'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎28r] (60/610)

pjoffloted
,{puni^
l ssinati 0 ' 15
)®tenan“
.ud-D^
lue to *
his succe* 1
43
rsians Bnic
away, te
.ugnstSi^
Britain aii
itiolofead
and of tls
■ernment ii
ie continiei
atil Augast
s dismissal
deofPersii
Vusuq-ai
.ugust anl
The harvest in most parts of the country had failed, and it
was plainly evident that severest famine conditions must prevail
unless the Government should step in to regulate supplies and
prices with a strong hand. The last Government had knowledge
of the approaching calamity, and had failed to take measures
to meet it; they had even sold the government stores of grain
throughout the country.
The populous regions within reach of the lines of communi
cation of the Russian armies on the Hamadan and Azar-
baijan fronts were exposed to plunder by these troops, which
were rapidly losing all semblance of discipline. Tabriz and
Azarbaijan were threatened by Turkish forces following hard
on the Russian armies in retreat from Erzerum. The Jangall
sedition in Gilan had removed that province from control of
the Shah’s Government.
put int«
iowever,
t KinnaB
d-Daufei
a corps
y, when
ernment
raized as
jwed
The outlook abroad was equally disquieting. Russia was in
a state of civil war. Germany was concluding a peace with
Ukrainia, and was marshalling the forces of the Central Powers
for their supreme attack on the Western front of the Allies in
France. Persia was veering to the opinion that the war would
end favourably for the Central Powers, and that it would be
wise to conciliate them.
In these difficult circumstances the Shah decided again to Cabinet of
entrust the government of the country to Mustaufi-ul-Mamalik. Wusnufl-ul-
He accepted office, and by January 18th 1918 completed his Januaty-Aprfl
Cabinet, in which moderate statesmen, such as Mushir-ud- 191 8 *
Dauleh and his brother, were associated with Mukhbir-us-
Sultaneh and other leaders of the advanced democrats.
It was soon evident that the new Government were as little
willing as their predecessors to arrange difficulties with the
Allied representatives. They refused to give recognition to
the South Persia Rifles, and maintained the demand for
annulment of the convention of 1907 between Great Britain
and Russia, as a measure which had been aimed against the
integrity and independence of Persia.
The British reply on these matters is very clearly expressed
in a speech by Earl Curzon of Kedleston, in the House of
Lords at that time The South Persia Rifles had been created
with the consent of the Persian Government, to restore order
other means. The 1907 convention, although it had rpas^d
cuecKing aggressive rivalry in Persia, and was now looked