Today is Sunday; 27th of the Iranian month of Tir 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 12th of the Islamic month of Shawwal 1437 lunar hijri; and July 17, 2016, of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1053 lunar years ago, on this day in 384 AH, the famous Arabic literary figure and poet, Ibrahim as-Sabi, passed away. Born in Baghdad, he was also an authority on mathematics, astronomy, and geometry. Among his valuable compilations, mention can be made of “A Treatise in the Science of Trigonometry”, and “A Treatise in the Science of Astronomy”. He was affiliated to the court of Iranian Buwaihid rulers of Iraq and Iran.

813 solar years ago, on this day in 1203 AD, Byzantine emperor, Alexios III Angelos, fled into exile as his capital Constantinople was sacked by savage hordes from western Europe that had banded together to launch the 4th Crusade on Egypt and Palestine, but scared of the power of Muslims, turned upon fellow Christians to ravage and destroy centuries of civilization in a seditious move supported by Pope Innocent III, the head of the Catholic sect of Christianity in Rome, who despised the Greek Orthodox Church.

614 solar years ago, on this day 1402 AD, Zhu Di, better known by his era name as the Yongle Emperor, assumed the throne of the Ming Dynasty of China. Though he favoured Confucianism, he called for the construction and repair of Islamic mosques during his reign. Two mosques were built by him during his 22-year reign; one in Nanjing and the other in Xi'an and they still stand today. Repairs were encouraged and the mosques were not allowed to be converted to any other use. As part of his desire to expand Chinese influence throughout the known world, the Yongle Emperor sponsored the massive and long term “Zheng He” expeditions known by the Chinese name of his Muslim minister Shams od-Din. Zheng He's expeditions were China's only major sea-going explorations of the world, although the Chinese may have been sailing to Arabia, East Africa, and Egypt since the Tang Dynasty or earlier. The first expedition was launched in 1405 – 18 years before Henry the Navigator began Portugal's voyages of discovery. Seven expeditions were launched between 1405 and 1433, reaching major the trade centres of Asia, as far as Tenavarai (Dondra Head), Hormuz and Aden, and Malindi in north-eastern Africa. After the death of Amir Timur, who intended to invade China, the relations between the Yongle Emperor and Amir Shakhrukh's kingdom of Persia and Transoxania considerably improved, and the two powers exchanged large official delegations on a number of occasions. Both the Chinese envoy to Samarkand and Herat, Chen Cheng, and his opposite party, Ghiyas od-Din Naqqash have left detailed accounts of their visits to each other's country. The Iranians spent 5 months at the court of the Yongle Emperor. According to Naqqash, their main handler at the Chinese court was one Mowlana Haji Yusuf Qazi, who held an important office in the Yongle Emperor's government, and knew Arabic, Mongolian, Persian, and Chinese languages. Ghiyas od-Din Naqqash in his diary of travels throughout China, wrote about China's wealthy economy and huge urban markets, its efficient courier system as compared to that in Persia, the hospitality of his hosts at the courier stations in providing comfortable lodging and food, and the fine luxurious goods and craftsmanship of the Chinese.

529 solar years ago, on this day in 1487 AD, Shah Ismail I, the Founder of the Safavid Dynasty of Iran, was born in Ardabil to the head of the Safaviyya Sufi order, Shah Haidar, and his wife Martha, the daughter of the Aq Qoyounlu ruler, Uzun Hassan by his Greek wife Theodora, better known as Despina Khatun. In 1500, as the direct descendant of the famous mystic, Safi od-Din Ardabeli, the 13-year old Ismail launched his campaign in Erzinjan (presently in Turkey). He crowned himself in Tabriz as king of all Azarbaijan, after defeating the Shirvan-Shah and taking control of Baku, which is presently in the Republic of Azerbaijan, with the help of a 7,000 force of the Turkic tribes of Rumlu, Shamlu, Ustajlu, Qajar, Afshar, Zul-Qadr, Tekulu, and Varsak, known collectively as Qizl-Bash or ‘Red-Heads’ from the colour of their caps. 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. After a reign of 23 years, he passed away at the age of 37. He was an adventurous personality and gave to Iran its present national and religious identity. The dynasty founded by him lasted 235 years and revived Iran's Islamic glories in science, art, architecture, philosophy, culture, Persian literature, and promotion of the teachings of the Prophet's Ahl al-Bayt. He traced his lineage to Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny) through Hamza, a son of the 7th Infallible Imam, Musa al-Kazem (peace upon him); hence he wielded spiritual influence outside Iran as well amongst the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt in Iraq, Syria, Anatolia (modern 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. For this reason, the Ottomans and Uzbeks were his mortal enemies, whose political ambitions, he decisively checked despite the setback he suffered in the Battle of Chaldiran against the former. Shah Ismail I was an accomplished poet in both Persian and his native Azeri Turkish, and wrote under the penname of “Khatai”. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Shah Tahmasp I, who further consolidated Iran during his rule of 52 long years.

428 solar years ago, on this day in 1588 AD, Me'mar Sinaan, the chief Ottoman architect and civil engineer for the sultans Suleiman, Selim II, and Murad III, died at the age of 99. He was responsible for the construction of more than three hundred major structures and other projects, such as mosque, caravanserais, public baths, and libraries, in the Ottoman Empire, including the Selimiyeh Mosque in Edirne, the Suleymaniyeh Mosque Complex in Istanbul, the Rustom Pasha Mosque, and the Shahzadeh Mosque. He was a contemporary of Italian Renaissance architects and sculptors, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Michelangelo.

407 lunar years ago, on this day in 1030 AH, the well-known Islamic scholar, theologian, astronomer, and mathematician, Baha od-Din Mohammad bin Hussain Ameli, popularly known as “Sheikh Bahai”, passed away in Isfahan at the age of 78. Born in Ba’lbak in Lebanon, in a family descended from Harres al-Hamdani, a loyal disciple of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), his father, Shaikh Hussain bin Abdus-Samad, was one of the prominent scholars who migrated to Safavid Iran with his young son. Given his sublime talents, the young Bahai soon honed his skills in sciences, such as theology, jurisprudence, Exegesis of the Holy Qur'an, hadith, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, literature, and history. He travelled extensively through Syria, Palestine, Hijaz, Egypt, Iraq, Azarbaijan and Khorasan. Because of his creative talents, he was regarded as a walking encyclopedia. He is the first jurisprudent who wrote a handbook on Fiqh for simple layman in Persian language, titled "Jame' Abbasi" which still exists. In spite of his diverse interests, he trained great scholars like Mullah Sadra Shirazi, Muhaqqiq Sabzevari, Fazel Jawad, and Mullah Mohammad Taqi, known as Majlisi the Elder – the father of the famous Allamah Mohammad Baqer Majlisi, the author of the encyclopedic work, "Behar ul-Anwaar". After the death of his father-in-law, Shaikh Ali Minshar, he was made the Shaikh ol-Islam of Iran. He has left behind at least 100 valuable books and treatises. Among his works, mention can be made of the books: “Kashkol” on philosophy and poetry, “Khulasat al-Hesab” on mathematics, and “Tashrih al-Aflaak” or Anatomy of the Celestial Spheres, which is a summary of theoretical astronomy where he affirms the positional rotation of the Earth as it orbits around the sun. A number of architectural and engineering designs in Isfahan stand proof to the genius of Shaikh Bahai, including the “Naqsh-e Jahan” Square and the Grand Shah Abbas Mosque known as the Imam Mosque today. He also designed and constructed a furnace for a public bathroom, which still exists in Isfahan. The furnace was warmed by a single candle, which was placed in an enclosure. The candle burned for a long time, warming the bath's water. According to his instructions the candle's fire would be put out if the enclosure was ever opened. This happened during the restoration and repair of the building some decades ago, and since then no one has been able to make the system work again. He also designed the “Minar Jonbaan” (or Shaking Minaret), which still exists in Isfahan.

245 solar years ago, on this day in 1771 AD, the Bloody Falls Massacre occurred in what is now the Arctic region of Canada, when scores of men, women, and children of the Amerindian Inuit tribe were massacred in cold blood by the party accompanying British explorer Samuel Hearne on his journey to the Coppermine River.

226 solar years ago, on this day in 1790 AD, the Scottish philosopher and economist, Adam Smith, died at the age of 67. His book “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” catapulted him to fame, earning him the title of Father of Modern Economics.

104 solar years ago, on this day in 1912, French mathematician and biologist, Henri Poincare, died. He conducted extensive studies, and his analysis on light, electricity, algebra, geometry, and possibilities calculus are important till this day. He was an authority on philosophy as well. His “Poincare Conjecture” holds that if any loop in a given three-dimensional space can be shrunk to a point, the space is equivalent to a sphere. It remained an unsolved problem until Grigori Perelman proved a complete proof in 2003. He wrote books in different scientific fields.

103 solar years ago, on this day in 1913 AD, French Muslim philosopher and thinker, Professor Roger Garaudy, was born in Marseilles. He had PhDs in philosophy, literature, mysticism, and culture and civilizations. During the German occupation of France in World War 2, he was locked up in Labour camps for three years from 1940 to 1943 for activities against Fascism and Nazism. For 36 years he was a senior member of the French Communist Party, before his conversion to Islam as a result of the impact on Europe of the triumph of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. His courage in exposing the Zionists and their evil made him a target of the enemies of humanity. The publication of his book: “The Case of Israel: A Study of Political Zionism” led to his trial, while his other book: “The Founding Myths of Modern Israel” once again infuriated the Zionists. Professor Garaudy was tried in a kangaroo court in France for exposing the myth of the Holocaust. He wrote several books, including “Promesses de I’Islam”. He passed away on June 13, 2012 at the age of 99.

98 solar years ago, on this day in 1918 AD, Russia’s Last Tsar, Nicholas II, was executed at Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg by the Bolsheviks under orders from Vladimir Lenin. His wife, son, 4 daughters, and 4 servants were also executed. The family mass grave was discovered by a former KGB agent in 1979 in the Urals and only 9 bodies were found. The bodies were dug up in 1991. A reburial of the family was carried out in St. Petersburg on July 17, 1998.

80 solar years ago, on this day in 1936 AD, the prominent Iranian calligrapher, Mirza Mohammad Hussein Saifi Qazvini, known popularly as “Emad al-Kuttab”, passed away. In addition to learning the common sciences of his day, he was well versed in Arabic and French, and produced several calligraphic works including “Shahnamah”, of the renowned Iranian poet, Ferdowsi.

71 solar years ago, on this day in 1945 AD, following the end of World War II, the leaders of Britain, the US, and the Soviet Union, held the Potsdam Conference in the German city of the same name to carve up zones of influence in occupied Germany among their forces.

48 solar years ago, on this day in 1968 AD, a coup hatched in Baghdad with British help removed Colonel Abdur-Rahman Aref and put the repressive Ba'th minority party in power, with General Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr as president, and Saddam as vice president. For 35 years the Ba’thists terrorized Iraq and its people, in addition to imposing the 8-year war on Iran, until their overthrow by their own masters, the Americans in 2003.

43 solar years ago, on this day in 1973 AD, King Mohammed Zaher Shah of Afghanistan was deposed by his cousin, brother-in-law, and former Prime Minister, Mohammed Daoud Khan, while in Italy for eye surgery, after a reign of 40 years. Five years later in 1978, Daoud who ruled as president after abolishing the monarchy, was killed in a coup staged by communists. Zaher Shah returned to Afghanistan as a private citizen in 2002 after an absence of 29 years, and died in 2007 at the age of 93.

29 solar years ago, on this day in 1987 AD, France unilaterally severed diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran after years of open hostility against the Islamic Revolution and military and financial support for the MKO terrorist outfit as well as the repressive Ba’th minority regime of Saddam throughout the US-imposed war. At the same time, France refused to pay the one-billion-US dollar loan which it had borrowed from Iran before the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

28 solar years ago, on this day in 1988 AD, the Islamic Republic of Iran accepted UN Security Council Resolution 598, for ceasefire in the 8-year war imposed by the US through Saddam. Tehran accepted the Resolution due to some of its positive aspects, especially the clauses related to identification of the aggressor and payment of war compensations. However, despite the acceptance of Resolution 598 by Islamic Iran, Saddam and his Ba'thists continued their aggressions until the official establishment of ceasefire on August 1988. Although years later, Ba’thist Iraq was officially determined by the UN as aggressor and initiator of the 8-year war, war reparations were never paid to Iran.

AS/ME