Babak

Bâbak Khorramdin (around 795, according to some other sources 798–14.3.838) was one of the leaders of khorramdinân (persian: those of the joyous religion), which was an iranian nationalistic movement fighting the Arab occupiers of Iran.

One of the greatest Iranian heros was born in Balal Abad (Qaradag) region of Azarbaijan close to the city of Ardabil. After his father’s death in his early teen, he was given the responsibility of his 2 brothers and mother during a traditional Zartosht ceremony in Fire-temple, which used to involve a glass of Azari wine and wearing a purple ribbon around body. By the age of 18 Bâbak had established himself in the city of Tabriz and was engaged in the arms trade and industry. Later on, this engagement gave him the opportunity to travel to different regions like Caucasia, Middle East and Eastern Europe and familiarised him with history, geography and language of countries and nations in these regions. During all these time, Azarbaijan was constantly invaded by the despotic Bani Abbas Arab dynasty (Caliphate). Witnessing all these pressure being exerted to Iranian people, forced Bâbak to join the Khorramdin movement in “Ghaleh ye Bâbak” (Bâbak Castle), in the sensational mountains of Qaradag. His skills in the latest battle tactics accompanied by the knowledge of history and geography strengthened his position as a most favorite commander during the early wars against Arabs.

Bâbak was a highly spiritual and educated person who respected the Zartoshti identity of his nation. He made every possible effort to establish reasonable political and cultural relationships with other regions of Iran and also with leaders such as Afshin and Maziyar to form a united front against the Arab Caliph.

One of the most dramatic periods of Iran and Azarbaijan history was set under the Bâbak’s leadership between 816–837 AD. During these most crucial years, Iran fought against the invasion of Islam and Arab culture.

Eventually Bâbak, his wife and his warriors were forced to leave their command post (Ghaleh ye Bâbak) under very difficult situation after 23 years of sensational campaign. He was betrayed by Afshin and was handed over to the Abbasid Caliph. During Bâbak’s execution, caliph's henchmaen first cut his legs and hands in order to convey the most devastating message to his followers , legend says that our Bâbak bravely rinsed his face by the drained blood pouring out of his cuts, thus depriving the Caliph and the rest of the Arab army the sight of his paled face which was the result of heavy bleeding.

In recent years, the Azari nationalists have tried to portrait Bâbak as a Turkish national hero, fighting for Azarbaijan’s independence, even though there are no historical records to indicate such a notion. On the other hand, it is firmly established that at the time of Bâbak, the Turkish speaking people have not yet arrived in Azarbaijan: Bâbak could almost certainly not understand a word of Turkish. Although claims have been made about a Turkish cognate for his name (Bay Beg), it is doubtful that this is more than a coincidence, since Bâbak is a pure Persian name as attested by the name of the founder of the Saasaanid Persian empire: Ardeshir-e-Bâbakan (Bâbak being Ardeshir’s ancestor) who lived several hundered years prior to Bâbak. Thus in the time of Bâbak, there was no separatist national feeling in Azarbaijan and Bâbak did not fight for Azarbaijan’s independence but for Iran’s independence of which Azarbaijan was a native part.