Mehdi Sahraian

Mehdi Sahraian (Persian: Sahraeian, Persian: صحرائیان‎) (born July 1946 in Shiraz) is an Iranian university professor from Jahrom, Iran.

Sahraian’s paternal line had been raised to the ranks of the Persian nobility of the 19th century. The great grandfathers sayyid Mahmud, as the forerunner of Sahara clan to Jahrom was the land lord of the Great tobacco plantation of Hakan-Region of Jahrom County. During the Era of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1831–1896)Rule, Hakan was considered as one of the major supplier of the Iranian tobacco market. In 1884-1889 sayyid Mahmud as a charity performance of him, had Constructed a large caravanserai, a Turkish bathHamam, an Ab Anbar reservoir, and did endow those welfare facilities (free of charge) to the people of JAHROM " سر سعد " Region and caravan (travellers). Pretty soon, for his services to the public welfare, with regard to his influence within the Jahrom- county areas, on 1889 sayyid Mahmud received the governance of HAKAN region from Naser al-Din Shah.

In (1930), once the heritor sayyid Ahmad (as eldest grandson of the House) was to take over the clan - heritage, he had realized that; in the text of bequest- deed which was signed by grandfather (sayyid Mahmud), the female- genders of Sahara clan are dispossessed from their heritage-benefits. The Argue about the equal rights of the Family-girls on heritage- incomes, gave Sahraian’s father (Sayyid Ahmad) reason enough, to abandon the plantation and heritage and on October 1932 move to Shiraz. Upon his arrival, Sahraian’s father has established his commerce Office in Saraye moshir, next to the grand Vakil bazaar of Shiraz.

During 1935–1941 the modernization plan of Reza Shah and later on the Post-War economic boom (namedWirtschaftswunder) have provided Sahraian’s father with the opportunity to Expand his exportcommerce to western Europe and dominate the sheepskin&leather Supply – Market (Major-Share) of the Fars province. The Business Success enabled Sahraian’s father to join the local social & welfare activities and have a close relationship with the influential ayatollahs. Within August 1941 to the first quarter of 1942, confiscation of the domestically produced grain and food supplyby allies and Categorical transport of Iranian domestic grainto the eastern front under US Army enforcement, has caused a perpetual shortages on wheat flour and food supply in Iran. In consequence, a widespread hunger followed by starvation and or malnutrition were break up all over the occupiedIran. The grand ayatollah Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi, in a message on sayyid Ahmad, had expressed his expectation for Sahraian’s father to Care for the starvation affected families in the south district of Shiraz. During the famine, having solidarity with the family members of Sahara clan to Jahrom was an obvious matter to sayyid Ahmad. But to Sahraian’s father, fulfillment of a personal appeal of grand Ayatollah of Shia (on a Bazaari commerce- man like him), was more as a matter of religious worship and national prideto him. So was it for Sahraian’s father a decade later, once in (1951) Ayatollah Abol-Ghasem Kashani has issued the fatwa for granting financial- support to the movement for Nationalization of Oil Supplies, led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and Sahraian’s father(Sayyid Ahmad) did follow the fatwa and has participated on that National Movement.

On his mother’s side, Sahraian’s grandmother (Hyatt BiBi Khanum 1864-1954) was the daughter of Hassan khan, one of the principal line leaders of Qashqai tribes by the end of 19th Century and beginning of 20th Century. During World War I Hassan khan with his brother Hussein khan were leading the Qashqai armed resistance against British military domination over the trade road of Bushehr At his father’s suggestion, Sahraian was taught foreign languages and philosophy at home by private teachers, as well as reading the literature of western writers.

Family background on feeling responsible in regard to the homeland and the deprived people, father’s tolerance by dealing with Jews & Christians who have enjoyed the father’s hospitality at his home, the humanism based social environment of his birthplace Shiraz,having experienced at age 7 the unrest of 1953 Iranian coup d'etat and at age (16) the uprise of Ayatollahs in Opposition to the White Revolutionof Mohammad Reza Shah. In 1963 Sahraian left to Austria for further education.