Mohammad Ali Foroughi

Mohammad Ali Foroughi (Persian: محمدعلی فروغی; early August 1877^[1][2][3] – 26^[2] or 27^[4][5][6] November 1942), also known as Zoka-ol-Molk (Persian: ذُکاءُالمُلک), was an Iranian politician, writer, freemason,^[7] Azali,^[8] and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Iran for three terms, being the first Prime Minister under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.^[9] He wrote numerous books on ancient Iranian history and is known for founding the Academy of Iran.^[10][11]

Early life and education

Foroughi was born in Tehran to a merchant family from Isfahan. His ancestor, Mirza Abutorab, was the representative of Isfahan in Mugan plain at Nader Shah's coronation. His grandfather, Mohammad Mehdi Arbab Isfahani, was amongst the most influential merchants of Isfahan and was skilled in history and geography. His father Mohammad Hosein Foroughi was the translator of the Shah to Arabic and French. He was also a poet and published a newspaper called Tarbiat. Naser al-Din Shah Qajar nicknamed Mohammad Hosein, Foroughi, after hearing a poem that he had written.^[12] During his early life, Foroughi studied at the élite Dar ul-Funun (Polytechnic school) in Tehran.

Career

In 1907, Foroughi's father died and Foroughi inherited his father's title of Zoka-ol-Molk.^[2] During the same year, Foroughi became the dean of Tehran School of Political Science. In 1909, he entered politics as a member of Majlis (Parliament), representing Tehran. He subsequently became speaker of the house and later minister in several cabinets as well as prime minister three times and once as the acting Prime Minister when Reza Khan resigned as prime minister to take up the crown as Reza Shah. In 1912, he became the president of the Iranian Supreme Court. Later he was appointed prime minister and dismissed in 1935 due to the father of his son-in-law's, Mohammad Vali Asadi, alleged participation in the riot in Mashhad against the reforms implemented by Reza Shah.^[13]

However, later Foroughi regained his status and became Prime Minister during the initial phase of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's reign.^[13] Foroughi as a prime minister was instrumental in having Mohammad Reza Pahlavi proclaimed as shah after his father, Reza Shah, was forced to abdicate (16 September 1941) and exiled by the allied forces of the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union following the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran during World War II. After the collapse of his cabinet, he was named Minister of Court and then named ambassador of Iran to the United States, but he died in Tehran at the age of 67 before he could assume the post.

Foroughi founded the National Artifacts Association in Iran. Through this association, he was involved in the reconstruction of the poet Ferdowsi's tomb.^[14]

Contribution

The most important contribution of Foroughi to philosophy is his triplet, "The Evolution of Philosophy in Europe", in which he covered the works of European Philosophers, starting from the Seven Sages of Greece in the 7th century BC through to Henri Bergson, in the 20th century.^{[citation needed]}

Books

Foroughi wrote numerous books, including The History of Iran, The History of the Ancient Peoples of The East, A Short History of Ancient Rome, Constitutional Etiquette, A Concise Course in Physics, Far-fetched Thoughts, The Philosophy of Socrates, The Evolution of Philosophy in Europe, My Message to the Academy of Language (Farhangestan), The Rules of Oratory or The Technique of Speech Making, and a book on the Shahnameh (The Book of Kings).^{[clarification needed]} In addition to this, Foroughi prepared scholarly editions of the works of Saadi, Hafez, Rumi, Omar Khayyam and Ferdowsi. The best-known of Foroughi's critical editions is Saadi's Kolliyat. His son, Mohsen Foroughi, was a renowned architect who completed his studies in France and designed the Niavaran Palace Complex, which is situated in northern Tehran, Iran. It consists of several buildings and a museum. The Sahebghraniyeh Palace of the time of Naser al-Din Shah of Qajar dynasty is also inside this complex. The main Niavaran Palace, completed in 1968, was the primary residence of the last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the Imperial family until the Iranian revolution. Franz Malekebrahimian worked directly under Mohsen Foruoghi in implementation and maintenance of the Palace.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Pahlavi dynasty
• List of prime ministers of Iran
• Abdolhossein Teymourtash
• Ali-Akbar Davar
• Hassan Taqizadeh

References

1. ^ Zoka-ol-Molk, Mohammad Ali (2009), Maghalat-e Foroughi (in Persian), Vol. 1, Tehran: Tous, p. هشت, ISBN 978-964-315-091-4 در اوایل دههٔ سوم جمادی الآخره ۱۲۹۴ قمری (۱۲۵۶ شمسی و ۱۸۷۷ میلادی) متولد شده‌ام
2. ^ Afshar, Iraj & Azimi, Fakhreddin (31 January 2012). "FORŪGĪ, MOḤAMMAD-ʿALĪ ḎOKĀʾ-AL-MOLK". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. X, Fasc. 1. pp. 108–112. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
3. ^ Mosaheb, Gholamhossein (ed.) (2008). "Forughi, Mohammad Ali" (in Persian). The Persian Encyclopedia. Vol. 2, Part 1. p. 1887. ISBN 978-964-303-046-9. جمادی الثانی ۱۲۹۴ ﻫق
4. ^ Zoka-ol-Molk, Mohammad Ali (2009), Maghalat-e Foroughi (in Persian), Vol. 1, Tehran: Tous, p. هجده, ISBN 978-964-315-091-4 وفات فروغی که در شب جمعهٔ ششم آذرماه ۱۳۲۱ اتفاق افتاد
5. ^ Hekmat, Ali-Asghar (1976), "Si Khatere az Asr-e Farkhonde-ye Pahlavi", Pars, p. 15, retrieved 2019-11-27 بتاریخ‌جمعهٔ ششم‌آذر۱۳۲۱ ساعت ده‌ بعدازظهر دوست دانشمند و بزرگوار، بلکه رئیس عالی‌مقام و استاد ارجمندم، محمدعلی فروغی (ذُکاءُالمُلک دوم) دراثر بیماری ممتد قلبی جهان را بدرود گفت
6. ^ Ettehad, Houshang (2000), Pazhuheshgaran-e Moaser-e Iran [Contemporary Scholars of Iran] (in Persian), Vol. 1, Tehran: Farhang Moaser, p. 79, ISBN 964-5545-43-9 جمعه، ۶ آذر سال ۱۳۲۱ ش، ساعت ده بعداز ظهر، محمدعلی فروغی، ذُکاءُالمُلک دوم، در اثر بیماری ممتد قلبی، جهان را بدرود گفت
7. ^ "خبرگزاری فارس - "محمد علي فروغي"ناجي سلسله پهلوي و چراغدار لژ فراماسونري". خبرگزاری فارس. 2009-01-24. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
8. ^ Turaj Amini, Gofteman Iran, No. 164, December 2, 2008. [1].
9. ^ Jaberi, Arash; Gharadaghi, Masomeh; Taleei Gharah Gheshlagh, Aziz; Samadivand, Manocher (Winter 2024). "Explaining the role and beliefs of Mohammad Ali Foroughi in domestic and foreign policy during the prime ministership". International Relations Research Quarterly. 13 (3): 281-309. International Relations Researches. doi:10.22034/irr.2023.406713.2412. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
10. ^ "با "محمدعلی فروغی" بیشتر آشنا شوید" (in Persian). ایسنا. 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
11. ^ "مرگ محمدعلی فروغی سیاستمدار و نخست وزیر رژیم پهلوی" (in fa-IR). ساعت و تقویم روز ایران. Retrieved 2019-09-21.
12. ^ Bagher Agheli, A biography of political and military figures in contemporary Iran, Elm publishing, Tehran, 2001.
13. ^ Gholam Reza Afkhami (27 October 2008). The Life and Times of the Shah. University of California Press. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-520-25328-5. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
14. ^ Jaberi, Arash; Gharadaghi, Masomeh; Taleei Gharah Gheshlagh, Aziz; Samadivand, Manocher (Winter 2024). "Explaining the role and beliefs of Mohammad Ali Foroughi in domestic and foreign policy during the prime ministership". International Relations Research Quarterly. 13 (3): 281-309. International Relations Researches. doi:10.22034/irr.2023.406713.2412. Retrieved April 26, 2026.

Sources

• 'Alí Rizā Awsatí (عليرضا اوسطى), Iran in the past three centuries (Irān dar Se Qarn-e Goz̲ashteh – ايران در سه قرن گذشته), Volumes 1 and 2 (Paktāb Publishing – انتشارات پاکتاب, Tehran, Iran, 2003). ISBN 964-93406-6-1 (Vol. 1), ISBN 964-93406-5-3 (Vol. 2).

External links

• A short motion picture of Mohammad-Ali Foroughi, from the film archives of Anoshirvan Sepahbodi, Geneva, 1931: YouTube.