During the Qajar dynasty, the Iranian society had a lot of cultural, social and political backwardness. After the constitutional revolution, due to the establishme of the National Assembly and the formulation of more modern laws, these conditions were changing; But still, despite their great efforts, women had a small share in the administration of the coury. Even in the constitutional law, they did not have the right to vote and political activity.
In this situation, iellectual and active Iranian women started to fight against this situation and change it. Maryam Omid was one of these women.
Maryam Omid, from being a doctor’s child to studying language and art
Maryam Omid Semnani nicknamed Mazin al-Sultaneh was born in Semnan in 1261. She was the third daughter of Mir Seyyed Razi Semnani, known as the head of medicine. His father was the physician of the Shah of Iran, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, and the first represeative of Semnan and Shahrood in the National Assembly. Maryam received her primary education from her father and then studied French and photography.
Due to being in an educated and literate family and having an inquisitive mind, Mazin al-Sultaneh was informed about the social and cultural developmes of the society and the world at that time.
At the age of sixteen, he married Emad al-Sultaneh (Salor), one of the Qajar princes, but after a year, due to a lack of moral agreeme, he was forced to separate and divorce. A few years after the separation, Omid married one of the iellectuals and scieists of his time named Qavam al-Hakma. Even when, according to the tradition of her time, as a housewife she should be busy with her household affairs, this knowledgeable lady did not neglect her education and learning and was active in the community as well. Qawam al-Hakma was always an encourager and helper of Mozin al-Sultaneh in scieific and cultural works. After the death of Qawam al-Hakma, Maryam devoted all her time to cultural affairs and raising three children from her two marriages.
Women’s education in the Qajar era
In the patriarchal society of Iran at that time, religious conservatives strongly opposed girls’ education. Most of the women were illiterate, as families were often relucta to educate their daughters.
It is said that Naser al-Din Shah Qajar did not like literate women, and some of his wives who could read and write, hid their literacy from the king.
Emphasizing the necessity of learning science and knowledge by women and girls, in a society that did not understand this necessity and saw it as a threat to the family, is very worthy of consideration and atteion. Mazin al-Sultaneh took the initiative to establish a girls’ school in such an atmosphere.
The establishme of Maziniyah school: Dar al-Alam and Dar al-Sana’i
Omid founded a girls’ school named Meziniyeh in 1291. Mazinieh School had two branches. The first branch was located in Bagh Asef al-Doulah and the second branch was located in Abmangal alley.
- It was a branch of Darul Alam and started working with 79 studes. In this branch, the girls were engaged in learning to read and write Persian, French, Arabic, history, geography, geometry and techniques.
- The second branch was called Dar al-Sana’i, where girls were taught carpet weaving, sock weaving, zardozi, turban weaving, and tailoring.
The slogan of Maziniyeh School was to encourage women and girls to study and for every two studes with tuition fees, one person was accepted free of charge. Also, families did not have the right to take their children out of school uil the end of the school year.
Maryam Amid’s dream for women’s education
In addition to supervising and managing the Maziniyah school, Mazin al-Sultaneh was the examination inspector of all the girls’ schools at that time and participated in the school’s examination session. He also had many ideas to improve education in Iran. For example, establishing a school for teacher training and allocating funds to establish public schools for girls for the first time were some of his suggestions.
Establishme of Shkoufeh magazine: war with superstitions
This active woman also founded Shkoufeh magazine in 1292. This publication was a moral and literary newspaper, and its direct mission was to educate girls and purify women’s morals. After literacy, fighting common superstitions and denouncing backward customs and beliefs among women were other importa topics of this publication. Omid Semnani used Shokoufeh to expose oppression and correct reactionary thoughts.
Over the years, the coe of the articles in this magazine became more political and raised the role of women in politics. These articles considered women equal to men in this way. In addition to the articles he had for the education of women, Mazin al-Sultaneh also had messages and teachings for men, and he always encouraged them to respect their women and saw men and women in life together and alongside each other.
Due to the fact that the flower was spread mostly in girls’ schools among managers, teachers and female studes, the importance of its direct influence among the women of that time is undeniable.
The publication of this newspaper coinued uil the death of Mazin al-Sultaneh (for six years) in Tehran.
Membership in the Hammat community
In addition to his personal activities, Omid was also a member of Hemet Association. This association was founded by the principals of girls’ schools headed by Ms. Nouraldji, and its purpose was to fight against the purchase of foreign goods and ban their import.
One of the sanctions was banning the purchase of foreign textiles. It was supposed that all girls’ schools, including teachers and studes, would all use Iranian fabrics, and anyone who disobeyed would be expelled from the school and no other school would accept him.
The opinions of Maryam Omid and Qajar fashion
There are limited portraits left of Umid; But according to the remaining images in books and articles, despite wearing a hijab, he does not have a Qajar veil on his face or head; But the text of the articles of Shkoufeh magazine confirm that he is religious and that he resorted to Islam to convince the audience. According to these articles, Mezin al-Sultaneh was a moderate person.
The death and legacy of Mazin al-Sultaneh
Mazin al-Sultaneh was an iellectual woman whose social activities made her a milita figure in the constitutional period. Omid Semnani died of a heart attack in September 1298 during a trip to his hometown Semnan. He was 37 years old at the time of his death.
With her death, not only the presence of women in social arenas did not decrease; Rather, her lasting actions as a woman in the era of oppression became the beginning for the presence of other women who came out from the inside and showed themselves in differe fields.
Among other influeial women’s rights activists in Qajar was Mirza Fateh Ali Akhundzadeh, who took effective steps for women in the closed and limited society of Qajar time. To get familiar with that historical period and her activities, read the article examining the effect of Qajar women’s clothing on their social status.
References:
The article of Mrs. Maryam Omid (Mozeen al-Sultaneh), director of Shkoofeh newspaperRahmatullah Nejati
