The strangling of Persia; a story of the European diplomacy and oriental intrigue that resulted in the denationalization of twelve million Mohammedans, a personal narrative (1912) (14781167404)

Identifier: stranglingofpers00shus (find matches)
Title: The strangling of Persia; a story of the European diplomacy and oriental intrigue that resulted in the denationalization of twelve million Mohammedans, a personal narrative
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Shuster, W. Morgan (William Morgan), 1877-1960
Subjects: Eastern question (Central Asia)
Publisher: New York, The Century Co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation



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English, and later proved himself to be of bothinflexible integrity and unfailing courage under the most tryingand difficult circumstances. He promised me in our very firstinterview that he would give us every assistance in his power,and from that moment until the day that we left Persia, henever ceased, day or night, to work for our success in his countryand to defend the American finance officials against intriguesand attacks from every source. On the next day we went with Minister Russell to call on avery remarkable official, His Highness, Sipahdar-i-Azam, whoat that time was Prime Minister holding the portfolio of War.The Minister of Finance, Mumtazud-Dawla, and the Vice Min-ister of War, Amir Azam, were present at this interview.Those who have read the introductory chapter of this story willrecall that the Sipahdar, or greatest of the marshals, as histitle means in Persian, took a very prominent part in the second > a§ s 0 o fa 0 w=r 2 o o» o 1 n = tr1- C = > S H a h ►2
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THE AMERICANS ARRIVE 19 Nationalist uprising which resulted in the capture of Teheranby the combined Nationalist forces and the deposition of theShah in July, 1909. Until shortly before that time theSipahdar had been commonly regarded as a supporter of theShah and as a reactionary grandee of the most pronounced type.He possessed vast landed estates in two or three of the provincesof Persia, owned hundreds of villages, and was generally re-puted to be the richest man in the Empire. A tall, thin,weazened figure, of about 60 years of age, with small black eyes,grizzled hair and mustache, and a very nervous manner, hegave one the impression of being rather more an arch intriguerthan the leader of a victorious army. He was one of the fewprominent Persian officials who could talk neither English norErench, and his Vice-minister, a fat and oily giant, who spokeFrench quite well, served as our interpreter. I mention thisdistinguished personage with such care because of the part whichhe will p