Today is Monday; 31st of the Iranian month of Khordad 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 14th of the Islamic month of Ramadhan 1437 lunar hijri; and June 20, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1559 solar years ago, on this day in 457 AD, Yazdegerd II, the sixteenth Emperor of the Sassanid Empire of Iran, died after a reign of 19 years, and was succeeded by his son, Hormizd III. Son and successor of Bahram V, he spent most of his reign in war against the Hephthalites (Pashtuns) and imposing Zorastrianism on other people.  In 440, Yazdegerd II waged a war against the Roman Empire, making Emperor Theodosius II sue for peace by sending his commander, Anatolius, to the Iranian Emperor’s camp with promise of payment. He then subdued Armenia and sent many Armenian nobles, priests, and troops, to the eastern Sassanid provinces to protect the borders from the invasions of the nomadic Huns. In 453, he moved his court to Naishapur in Khorasan to face the threat from the Huns. He spent many years in war against the Huns, and after that again turned his attention towards Armenia, Caucasian Albania and the Roman Empire. Yazdegerd II was known for his religious zeal in promoting Zoroastrianism, leading to persecutions of Christians, mostly Assyrians. Under his reign, 153,000 Assyrians were massacred solely in Kirkuk in what is now Iraq.

1370 lunar years ago, on this day in 67 AH, Mukhtar Ibn Abi Obaidah Thaqafi, the Avenger of the Innocent Blood of Prophet Mohammad’s (SAWA) younger grandson and 3^rd Infallible Heir, Imam Husain (AS), achieved martyrdom in Kufa at the hands of Mus’ab Ibn Zubayr at the age of 66. Born in Ta’ef in Hijaz, to Abi Obaidah (a commander of the Muslim conquest of Iraq from the Sassanids), he was a devout follower of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS) – the Prophet’s First Infallible Heir. He was imprisoned by the usurper Omayyad regime on the threshold of the arrival of Imam Husain (AS) in Iraq. After the Imam’s tragic martyrdom in Karbala, he was released and returned to his homeland Hijaz. Following the tyrant Yazid’s death, he came back to Iraq, where he had the support of Arab tribes loyal to the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt and the “Mawali” (as Iranians were known), in his campaign to bring to justice the killers of Imam Husain (AS). He took the city of Kufa and brought vast tracts of Iraq and Iran under his control, at a time when the Omayyad usurpers and Abdullah Ibn Zubayr – who had established as ruler of Hijaz – were battling for power of the Islamic state that belonged to neither of them. Mukhtar repulsed the attacks of the Omayyad army from Syria, and in heroic combat, along with Ibrahim Ibn Malik Ashtar, killed the principal perpetrators of the heartrending tragedy of Karbala, such as Obaidollah Ibn Ziyad, Haseen Ibn Numayr and others. So strong was his sense of justice that he even did not spare the life of his own brother-in-law (sister’s husband), Omar Ibn Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas, who had commanded the Omayyad forces against Imam Husain (AS) and then imprisoned the Prophet’s family. Mukhtar and his companions, including Iranians and Arabs, meted out justice to such bloodthirsty murderers as Shemr Ziljowshan, Khouli, Harmala etc. After a rule of a year-and-a-half, he attained martyrdom because of the treachery of the Kufans during battle with the forces of Mus’ab Ibn Zubayr. His tomb is in the mausoleum of Imam Husain’s (AS) cousin, Muslim Ibn Aqeel, beside the Grand Mosque of Kufa.

1214 lunar years ago, on this day in 223 AH, Seyyed Hassan, known as Jalal od-Din Ashraf, the youngest son of Prophet Mohammad’s (SAWA) 7^th Infallible Heir, Imam Musa Kazem (AS), achieved martyrdom at the age of 53 in Gilan, northern Iran, and was laid to rest in the village of Kouchan, which soon grew into a site of pilgrimage as the bustling city of Astan-e Ashrafiyeh (Threshold of Ashraf). Born in Medina in 180 AH, shortly after his father was taken to Iraq as prisoner by the Abbasid tyrant, Haroun Rashid, he grew up under the guidance of his elder brother, Imam Reza (AS), on whose forced journey to Marv in distant Khorasan on the orders of the self-styled caliph, Mamoun, he was a youth of 21 years. Brave, pious, and prudent, he soon shifted to Baghdad but in 204 when Mamoun shifted his capital to this city after martyring Imam Reza (AS) in Tous, Khorasan, he moved to Qom. Two years later he was invited to Gilan by the people to confront remnants of the ousted Omayyad regime in the northern parts of Iran on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. In 211 AH (828 AD), he established the first ever state in Iran by a member of the Prophet’s family. Twelve years later, on being severely injured in battle against the Abbasid forces at Lyalman (5 km from Lahijan), he trekked toward the mountains so that his body does not fall into enemy hands, and breathed his last some 9 km from Roudbar in the house of Shaikh Mufid od-Din. According to his will, his body was put in a coffin and floated down the Sefidroud River until it reached Kouchan where the people recognizing him laid him to rest amid lamentation. Soon a mausoleum was built over his grave and became known as Aastan-e Ashrafiyeh in his honour. It is worth noting that the rice grown in the paddy fields around the city and known as the “Astaneh” brand is famous for its aroma, which is believed to be among the blessings of the burial of the Prophet’s venerable descendant in this soil.

1011 solar years ago, on this day in 1005 AD, the 7^th self-styled caliph of the Ismaili Shi'ite Muslim Fatemid Dynasty of Egypt-North Africa-Syria, Ali az-Zaher, was born in Cairo to the controversial al-Hakem be-Amrillah, at whose mysterious disappearance in 1021, he was proclaimed caliph at the age of 16 under the regency of his aunt Sitt al-Mulk – notorious for her extermination from Egypt of the Druze sect, which regarded Hakem as God’s incarnation. He died at the age of 31 due to a plague after a 15-year reign. His weakness allowed the Turkic slave guards to vie for power, as a result of which the Empire slipped into decadence, although his able Iraqi vizier, Ali bin Ahmad Jarjarai, restored order and stopped the bid of the Byzantine Christian Empire to encroach upon Syria and Aleppo.

895 lunar years ago, on this day in 542 AH, the Malekite hadith scholar, Mohammad Ibn Ali Ibn Mohammad al-Jullabi al-Maghazeli, passed away at the age of 95 in Baghdad. He was the son of Ali Ibn Mohammad al-Jullabi al-Maghazeli, the author of the famous book "Manaqeb (Imam) Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (AS)", which he used to teach and explain to students.

518 solar years ago, on this day in 1498 AD, the Iranian historian, Mohammad bin Khwandshah, popularly known as Mir-Khwand, passed away in Herat, which was then part of Khorasan and is now in present day Afghanistan. He was from a well-known Seyyed family of Bukhara tracing descent to Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Spending most of his life in Herat in the court of the last Timurid sultan, Hussain Bayqarah, he enjoyed the patronage of the renowned minister, Ali Shir Nava’i, a celebrated writer and poet himself. At the request of his patron, he wrote the general history in Persian titled "Rowzat os-Safa" (Garden of Purity). The work is composed of seven large volumes and a geographic appendix, often considered an 8th volume. The history begins with the pre-Islamic Persian kings and surveys the major Muslim rulers of Iran up to his times. Mir-Khwand’s maternal grandson, the historian Khwandamir, who migrated to Mughal India, wrote a sequel to it, and in the 19th century the Iranian scholar Reza Qoli Khan Hedayat wrote a supplement to this work. Mir-Khwand is often criticized for his highly embellished and bombastic style and for his uncritical approach to the sources, but his history preserves sections from earlier works that have since been lost. Volumes 5 and 6 are particularly reliable, for they utilize the abundant historiographic materials of the Mongol and Timurid periods and furnish independent information on events contemporary or near contemporary to the author’s lifetime.

385 solar years ago, on this day in 1631 AD, Baltimore in Ireland was attacked by a naval force of Algerians and Ottoman Turks, along with Dutch converts to Islam, in the biggest such operation by Muslims in the British Isles in retaliation for European Christian acts of piracy on the African coasts for abduction of black people and their selling as slaves in the Americas. The Muslim naval force was led by Murad Ra’ees, a Dutch captain, who before conversion to Islam was named Jan Janszoon van Harlem. Most of the hundred-odd captives taken to North Africa were English settlers who were exploiting the local Irish people. Three of the captives who were Irish were released and returned to Ireland. The rest started a new life in Algeria and in Istanbul in the palace of the Sultan, since Islam discourages slavery and considers the Mamluk as adopted persons entitled to all privileges as Muslims, including education and training in military, administrative affairs and various other vocations. In the 17th and most of the 18th century, the Mediterranean Sea was a virtual Ottoman Lake with Turkish, Algerian, and Moroccan navigators, wrongly called Barbary Corsairs by the Europeans, operating in the Atlantic Ocean as far as the North Sea and the coasts of Iceland.

260 solar years ago, on this day in 1756 AD, with the fall of the British garrison of Fort William to Mirza Mohammad Siraj od-Dowla, the 18-year old Nawab of Bengal, John Zephaniah Holwell invented the myth of the "Black Hole of Calcutta" to tarnish the image of the Indian people by alleging that 146 Englishmen were crammed in a 14 by 18 feet (4.3 × 5.5 m) dungeon that resulted in the death of 123 of them. Holwell, who claimed to be a survivor, has long been disproved by historians and researchers. R.C. Majumdar in his book "An Advanced History of India" has dismissed the Black Hole story as entirely baseless. British scholar J.H. Little in his article, titled "The 'Black Hole'—The Question of Holwell's Veracity", argues that Holwell's version is nothing but "a gigantic hoax" – invented to rouse sentiments in Britain for military intervention in India. Fort William was set up to protect the British East India Company's trade in Bengal from European rivals such as the French and the Dutch. Siraj od-Dowlah, who was the local ruler of Iranian origin, objected to the British interference in the internal affairs of Bengal, perceiving the militarization of Fort William as a threat to its independence. He ordered an immediate stop to military enhancement and when the British paid no heed, he laid siege and seized the fort. In 1757, the British sent a military force under Robert Clive and by bribing officers of Bengal including the Prime Minister, defeated Siraj od-Dowla in the Battle of Plassey, and later murdered him.

189 lunar years ago, on this day in 1248 AH, the Iranian scholar, Shams od-Din Behbahani, passed away. A student of the famous researcher, Mohaqqeq Behbahani, in addition to his mastery over theology and jurisprudence, he was a pious mystic who spent most of his life compiling books. He has written a detailed annotation on “Ma’alem al-Osoul”, and treatises on the principles of religion.

148 lunar years ago, on this day in 1289 AH, prominent religious scholar of India, Seyyed Mohammad Taqi, popular as Mumtaz ul-Ulema, passed away in the city of Lucknow. His library is famous in India, and he authored several books such as “Irshad al-Momineen”, “Hadiqat al-Wa’ezeen”, and “Zaheer ash-Shi’a”.

141 solar years ago, on this day in 1875 AD, Ryukyu Islands in the Pacific Ocean, where for several centuries the independent Ryukyu kingdom ruled, were seized by Japan, and in 1879 named the Okinawa Prefecture. Towards the end of World War II, the Okinawa archipelago, which covers an area of 1250 sq km, was occupied by US forces who killed over a quarter of the local people. The US has refused to withdraw from Okinawa, even after 1972 accord for withdrawal, and the frequent demand by the local people for end of American military presence.

139 solar years ago, on this day in 1877 AD, Alexander Graham Bell installed the world's first commercial telephone service in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

104 solar years ago, on this day in 1912 AD, Polish Scientist, Dr. Casimir Funk discovered vitamins. Conducting extensive research, he found that in the food we consume contains some organic combinations that are rather low in amount but are necessary for the metabolism, growth, and health. He named these organic combinations as vitamins. There are different kinds of vitamins, namely A, B, C, D, E, and K vitamins, with each of them having their own features and functions.

56 solar years ago, on this day in 1960 AD, the Mali Federation gained independence from France (it later split into Mali and Senegal). Mali, which for centuries was part of various Muslim empires, fell under the control of France during the late 19th century. By 1905, most of the area was under colonial rule as a part of French Sudan. In early 1959, French Sudan (which changed its name to the Sudanese Republic) and Senegal united to become the Mali Federation. Senegal withdrew from the federation in August 1960, which allowed the Sudanese Republic to become the independent Republic of Mali on 22 September 1960. Both Mali and Senegal are predominantly Muslim countries. Timbuktu, the capital of Mali, is noted for its Islamic culture, Arabic manuscripts, and Sufi shrines, some of which were destroyed by al-Qa'eda terrorists during the recent insurrection.

35 solar years ago, on this day in 1981 AD, Islamic thinker, scientist, and Iranian defence minister, Dr. Mostafa Chamran, was martyred by the invading Ba'thist forces at the age of 49 while directing operations at the warfronts in Khuzestan, southwest Iran. He studied electronic engineering and obtained a PhD in this field from the US, where he was active in the struggle against the British-installed and US-backed Pahlavi regime. He left his prestigious job as a senior research staff scientist at Bell Laboratories and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to live in self-exile in Lebanon, where, while cooperating with the famous Iranian émigré religious leader, Imam Musa Sadr, he helped the deprived Lebanese people set up the Amal (Hope) Movement to confront the state terrorism of the illegal Zionist entity. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, he returned to Iran and was in charge of organizing the Islamic Revolution’s Guards Corps (IRGC). Elected to the parliament in March 1980 he subsequently became defence minister. When Saddam at the behest of the US imposed the 8-year war on Iran, the Father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA), appointed him representative to the Supreme Defense Council. As an experienced general he was actively involved in defence operations at the warfronts and achieved martyrdom.

26 solar years ago, on this day in 1990 AD, a massive earthquake measuring 7.3 Richter on the scale jolted Gilan and Zanjan Provinces in northwestern Iran, at night, inflicting huge fatalities and major losses. The epicenter of this quake which was in Roudbar, claimed more than 50,000 lives, while wounding 60,000 others and leaving 500,000 people homeless. In the wake of this catastrophic earthquake, the Iranian people and government rushed to help the quake victims and compensated for the damages imposed by this quake.

23 lunar years ago, on this day in 1414 AH, American-Zionist solider of German Jewish parentage, Baruch Goldstein, opened fire on rows of Palestinian Muslims praying in congregation at the shrine of Prophet Abraham (AS) in the city of al-Khalil in the West Bank of River Jordan in the blessed fasting month of Ramadhan. As a result of this cowardly act of terrorism 29 people were martyred and scores of others wounded. This act of terrorism led to the anger of the civilized world. As a result, the Arab compromisers had no other choice but to postpone their dubious negotiations with the illegal Zionist entity.

14 solar years ago, on this day in 2002 AD, the renowned Islamic missionary, Hojjat-al-Islam Seyyed Sa’eed Akhtar Rizvi, passed away at the age of 75 in Tanzania, and was laid to rest in Dar-es-Salaam. Born in Ushri, Saran district, Bihar state, India to the religious scholar Seyyed Abul-Hassan Rizvi, he completed his studies at the Islamic seminary of holy Najaf in Iraq, where he mastered the Arabic and Persian languages as well, besides in native Urdu and English. In 1959 he was sent as missionary to Lindi in Tanzania, and in 1964 founded the Bilal Muslim Mission, whose branches he soon established in various cities of Tanzania and Kenya. Through his mission he introduced correspondence courses in Islamic studies in English and Swahili – language in which he became proficient and also learned Gujarati and Hindi. He traveled and lectured to university students in Africa, Europe, Canada and USA; and authored over 140 books, of which 22 have been translated into several world languages. Through his selfless endeavours, over 100,000 ethnic Africans discovered the truth of Islam, and became followers of the School of Prophet Mohammad’s (SAWA) Ahl al-Bayt (Blessed Household). His son, Hojjat-al-Islam Seyyed Mohammad Rizvi, is based in Canada, and is the Chief Missionary of the Islamic Shia Ithna‘asheri Ja’fari Centre of Toronto.

12 solar years ago, on this day in 2004 AD, Iranian engineer, architect and archeologist, Mohammad Mehryar, passed away at the age of 65, while engaged in projects to restore the historic Bam Citadel following the devastating earthquake. For over 30 years he was active in research, field work, and projects to determine pre-Islamic and Islamic architectural masterpieces at Iran’s historical sites.

AS/ME