'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎18r] (40/610)

when the siege was raised by the entry of 2,000 Russian 1 troops
to protect foreign life and property.
The position in December 1908 consequently was that the
jShah was supreme in Tehran, where he ended by declaring
the abolition of the Constitution as contrary to Muhammadan
law. He, however, equally with the ‘ Constitutionalists ’ failed
to show any constructive ability; he took no action and he
was destitute of money ; there was rebellion in the provinces
and the situation was clearly transitory. Further developments
in the provinces occurred early in 1909. In January 1909 ^^y| e r ^ f an(J
Isfahan revolted and the Bakhtiaris took a leading part. In of CHian' cons*
February the Sipahdar, who had quarrelled with his colleague titutionalfets on
’Ain-ud-Dauleh, and quitted the Royalist force besieging Tabriz, ie ircU1 ’
in disgust, went to Enzali and was accepted as their leader by
the revolutionaries of Rasht, who attacked Government House,
killed the Governor General, and took over the provincial
Government of Gilan. This movement was stiffened by the
presence of Caucasian revolutionaries, chief of whom was
Yeprim, a remarkable man destined to play a great part in
subsequent Persian events, which was rendered all the more
conspicuous by comparison with the vacillation and inertia of
his Persian contemporaries, both allies and opponents* By
mid-March the Gilan revolutionaries had advanced an outpost
as far as Yuzbashxchai, on the road between Manjil and
Kazvin, and on 4th May Yeprim, with an advance party*
250 strong, surprised the Royalist Governor and garrison of
Kazvin, and occupied the town. The Shah, who had continued
to vacillate in Tehran, was at length frightened, and, acting
on the joint advice of the British and Russian legations, he
promised a restoration of the Constitution. His promises,
however, failed to gain credence and his opponents continued
their activities. Sipahdar remained at Kazvin, awaiting the
cooperation of the Bakhtiaris, who started from Isfahan on
17th June under Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Asad, and on 23rd June their advance
guard reached Qum. On the 4th of July Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Asad was at
Robat 2 Karim and Sipahdar at Karaj, where they were
visited by British 2 and Russian representatives, who urged
1 The number was afterwards increased to 4,000. The position of the city
was becoming desperate and this episode, the first intrusion of Russian troops
into Persian territory, appears to be the single instance when Russian inter
ference, temporarily at any rate, benefited the popular party, who would have
fallen victims to ’Ain-ud-Dauleh’s reprisals.
In Tehran Russian sympathies were all with the Shah and Cossacks were placed
around the British Legation to prevent the entry of •bastls’. The attitude of the
Russians eventually contributed to the Shah’s downfall as it led him to expect
active Russian support, which was not forthcoming.
a Mr, Churchill found about 1,200 Bakhtiaris with Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Asad at Robat
Karim.