BALADĪYA

 

BALADĪYA (Municipality), the name or part of the name of several municipal newspapers and journals published in Iran and Afghanistan ca. 1907-39. They include, in order of their dates of publication:

1. Qāsem al-aḵbār-e baladyīa, a weekly, one-page Persian newspaper lithographed in Tehran and edited by Mīrzā Abu’l-Qāsem Khan Hamadānī, the licensee and editor of Baladīya (see below; Browne, Press and Poetry, pp. 124-25). The paper appears to have started late in Rabīʿ I, 1325 (early May, 1907); it contained cartoons and social criticism. For holdings see U. Sims-Williams, Union Catalogue of Persian Serials and Newspapers in British Libraries, London, 1985, p. 107: R. Mach and R. D. McChesney, A List of Persian Serials in the Princeton University Library, Princeton, 1971; M. Solṭānī, Fehrest-e rūz-nāmahā-ye fārsī dar majmūʿa-ye Ketāb-ḵāna-ye Markazī wa Markaz-e Asnād-e Dānešgāh-e Tehrān I, Tehran, 1354 Š./1975, p. 122.

2. Baladīya (Tehran, 1907) appeared forty days before the passage of the Qānūn-e Baladīya (Municipality Act) of 20 Rabīʿ II 1325/2 June 1907. Its first licensees and editors were Mortażā Mūsawī Dezfūlī and Mīrzā Abu’l-Qāsem Hamadānī; the latter took full control after the seventh issue (Ṣadr Hāšemī, Jarāʾed o majallāt II, pp. 17-19). In addition to news about the municipality, Baladīya also contained articles on foreign affairs and, after the founding of the Anjoman-e Baladī (Municipal Council), carried the minutes of council meetings. The paper ranged from four to eight pages, 17 x 29.50 cm, and a subscription cost eighteen qerāns in Tehran, twenty-three elsewhere in Iran, and twelve French francs in Europe. For holdings see Browne, Press and Poetry, p. 56; R. Mach and R. D. McChesney, A List of Persian Serials in the Princeton University Library, Princeton, 1971; U. Sims-Williams, Union Catalogue of Persian Serials and Newspapers in British Libraries, London, 1985, p. 20; M. Solṭānī, Fehrest-e rūz-nāmahā-ye fārsī dar majmūʿa-ye Ketāb-ḵāna-ye Markazī wa Markaz-e Asnād-e Dānešgāh-e Tehrān I, Tehran, 1354 Š./ 1975, p. 29. Some issues of the newspaper are also kept in the Majles Library and the Bibliothèque Nationale.

3. Šūrā-ye baladī, a Persian newspaper lithographed in Tehran four times weekly in 1907 and edited by Moʿtamed-al-Eslām Raštī, who was also the publisher of Yādgār-e enqelāb, Tehran and Qazvīn, 1909. Šūrā-ye baladī was solely devoted to publishing the minutes of the Tehran municipal council. Eight issues were published from Jomādā II-Šaʿbān, 1325/July-September, 1907; the yearly subscription rate was thirty-six qerāns in Tehran, forty-six elsewhere in Iran, and twenty-one francs abroad. Some issues of Šūrā-ye baladī are kept in the Tehran University and Majles libraries and in the Bibliothèque Nationale. For holdings see Browne, The Press and Poetry, p. 112; R. Mach and R. D. McChesney, A List of Persian Serials in the Princeton University Library, Princeton, 1971.

4. Anjoman-e baladīya-ye Eṣfahān (Isfahan, 1907-08) began as Faraj baʿd az šeddat on 5 Šawwāl 1325/12 November 1907, but shortly underwent an identity change to reflect its semi-official status. It was established and edited by the celebrated Isfahani wāʿeẓ Āqā Mīrzā Nūr-al-Dīn Majlesī and appeared three times monthly (Ṣadr Hāšemī, Jarāʾed I, pp. 293-97). The paper’s four lithographed pages (21.5 x 34.5 cm) contained articles on social and municipal affairs written in an ornate prose style. A yearly subscription cost twelve qerāns in Isfahan, fifteen in other parts of Iran, and eight francs abroad (Browne, Press and Poetry, p. 47). Some issues of the newspaper are kept in the Majles Library, the libraries of the University of Isfahan, and the Isfahan office of Arts and Cultures; elsewhere some copies are preserved in the Cambridge University Library and Bibliothèque Nationale.

5. Baladīya-ye Eṣfahān (Isfahan, 1908) was a biweekly successor to the previous entry that began 4 Ḏu’l-ḥejja 1325/9 January 1908 and ceased in Moḥarram, 1326/March, 1908 (Browne, Press, p. 56). It was edited by Mīrzā ʿAbbās Khan Čahārmaḥālī, who gained fame as a poet pen-named Šeydā (Ṣadr Hāšemī, Jarāʾed II, pp. 20-22); he also published Majalla-ye farhangī-e Dāneškada-ye Eṣfahān in 1303 Š./1925. In addition to the municipal council minutes, Baladīya-ye Eṣfahān devoted its four, 22 x 35 cm pages to articles on literature and society. A yearly subscription was twenty-five qerāns in Isfahan, thirty elsewhere in Iran, and thirty-three abroad. For holdings see U. Sims-Williams, Union Catalogue of Persian Serials and Newspapers in British Libraries, London, 1985, p. 87. Issues of the journal are also kept in the University of Isfahan, Art and Culture, and Majles Libraries.

6. Baladīya (Tabrīz, 1909) was a biweekly newspaper lithographed in Tabrīz from 8 Moḥarram 1327/31 January 1909 under the editorship of Aḥmad Mīrzā (Browne, Press, p. 56; Ṣadr Hāšemī, Jarāʾed II, p. 20). Specimens of the paper held in the Ketāb-ḵāna-ye Tarbīat in Tabrīz contain eight two-column pages, measuring 22 x 35 cm. An issue cost 200 dīnārs in Tabrīz and five šāhīs elsewhere.

7. Balad al-amīn (Mašhad, 1910) was published weekly from Moḥarram/January-February until 24 Jomādā II 1328/2 July 1910 and was edited by Mīrzā Moḥammad-Ṣādeq (Browne, Press, p. 55). It was lithographed on paper measuring 19 x 32 cm and cost ten qerāns in Mašhad and fifteen elsewhere in Iran (Ṣadr Hāšemī, Jarāʾed II, p. 17). For holdings see Sims-Williams, Union Catalogue, p. 19.

8. Baladīya (Rašt, 1919) was published towards the end of the year 1337 (summer, 1919) under the editorship of Nāder Mīrzā Ārāsta (Ṣadr Hāšemī, Jarāʾed II, p. 20).

9. Baladīya (Tehran, 1921-36) was at first a bimonthly and then a monthly journal published from 19 Jawzā 1300/9 June 1921 until Esfand, 1314 Š./February, 1936 when it was renamed Šahrdārī. The editorship of the journal was held consecutively by ʿAbbās Ḵalīlī, Abu’l-Ḥasan Maʿdaṇčī, Mahdī Māfī, Reżā Šahrzād, and Kāẓem Šarīfī. The size varied from eighteen to one hundred pages measuring 21 x 27 cm initially and 16 x 22.5 cm after the journal’s tenth year. Baladīya was illustrated and contained advertisements in Persian and French. It cost sixteen šāhīs initially and increased to fifty qerāns in its eleventh year (Ṣadr Hāšemī, Jarāʾed II, p. 20). Series of the newspaper are kept in major libraries in Iran.

10. Baladīya (Rašt, 1929) was published (apparently only once) in Esfand, 1307 Š./February, 1929 under the editorship of Amīr Eršād. It contained thirty-two two-column pages, measuring 21 x 28.5 cm. It is kept in the National Library of Rašt and the Central Library of Tehran University.

11. Baladīya-ye Eṣfahān (Isfahan, 1930-31) was founded in Ābān, 1309 Š./October, 1930, by the noted pianist Colonel Ḥabīb-Allāh Khan Šahrdār, mayor of Isfahan, and was edited by the poet Moḥammad-ʿAlī Mokrem (Ṣadr Hāšemī, Jarāʾed II, pp. 22-23), who was to become founder and publisher of several newspapers and magazines in Isfahan. The journal was illustrated and contained articles on the city and public health. Its twenty to twenty-four two-column pages measured 17 x 22 cm; a yearly subscription cost twelve qerāns in Isfahan, fifteen elsewhere in Iran, and twenty abroad.

12. Baladīya-ye Herāt (Herāt, 1933-39) began on 11 Ḥūt 1311 Š./2 March 1933 under the editorship of Mīrzā ʿAbd-Allāh Aḥrārī and was later edited by Ṣafar-ʿAlī Amnī. It contained twenty-eight pages measuring 17 x 22 cm and contained articles on history, medicine, and public health; a yearly subscription cost six afḡānīs locally, seven elsewhere in Afghanistan, and seven shillings abroad.

See also anjoman-e eṣfahān.

Search terms:

 بلدیه baladiyeh  baladiye baladeye
baladyeh      

 

(N. Parvīn)

Originally Published: December 15, 1988

Last Updated: December 15, 1988