Barabanki (UP): Father of 1979 Iranian Revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini has an Indian connection with his familial tree tracing back to Kintoor in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh.
In 1790, Ayatollah's grandfather Syed Ahmad Moosvi Hindi was born in this village of Uttar Pradesh which is famous for the Kintoor battle of 1858.
It was in 1830 that Syed fled to Iran along with Nawab of Awadh for Zirayat and eventually settled in Khomein, 325 kilometres away from the capital city of Iran but never hide the fact he has his origins in India.
In 1902, Ayatollah was born in this Khomein of Iran, lead the Islamic revolution and became a religious scholar like his forefathers. His father's Mostafa Hindi Khomeini house has become an important historical monument.
Imparted Islamic Education
He continued to impart Islamic education and taught the same at various Islamic education centres in Iranian cities. During this time only, he opposed Monarch (political system based upon the undivided sovereignty or rule of a single person) based political system of the country and to replace it with Vilayat-e-Fakih, Shia Islamist system of governance. He was exiled from Iran in the mid-1960s, after a crackdown on his teachings by the Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, last Shah (Emperor) of Iran. His defiance to the Shah continued even after his ouster from the country.
Established the Islamic republic in 1979
At that time, Ayatollah was called a British Indian stooge in the Iranian media. When the religious leader returned to Iran after 14 years of exile people regarded him as their supreme leader. In 1979, he established the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, replacing the emperor system of Iran.
Mentor of the current President of Iran
Ayatollah was a staunch opponent of America and a devoted follower of Islam. That is why he used arguments like "neither with the east nor with the west, just with Jamhoori Islam" and "there is no power in America". He was also the teacher of the current Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani.
Breathed his last on 4 June 1989
The revolutionary grandson of Syed took his last breath on 4 June 1989, nearly 10 years after founding the Islamic Republic.
India-Iran ties
In those days, when there was a war-like situation between Iran and America, it was difficult to say with whom India will be on the global stage. But Ayatollah links with the present government of Iran and his father's origin with an Uttar Pradesh village draws us to the fact that India-Iran links do exist.
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