The Role of Mahal Salas in Tonekabon City in the Early Period of the Jangal (Jungle) Movement

During the First World War, the Council of Islamic Unity Jangal Movement was formed in Gilan to deal with foreigners, maintaining independence and respect the Constitutional and Islamic principles. At this time, due to the weakness of the state cabinets and occupation of Iran as well as the weakness and pessimism of local authorities in the Mahal Salas (the western Mazandaran province), Some of the former Constitutional leaders as Salar Fateh, in order to weaken the Khalatbari’s family and seize power in the Mahal Salas, cooperated with the Islamic Unity Movement which resulted in spreading out of this activity throughout this region. The current study seeks to answer the following question: what was the Mahal Salas’s role in Tonekabon city during the Jangal Movement? following that this Hypothesis sets forth that Mahal Salas had profound effect in the formation and weakening of the so-called movement . The research findings suggest that the change in Britain’s policy in Iran and formation of the Vosough od-Dowleh’s cabinet and his support of the oppositions of the Jangal Movement as well as surrender of some leaders of the Islamic Unity Movement, unsuitable back up tactics towards Mahal Salas, particularly Tonekabone, and lack of information about the correct location, were the main factors involving in the destruction of the Islamic Unity of the Jungle Movement in the early period .