Today is Sunday; 18th of the Iranian month of Shahrivar 1398 solar hijri; corresponding to 9th of the Islamic month of Muharram 1441 lunar hijri; and September 9, 2019, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1447 solar years ago, on this day in 572 AD, the 7-year war broke out between the Persian Empire and the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire with the invasion of Sassanid territories by Emperor Justin II, who eventually suffered a shattering defeat at the hands of the Iranian Emperor, Khosrow I Anushiravan. Justin was forced to abdicate and was succeeded by Tiberius as the new emperor. The Romans paid 45,000 gold coins to Iran as war reparations.

1380 lunar years ago, on the eve of this day in 61 AH, Imam Husain (AS), who was surrounded in Karbala and deprived of access to the waters of the River Euphrates by the bloodthirsty Omayyad hordes, sent one of his loyal companions named Amr ibn Qardha to the enemy camp, asking for a meeting with their commander Omar ibn Sa’d, who in vain pursuit of the riches of the transient world had joined the army of Yazid despite being the son of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, a senior companion of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). The two met along with 20 men each, and for the final discussion, the Prophet’s grandson proposed a private meeting accompanied by their nearest ones. The Imam was accompanied by his elder son, Hazrat Ali Akbar (AS) and his brother Hazrat Abbas (AS), while Omar was joined by his son Hafas and a slave. When the Imam questioned Omar about his hostile stand in spite of fully knowing the prime position of the Ahl al-Bayt, he replied that he feared the destruction of his house by the Omayyads. The Imam told him that he will provide for him a grand house, to which Omar said his properties might be seized by the regime. The Imam said he will give him better property and wealth in Hijaz, to which Omar said that he feared the tyrannical governor of Kufa, Obaidollah ibn Ziyad might slaughter him and his family. At these lame excuses the Imam stood up and said: What has happened to you; God would cause you to die in your own bed and on the Day of Resurrection and Judgement He would never forgive you for such a cardinal sin of yours. By God, don’t be deceived by the Omayyads, for you are not destined to taste even a single grain of the wheat of Rayy, whose governorship they have promised you. Omar said he would content with some barley of that flourishing land in Iran, ignoring the fact that Imam Husain (AS) has been hailed by the Prophet as the Leader of the Youth of Paradise. Omar returned to his encampment greatly disturbed, and wrote a letter to Obaidullah ibn Ziyad, asking him to let Imam Husain (AS) return to Hijaz or any other place instead of harassing him. Ibn Ziyad became angry and immediately dispatched the despicable Shimr Zil-Jowshan with a letter to Karbala, demanding that either Omar extract allegiance to Yazid’s ungodly rule, or killing the Prophet’s grandson or handing over command of the army to Shimr.

1380 lunar years ago, on the afternoon of this day in 61 AH, with the arrival of the Godless Shemr Zil-Jowshan in Karbala with a letter from Yazid's tyrannical governor of Kufa, Obaidollah bin Ziyad, to tighten the siege around Imam Husain (AS) and attack him, the ungodly Omayyad hordes led by their commander, Omar bin Sa'd, advanced on the small encampment of the Prophet’s grandson. The Imam sent his brother, Hazrat Abbas (AS) to tell them to delay the attack until the next morning so that he and his followers would pray and supplicate to God on the eve of their eventual martyrdom, since it was out of question to yield to the enemies’ demand. That night the Imam extinguished the lamp and told his followers to avail of the darkness of night and leave him, since it is his life the heartless enemies want and not theirs. The seventy-odd pious and steadfast men refused to leave him, vowing that death in his company was better than a life of humiliation. When Shemr tried to offer a letter of amnesty to Hazrat Abbas (AS) and his brothers on condition of deserting Imam Husain (AS), this valiant standard-bearer spurned the offer and swore never to leave the grandson of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). That night was spent in prayers and supplications by the Imam and his followers, as they prepared themselves for glorious martyrdom, rather than yielding to the Godless enemy or endorsing the illegitimate rule of the tyrant, Yazid.

878 solar years ago, on this day in 1141 AD, Yelu Dashi, the Mongol Liao dynasty general who founded the Qara-Khitai dynasty in the northern parts of Central Asia, defeated the combined army of the Iran-based Seljuqid Empire and its Qara-Khanid vassals at the Battle of Qatwan near Samarqand, in what is now the Republic of Uzbekistan. The decisive defeat, with Sultan Ahmad Sanjar barely escaping alive, signalled the beginning of the end of the Great Seljuq Empire. Yelu Dashi had moved west from Northern China when the Jurchens invaded and destroyed the Liao Dynasty in 1125. In 1137 he took the Eastern Qara-Khanid capital of Balasaghun and later the same year he defeated at Khojand the Western Qara-Khanids, who were vassals of the Seljuqs. Qara-Khanid ruler Mahmud II appealed to his Seljuq overlord Sultan Sanjar for protection. After defeating Sultan Sanjar, Yelu Dashi spent ninety days in Samarqand, accepting the loyalty of Muslim nobles and appointing Mahmud's brother Ibrahim as the new ruler. However, he did allow the Muslim Burhan family to continue to rule Bukhara. After this battle, Khwarezm became a vassal state of the Qara-Khitai. In 1142, Yelu sent Erbuz to Khwarezm to pillage the province, which forced Atsiz to agree to pay 30,000 dinars annual tribute.

526 solar years ago, on this day in 1493 AD, Ottoman Sultan, Bayezid II defeated a joint army of the kingdoms of Croatia and Hungary at the Battle of Krbava, a part of Lika region in southern Croatia. The Ottoman forces were led by Khadem Yaqub Pasha, the Governor of Bosnia.

434 solar years ago, on this day in 1585 AD, French clergyman and statesman, Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal-Duke of Richelieu, was born. He was consecrated as a bishop in 1607 and was appointed Foreign Secretary in 1616. Richelieu soon rose in both the Catholic Church and the French government to become a cardinal in 1622, and King Louis XIII's chief minister in 1624. He remained in office until his death in 1642. Cardinal Richelieu was often known by his title of the King's "Chief Minister" or "First Minister". He sought to consolidate royal power and crush domestic factions. By restraining the power of the nobility, he transformed France into a strong, centralized state. His chief foreign policy objective was to check the power of the Austro-Spanish Habsburg dynasty, and to ensure French dominance in the Thirty Years' War that engulfed Europe. Although he was a cardinal, he did not hesitate to make alliances with Protestant rulers in attempting to achieve his goals. Richelieu was also famous for his patronage of the arts. He is also a leading character in The “Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas, and portrayed as a main antagonist.

430 lunar years ago, on this day in 1021 AH, the army of the 3rd Moghal Emperor of the northern part of the subcontinent, Jalal od-Din Mohammad Akbar, defeated the Afghans in Bengal, killing Osman Lohani, and annexing this land to the empire

280 solar years ago, on this day in 1739 AD, the Stono Rebellion, the largest uprising of the enslaved black people in Britain's North American colonies, erupted near Charleston, South Carolina.  The uprising was led by Africans who were likely from the Kingdom of Congo. Their leader, Jemmy (referred to in some reports as "Cato") was a literate person who led other enslaved Africans, who may have been former soldiers, in an armed march south from the Stono River. After crushing the rebellion, the British executed most of the captured blacks and sold the few survivors in the West Indies.

228 solar years ago, on this day in 1791 AD, Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, was named after President George Washington.

191 solar years ago, on this day in 1828 AD, Russian author and literary figure, Leo Tolstoy, was born. He joined the Caucasian army and wrote his first novel: "Childhood". Later he left the army, and spent all his time studying and writing novels. Among his most important works, mention can be made of “Anna Karenina” and "War and Peace". Tolstoy died in the year 1910.

164 solar years ago, on this day in 1855 AD, during the last phase of the Crimean War, the Siege of Sevastopol ended when Russian forces abandoned the city. Sevastopol is one of the classic sieges of all time. The city of Sevastopol was the home of the Tsar's Black Sea Fleet, which threatened the Mediterranean Sea and the Ottoman Empire. The Russian army withdrew before the allies the British, French and Ottoman allies could encircle it. The siege was the culminating struggle for the strategic Russian port in 1854–1855 and was the final episode in the Crimean War. The Siege of Sevastopol was the subject of Crimean soldier Leo Tolstoy's “Sebastopol Sketches”. The Battle of Balaklava was made famous by Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and Robert Gibb's painting “The Thin Red Line”.

97 solar years ago, on this day in 1922 AD, the 3-year long Greek invasion of Turkey ended with Turkish victory over the Greeks in Smyrna near Izmir.

74 solar years ago, on this day in 1945 AD Japanese occupation troops in China laid down their arms and decided to withdraw. The victory was the outcome of the unification of the armed communist forces and the Chinese state army. The Empire of Japan formally surrendered to China.

71 solar years ago, on this day in 1948 AD, following the end of World War II, withdrawal of Japanese occupation forces, and occupation of the southern half of the Korean Peninsula by the US, North Korea declared its independence. Less than a month earlier, American-occupied South Korea had announced its independence. North Korea shares borders with Russia and China to the north, and South Korea to the south. It covers an area of over 120,000 sq km.

50 solar years ago, on this day in 1969 AD, the Iranian author and critic, Jalal Aal-e Ahmad, passed away at the age of 46. Born in Tehran, he graduated in Persian Literature from Tehran University. During the tough years of World War II, he entered the scene of politics and started his career in journalism. As of 1953, he focused on research, compilation of books, and teaching, and published critical articles and short stories. He maintained a particular style in writing stories. He used verbal language precisely and in a delicate manner within the framework of attractive stories, and social and political criticisms. The infiltration of Western culture in Iran's society was the grave concern of Aal-e Ahmad. Hence, he published the book “Gharbzadagi” (Westoxication) in the year 1962, warning against this unwanted phenomenon, and saying the strengthening of belief in sacred religion of Islam is the solution in this regard. Among his other important books, mention could be made of "Modir-e Madraseh", and "Nafrat-e Zamin".

43 solar years ago, on this day in 1976 AD, China’s communist leader, Mao Zedong, died at the age of 83. In 1921 he founded China's Communist Party and won the support of the rural masses. In 1934, he led the 100,000-strong communist forces on a long march from the South to the North on foot to prevent clashes with the governmental forces. During this march which lasted for a year, more than 60,000 people lost their lives. After the termination of World War II the communists, led by Mao, defeated Chiang Kai-Shek, who was supported by the West, and declared the foundation of People's Republic of China in the year 1949. Mao managed to form a powerful central government in China. The ideas of Mao about communism were different to those of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, and are popularly known as Maoism.

40 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, the renowned Iranian traditional musician and celebrated player of the ‘taar’, Ali Naqi Vaziri, passed away at the age of 92. Son of Musa Khan (a prominent official in the Persian Cossack Brigade) and Bibi Khatoon Astarabadi, a notable Iranian writer and satirist (founder of the first girls schools in Iran), he founded the Academy of Music of Iran as well as Iran's National Orchestra. His younger brother was the celebrated painter Hasan Vaziri. Ali-Naqi was a master of Iran's classical music and always looked for new dimensions and perspectives in musical expression, and by doing so he revolutionized the style of playing the taar. He was the first to transcribe the classical ‘radif’ of the Persian music. He was removed from the Academy of Music by the British-installed Pahlavi dictator, Reza Khan, for refusing to conduct an orchestra at one of the private functions of the court. After the fall of Reza Khan, Tehran University appointed him professor of the Art and Aesthetic Department. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he participated in production of the first national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and produced such masterpieces as “O Motherland”, and “Soil of Iran”.

28 solar years ago, on this day in 1991 AD, the Central Asian country of Tajikistan declared its independence from the Soviet Union. Since the 6^th century BC, Tajikistan was part of the Iranian empires of the Achaemenian, Parthian and Sassanid Dynasties. After the advent of Islam, it became part of the caliphate and subsequently was an integral part of the Bukhara-based Iranian Muslim Samanid Dynasty. It fell to waves of Turkic conquerors and in the 19^th century was occupied by the Russians. The people speak Tajik, a form Persian language. Tajikistan covers an area of more than 143,000 sq km, and shares borders with China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan.

20 lunar years ago, on this day in 1421 AD, the scholar Shaikh Mohammad Sharif Raazi passed away at the age of 81 in holy Qom. Born in Rayy, his teachers at the seminary in Qom included the Grand Ayatollahs Seyyed Shehab ol-Din Mar'ashi Najafi, Seyyed Mohammad Reza Golpayegani, and the Father of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini (RA). In addition to scholarly pursuits, he was involved in political activities, resulting in imprisonment by the Pahlavi regime and banishment to remote parts of the country. He travelled to Iraq for higher studies at the seminary of holy Najaf and on return to Iran, participated in establishment of the seminary in Rayy, before settling in Qom. He wrote several books, the most famous of which is “Ganjina-e Daneshmandan” (Treasures of Scholars). His other works include a “Treatise on Imamzada Dawoud of Tehran”, “Biography of Seyyed Abdul-Azeem al-Hasani & Imamzadas around Him”, “Athaar al-Hujja” (Encyclopedia of the Qom Seminary), “Tuhfa-e Qodsi dar Ala’em Zohour-e Hadhrat Mahdi” (Signs of Reappearance of Imam Mahdi), and “Why I became Shi’a”. 

18 solar years ago, on this day in 2001 AD, former Afghan defence minister, Ahmad Shah Massoud, and leader of the Persian speaking ethnic Tajiks, was assassinated at the age of 49 by two al-Qaeda terrorists disguised as Arab journalists wanting an interview. A brilliant military tactician, known as “Shir-e Panjshir” (Lion of Panjshir Valley), he fought the Soviet communist forces for ten years from 1979. He also successfully fought the Taliban terrorist militia, which had seized power in Kabul.

AS/SS