Today is Tuesday; 12th of the Iranian month of Bahman 1395 solar hijri; corresponding to 2nd of the Islamic month of Jamadi al-Awwal 1438 lunar hijri; and January 31, 2017 of the Christian Gregorian Calendar.

1438 solar years ago, on this day in 579 AD, the 22nd Sassanid Emperor, Khosrow I, known as Anushirvan the Just, died at the age of 78, after a reign of 48 years, and was succeeded by his son, Hormizd IV. Son of Qobad I who reigned for 41 years, Khosrow I is the epitome of the philosopher-king in Iranian history. It was in his era that the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), was born in Mecca. His wide-ranging social, administrative, military, and tax reforms were adopted by the Muslims when they took over the Sassanid Empire. He patronized scholars and invited scientists from Greece, India, China and other places, and the outcome of this synthesis resulted in what is known as the “Bimaristan”, the first hospital that introduced a concept of segregating wards according to pathology. Greek pharmacology fused with Iranian and Indian traditions resulted in significant advances in medicine that were later fully utilized by the Muslims. He strengthened the famous academy Gondishapur as the centre of learning. In his foreign policy, Khosrow Anushirvan, after agreeing to an abortive “Eternal Peace” treaty with Emperor Justinian of the Roman Empire, followed a prudent policy to thwart Roman designs in Syria, Anatolia, Armenia and Upper Mesopotamia. He made sure Rome would never be a threat to Iran by keeping close contacts with the Goths, the Arabs, and the people of Yemen, which he brought under Iranian influence to control the trade routes between India and Europe. In the northeast, he kept the Turks under check and his reign signifies the promotion of the Silk Road linking ancient China with India and Rome through the Iranian Empire.

1047 lunar years ago, on this day in 391 AH, the Iranian poet, Abu Ishaq Kesa-i Marvazi, passed away at the age of 41 in his hometown, the Khorasani city of Marv, which was seized by Russia in 1884 and is now in the present day republic of Turkmenistan. His life was concurrent with the waning years of the Iranian Samanid Dynasty of Bukhara and the rise of the Turkic Ghaznavid Dynasty of Ghazna. Hence he has written poems in praise of the rulers of these two dynasties, before embracing the truth of the school of the school of the Ahl al-Bayt. Thereafter he devoted his life to writing poetry on the merits of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and his First Infallible Heir, Imam Ali (AS). He has left a Divan of poems.

1015 lunar years ago, on this day in 423 AH, the famous calligrapher Abu’l-Hassan Ali ibn Hilal Ibn al-Bawwab, passed away in Baghdad. He reputedly invented the cursive “Rayhani” and “Muhaqqaq” scripts. He refined several of the calligraphic styles invented a century earlier by the famous Ibn Muqlah, including the “Naskhi” and “Tawqi” scripts, and collected and preserved for his students numerous original manuscripts of that master. “Ibn al-Bawwab”, which means “son of the doorkeeper”, was from a poor family, but he received a thorough education in law and memorized the holy Qur’an. His interest in calligraphy was inspired by Mohammad ibn Asad and was developed under Mohammad ibn Samsamani, both of whom were students of Ibn Muqlah. Altogether, Ibn al-Bawwab produced 64 handwritten copies of the Qur’an. One of the most beautiful in the “Rayhani” script is in the Laleli Mosque in Istanbul. Ibn al-Bawwab was recognized as a master in his own time; his school of calligraphy lasted until Baghdad fell to the Mongol invaders more than two centuries after his death.

582 solar years ago, on this day in 1435 AD, the Xuande Emperor of China died at the age of 37 after a 10-year long reign. Named Zhu Zhanji, he was the fifth emperor of the Ming dynasty. An accomplished painter, particularly skilled at painting animals; some of his art works are preserved in the National Palace Museum. He was also fond of poetry and literature. His era name "Xuande" means "Proclamation of Virtue". In 130-31, he permitted his Muslim admiral of Iranian origin, Zheng He, to lead the seventh and last maritime expedition. Zheng, who was great-great-great-grandson of Seyyed Ajjal Shams od-Din – a Persian from Bukhara who served the Mongol Empire and was the Governor of Yunnan, had launched his first expedition in 1405 (18 years before Henry the Navigator began Portugal's voyages of discovery). He journeyed to the major trade centers of Asia – as far as Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, and Malindi in north-eastern Africa.

456 solar years ago, on this day in 1561 AD, the famous general and statesman, Bairam Khan, who served three of the Moghal Emperors of the northern Subcontinent, was martyred in Gujarat by Mubarak Khan Lohani at the age of 61 while proceeding on Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. He had helped Zaheer od-Din Babar conquer northern India, assisted Naseer od-Din Humayun in retaking his Indian kingdom with Iranian help, and consolidated Jalal od-Din Akbar’s rule. A Baharlu Turk of the larger Qara Quyunlu tribe that once ruled Iran and Iraq (until 1468), Bairam was born in Badakhshan (in present day Afghanistan), and like his father joined the service of the Timurid prince, Babar, who was a protégé of Shah Ismail I, the Founder of the Safavid Empire. He played an active role in Babar's conquest of India, and served Humayan as Mohrdar (keeper of the seals), taking part in military campaigns in Benares, Bengal and Gujarat. He accompanied Humayun during his exile in Iran, and as a follower of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), was influential in persuading Shah Tahmasp to provide help to retake Hindustan. Following Humayun's death in 1556, as regent of the 13-year old Akbar, he consolidated Moghal rule in northern India and most notably won the Second Battle of Panipat against a Afghan-Hindu alliance. Bairam Khan has left a divan of Persian and Chaghatay Turkic poetry, which includes qasidas in praise of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) and Imam Reza (AS). His son Abdur-Rahim Khan-e Khanaan was a prominent scholar and official at Akbar's court.

404 lunar years ago, on this day in 1034 AH, the prominent scholar-statesman of Iran and Deccan (southern India), Mir Mohammad Momin Astarabadi, passed away in Haiderabad and was laid to rest in the vast graveyard he had laid out by mixing shipload of soil from holy Karbala, and which is known till this day as Daer-e Mir Momin. Born in Astarabad (Gorgan near the Caspian Sea in today's Golestan Province), he was appointed tutor to Prince Haidar Mirza, the chosen successor of Shah Tahmasp I, the 2nd emperor of the Safavid Dynasty of Iran. On Haider’s murder following the death of Shah Tahmasp, he realized the gravity of situation under the fratricidal Ismail II (notorious as 'murtad' or apostate), and left Iran for pilgrimage to the holy shrines in Iraq. Then he sailed to southern India to join the court of Sultan Ibrahim Qutb Shah of the Golkandeh Sultanate of Iranian Turkic origin. He rose to prominence in the reign of the next king, Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah, becoming Peshwa (prime minister). A promoter of the teachings of Prophet Mohammad's (SAWA) Ahl al-Bayt, on his advice and under his supervision, the city of Haiderabad was built with the imposing structure of Charminar as its centre. He wrote several books and trained a large number of scholars in various fields. Mir Momin's name is alive in Haiderabad and the Deccan, and his grave is a site of pilgrimage.

167 solar years ago, on this day in 1850 AD, the biggest uprising of Chinese people, known as the “Taiping Rebellion”, commenced as a consequence of the extreme poverty of villagers due to foreign rule over China. It resulted in a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by Christian convert Hong Xiuquan against the Qing Dynasty. About 20 million people died, mainly civilians, in one of the deadliest military conflicts in history. Hong, who claimed to be a brother of Prophet Jesus, set up what he called the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom with its capital at Nanjing. The new militaristic regime instituted several changes, including abolition of foot binding, land socialization and common property, suppression of private trade, and the replacement of Confucianism, Buddhism and Chinese folk religion by a form of Christianity. The rebellion was eventually crushed with the help of the British and French. In the 20th century, Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Chinese Nationalist Party, looked on the Taiping Uprising as an inspiration, while Chinese communist leader, Mao Zedong, glorified the Taiping rebels as early heroic revolutionaries against a corrupt feudal system.

125 lunar years ago, on this day in 1313 AH, the religious scholar Mullah Mohammad Baqer Va’ez Tehrani passed away at the age of 58. He has left behind a large number of books, including “Jannat an-Na’eem”, on the life of Prophet Mohammad’s (SAWA) prominent descendant, Hazrat Abdul-Azim al-Hasani (AS), whose shrine in Rayy is centre of pilgrimage.

113 lunar years ago, on this day in 1325 AH, the scholar Mirza Yahya Bidabadi Isfahani passed away at the age of 75. A student of Ayatollah Sheikh Morteza Ansari, he wrote several books, including “Tafzil al-A’imma ala'l-Malaeka” on the superiority of the Infallible Imams of the household of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) over the other prophets and angels.

117 solar years ago, on this day in 1900 AD, Malaysian freedom fighter, Datu Muhammad Saleh was assassinated in Kampung Teboh, Tambunan, ending what is known as the Mat Saleh Rebellion, which was a series of major armed encounters against the British in North Borneo, now the Malaysian state of Sabah. Datu Muhammad Saleh, who was a local chief from the Lingkabo district and Sugut River, led the freedom-fighters from 1894 until his death. The resistance then continued on for another 5 years until 1905. Saleh’s uprising was widely supported by the local communities and affected a large geographical area from Sandakan, across Gaya Island, including the interior, especially Tambunan. His most notable uprising occurred at midnight on 9 July 1897, when he led his followers to successfully attack a major colonial settlement on Gaya Island.

102 solar years ago, on this day in 1915 AD, during World War I, Germany became the first country to make large-scale use of poison gas in warfare in the Battle of Bolimów against Russia.

91 solar years ago, on this day in 1926 AD, the Nahzat ul-Ulama (NU) was established by Wahab Chasbullah with support from Hasyim Asyari, the most respected Muslim scholar in East Java. By 2010 NU was one of the largest independent Islamic organizations in the world.

38 solar years ago, on this day in 1979 AD, the Father of Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (RA) returned to Iran from 15 years of exile and was accorded an unprecedentedly glorious welcome by millions of people. After a short speech at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, he went to Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery to pay tributes to martyrs of the Islamic Revolution. In his memorable speech he dismissed as illegal the cabinet of the fugitive Shah’s premier, Shapour Bakhtiyar. The beloved leader took up residence in a simple house in Tehran from where he guided the Islamic Revolution to final victory on February 11. For this reason, the ten days since his arrival and the final victory are celebrated every year as the "Ten-Day Dawn", with special ceremonies and festivities.

33 solar years ago, on this day in 1984 AD, Saddam of the repressive Ba’th minority regime of Baghdad, on the instructions of his masters in Washington, launched a new series of air attacks on Iran’s shipping. His aim was to plunge the Persian Gulf into turmoil and disrupt oil exports, in a bid to involve his chief backer, the US, in the 8-year long war he had imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran.

AS/MG