“Rūznāmah-i Majlis” was the first Iranian national newspaper published in the post-constitutional era by the first term of the National Council. The importance of this newspaper is in reflecting the developments of the Majlis after it was closed by cannon and Muẓaffar al-Dīn Shāh’s order to establish the newspaper.
“Rūznāmah-i Majlis” was founded in Tehran by Mīrzā Muḥammad Ṣādiq Ṭabāṭabāyī in Qajar era. The head editor was Adīb al-Mamālik. Its first issue was on eight pages (20 x 46 cm) with lead printing (Maṭbaʻah Surbī Khurshīd located on Nāṣirīyah St.) and published on Sunday 8 Shawwal Al-Mukaram 1324 according to the lunar year 1285 and November 25th of the French and English months, and on the 12th of the Russian month of 1906, and on the 13th of July 1276 Yazdgirdī, and on the 13th of Tishrīn al-ākhar 2218, and on the 9th of Ar, 828 Jalālī. The manner of publication of the Rūznāmah-i Majlis was initially four issues a week (Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday) for a period of three months, and after three months, i.e. from issue 68 dated 25 Ṣafar al-Muẓaffar 1325, it became a daily newspaper, except for Fridays.
In each issue, under the title of the Rūznāmah-i Majlis, it was introduced as follows: “This newspaper is completely free, and it covers the debates and negotiations and legitimacy of the National Council of Iran and all political, commercial and social affairs and what is related to civil reforms and national affairs and If it is related to public benefits and in-kind revenues and is related to the rights of the Islamic world and the implementation of Islamic rules and the defense of the borders of the homeland, it will speak with complete freedom, it will publish the daily discussions of the Grand Council, bills, articles, and the thoughts of the people in the above-mentioned cases in particular.” The Rūznāmah-i Majlis was published regularly until the bombing and the bloody events in Tehran, and with the appearance of these events and the exile of its director, Āghā Mīrzā Muḥammad Ṣādiq Ṭabāṭabāyī, this newspaper was also closed like other newspapers in Tehran.
Rūznāmah-i Majlis was the first parliamentary newspaper of Iran which was published on 3 Āz̲ar 1285 Hijri (8 Shawwal 1324 Hijrī), i.e. fifty days after the establishment of the National Assembly. This periodical, together with the newspapers Ḥabl al-matīn, Musāvāt, Ṣūr-i Isrāfīl, etc., played an important role in promoting libertarian thinking.
