in the shrine of Hazrat Zainab (SA), the granddaughter of  Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). After higher studies in Iraq at the seminary of holy Najaf, he settled in Damascus and played a vital role in reforming and awakening the conscience of the followers of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt. He wrote several books, including the famous biographical encyclopedia titled “Ayaan ash-Shi‘ah” in scores of volumes. He was among the ulema from whom the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini received the “ijaza” or authorization to relate hadith. The Late Imam writes in his book “Arba’een”: “I received both written and oral authorization (to relate hadith) from some of the most prominent and trustworthy ulema, including the Master of Authority, the Scholastic Jurisprudent, the Trustworthy Personality, Allamah Seyyed Muhsin al-Amin al-Ameli.”

64 solar years ago, on this day in 1955 AD, Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, died at the age of 73. In 1928, while working on influenza virus, he observed that mould had developed accidently on a staphylococcus culture plate, creating a bacteria-free circle around itself. His further experiments found that a mould culture prevented growth of staphylococci, even if diluted 800 times. The substance, which he named penicillin, initiated the highly effective practice of antibiotic therapy for infectious diseases.

34 solar years ago, on this day in 1985 AD, prominent jurisprudent, Ayatollah Seyyed Hussein Khademi, passed away at the age of 83. Born in Isfahan, he was a product of the famous seminary of holy Najaf in Iraq, where he attained Ijtehad at the young age of 26, after studies under such leading ulema as Grand Ayatollah Mirza Mohammad Hussain Na’ini, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Hassan Isfahani, and Shaikh Mohammad Jawad Balaghi. On his return to Iran, he became politically active against the repressive policies of the British-installed Reza Khan Pahlavi, especially the ban on women’s hijab and the brutal suppression of Islamic culture and values. Later, Ayatollah Khademi participated in the campaign for nationalization of Iran’s oil industry led by Ayatollah Seyyed Abu’l-Qassem Kashani. In 1963, with the start of the struggles of The Father of Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (God bless him), for establishment of the sacred Islamic system in Iran, Ayatollah Khademi stepped up his political activities that culminated in the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

34 solar years ago, on this day in 1985 AD, following the death of Soviet leader Konstantin Chernenko the day before; the youngest member of the Communist Party Politburo, Mikhail Gorbachev, succeeded him and brought about basic changes, which after six years led to collapse of the Soviet Union and independence of lands occupied over the past century-and-a-half Tsarist Russia. His policy of Perestroika or economic-political freedom at home, and Glasnost or transparency in international relations, was instrumental in bringing about basic changes and freeing countries and peoples from the iron grip of Godless communism. In 1989, he was the recipient of the famous epistle of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), who had advised him to return to God and spirituality, predicting that communism is already dead and would henceforth be seen in world political history museums.

15 solar years ago, on this day in 2004 AD, a string of five bomb blasts at several metro stations in Madrid, Spain, reportedly killed 220 people and injured 1,000 others. Although the rightwing Spanish government accused the Basque Separatist Organization, ETA, for these explosions, the CIA-created al-Qa’eda terrorist outfit claimed responsibility. One of the outcomes of explosions was victory of the Socialist Party in parliamentary elections and withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq.

13 solar years ago, on this day in 2006 AD, former Serbian dictator, Slobodan Milosevic, died in Hague prison. In 2001, nine months after collapse of his regime, he was detained and handed over to the criminal court for trial for the genocide of Bosnian Muslims. He became president of Serbia in 1991 and the next year when war broke out between the Bosnian Serbs and Muslims, he intervened on the side of the Serbs and for the next three-and-a-half years, he was involved in the massacre of over 200,000 Bosnian Muslims and the displacement of two million others. Following Milosevic's defeat in the 2000 elections and a surge in domestic protests, his fate was sealed by the warrant of the Hague Tribunal. The prosecution of Balkan’s criminals started in 2002, but with Milosevic’s death, his trial remained unfinished.

8 solar years ago, on this day in 2011 AD, a 9-degree earthquake struck 130 km east of Sendai, Japan, triggering a tsunami and killing at least 15,856 people, while 2,643 went missing. It also triggered the second largest nuclear accident in history, and one of only two events to be classified as a Level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The quake was caused when the Pacific tectonic plate dove under the North American plate, which shifted Eastern Japan towards North America by about 13 feet.

AS/SS