'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎16v] (37/610)

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suaded from signing the regulations for the assembly. The
people declared their intention of again taking ‘ bast (Per.) A Persian custom allowing an individual to seek asylum at a designated location. , but the
Shah accepted the advice of the British and Russian Legation^,
and gave way. The popular leaders at Tabriz, Meshed and
Rasht likewise threatened to take ‘ bast (Per.) A Persian custom allowing an individual to seek asylum at a designated location. ’ in the British Con
sulates as a protest against reactionary Governors, who refused
to publish the regulations and hold elections, but in the end
the provincial elections passed off quietly. Meanwhile after the
election of the 64 members for Tehran the Assembly was
opened by the Shah on 7th October 1906.
A joint Committee appointed by Assembly and Gov
ernment drew up a 1 Constitution which was read to the
Assembly and signed by the Shah and Muhammad Ali the
Heir Apparent.
Throughout this period Muzaffar-ud-DIn Shah had been ill,
and died in January 1907 soon after the signing of the Consti
tution. His death completes the first or 1906 phase of the
Persian revolution. It had begun in popular demonstrations
directed against an oppressive Grand Vizir, against the extra
vagance of the Court, the deplorable state of administration
and country, the foreign loans and concessions which were
leading to national bankruptcy and subjugation to European 2
control, and had fortuitously ended in a Constitution and National
Assembly. This change had been effected .practically without
bloodshed, chiefly by a peaceful taking of t bast (Per.) A Persian custom allowing an individual to seek asylum at a designated location. ’ in the
grounds of the British Legation, through whom the negotiations
with the Government had been conducted, and which was cons
equently regarded as the champion of liberty and justice in
Persia.
Accession of The second phase of the ‘ Constitutional ’ movement
SMh commenced with the coronation of Muhammad Ali Shah on
19th January 1907.
When Heir Apparent in Tabriz he had been well
disposed to the original agitation against the ’Ain-ud-Dauleh,
1 For the Persian Constitution see Chapter V Administration. '
2 It was this aspect of the situation which turned the reactionary Slu’ah
clergy into protagonists of the reform movement. Under the autocracy they
had been powerful as the sole authority to which appeal could be made against
the absolutist provincial governors, but they now feared that the growth of
European control would be fatal to their position. This clerical support is a
unique feature of the Persian revolution. Subsequently their relations with the
popular leaders became strained as they were uneasy at the threatened encroach
ment on their own power and privileges, e,.g., the administration of justice,while
the latter accused them of subordinating the interests of the State to religion and
were inclined to tell them to go bach to their masjids and not intrude in politics.
In 1910 Taqizadeh, the ultra democrat leader, was excommunicated and forced
to leave Persia.