M. Tulu’i Information

Mahmoud Tolouei (1930–2015)
Iranian Journalist, Historian, Writer, and Politician

Early Life and Education
Mahmoud Tolouei was born on October 23, 1930, in Mianeh, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. He completed his primary education in his hometown and went on to attend Dar ul-Funun, one of Tehran’s most prestigious high schools. He later earned a Bachelor’s degree in French Literature from the University of Tehran. During his university years, he began working in journalism, which would become the defining field of his professional life.

Career in Journalism
Tolouei is best known for his work as editor-in-chief of Khandaniha, a popular and influential magazine in mid-20th-century Iran. He held this position for nearly ten years, and referred to this period as the most productive and meaningful part of his journalistic career. The magazine, first established in 1948, was under his editorial leadership from the early 1950s until December 1967.

He was also active in radio and television, where he hosted political programs, and later launched his own monthly magazine, Masa’el-e Jahan (World Affairs), which he published for several years. Much of the content was written by Tolouei himself, often under pseudonyms.

Political and Government Service
Tolouei began his government career at the Ministry of Culture, where he worked as a high school teacher and later took on administrative roles. He was later transferred to the Ministry of Finance, serving first as Advisor to the Minister, then as Director General of Public Relations. In 1971, he was elected as a Member of Parliament (Majlis) representing Mianeh during the 23rd legislative term, backed by the ruling New Iran Party. After his parliamentary term ended, he returned to the Ministry of Finance and resumed his advisory role.

Linguistic Abilities and Writing Career
Tolouei was fluent in French and English, and also had working knowledge of Arabic and Turkish. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, he dedicated himself fully to writing and historical research. He authored a wide range of works covering Iranian and world history, political analysis, biographies, and cultural commentary.

His post-revolution writings, including Mossadegh on Trial in History, Father and Son (about the Pahlavi dynasty), and From Peacock to Farah, became well-known for their detailed narrative and engaging style. Tolouei also translated several books, including “Catherine the Great” by Zoia Belyakova and “The Brilliant Civilization of the Iranians” by Maria Brosius.

Final Years and Death
In his later years, Tolouei lived primarily in the United States, focusing on writing and translating while maintaining only limited engagement with Iranian media. He passed away on August 20, 2015, at the age of 84, after being severely injured in a motorcycle accident while crossing Africa Boulevard in Tehran. He died later that evening in Shahid Tajrish Hospital.

Legacy
Ali Dehbashi, a prominent cultural figure, described Mahmoud Tolouei as “one of Iran’s outstanding journalists, who played a significant role during a transformative period in the country’s press history,” particularly for his editorial work before and after the 1953 coup.

Selected Works

Mossadegh on Trial in History
From Peacock to Farah
Father and Son: Untold Stories of the Pahlavi Dynasty
Actresses of the Pahlavi Era (Vol. 1 & 2)
The Beautiful Alone (on Sorayya Esfandiary)
Seven Kings (2 volumes)
From Lenin to Putin (formerly From Lenin to Gorbachev)
The Real Face of America
The Crippled Giant: America’s Dual Policy in Iran
The Fate of Dictators
The Mirror of History
The Story of the Revolution
The Day the World Changed
A Century, A Hundred Faces (A Visual History of the 20th Century)
Famous Women
The Imaginary Paradise: An Iranian in Exile
Catherine the Great (Translation)
The Brilliant Civilization of Iranians (Translation)