Qazi Muhammad

Qazi Muhammad was born in Mahabad, the ancient Kurdish city of Iranian Kurdistan, into a respected family of judges and scholars. A learned intellectual fluent in several languages, he became qazi (religious judge) of Mahabad and earned widespread respect across the region for his wisdom and integrity.

Building on the clandestine Kurdish society Komala, Qazi Muhammad founded the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (PDKI) and, on 22 January 1946, proclaimed the independent Republic of Mahabad - the first modern Kurdish state in history. As its first and only president, he adopted the Kurdish flag and anthem and made Kurdish the official language, appointing Mela Mustafa Barzani as his minister of defence.

The republic survived less than a year before Iranian forces overran Mahabad. Refusing to renounce his cause, Qazi Muhammad was tried and, on 31 March 1947, hanged in the same Chahar Chira square where he had proclaimed independence. His dignified death made him the supreme martyr of the Kurdish national movement and a symbol of the dream of a free, self-governing Kurdistan.