Rashid Yasami

Biography

Rashid Yasami, Ghulam Riza (1896-1951), son of Muhammad ‘Ali Wali Khan Mir Panj Gurani Kirmanshahi. A writer, historian, belletrist, translator, and poet, hailing from Kermanshah. Having graduated from Saint Louis school, he worked for a while at the Danishkadih Society and was a member of the Literary Society of Iran. He had mastery of French, English, Pahlavi, and Arabic. His father, Muhammad Wali Khan Mir Panj, was a poet, artist, and calligrapher. He published the Divan of his grandfather on his mother’s side, Prince Muhammad Baqir Mirza-yi Khusraw, the composer of Shams u Tughra. He spent his childhood racing and hunting in Kurdish dress among his tribesmen and as he was raised in a family of artists, he was before long acquainted with the works of Persian poets and belletrists. Having received his primary education in Kermanshah, he went to Tehran to further his studies. He studied at Saint Louis school and learned Arabic and English and furthered his study of French. He learned Pahlavi in classes taught by Herzfeld. His literature teacher was Nizam Wafa. Having embarked upon his cultural, literary, and journalistic career, he studied with scholars, like Mirza Tahir Tunikabuni and Adib Pishawari. He received medical treatment for his blood pressure in 1955. Filled with excitement and emotions while opening a lecture at the theater of the Faculty of Letters, University of Tehran, packed with audience, on Wednesday 1 March 1958, he stammered and was led to a front seat, but half of his body was paralyzed. He was taken to Mirh Hospital and he received medical treatment in Iran for a month. Then, he settled in France and felt slightly better. Since the Exchange Office withheld conversi  Read more