'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎195r] (394/610)

out portfolio, but the record of this cabinet is not calculated to'
have enhanced his prestige with the British.
He has a weak character and, like Mushir-ud-Dauleh,
possesses a reputation for honesty and the confidence of the
people that at any rate he will do nothing bad—a very negative
quality and of little avail in the present state of Persia which'
requires more heroic measures.
He thinks more of hunting than trying to rule the State.
No. 4. MUSTASHAR-UD-DAULEH, Mlrzd Sadlq Khan.
Born about 1865. A native of Tabriz of comparatively
humble origin. He was educated in Constantinople and speaks
French.
He was a representative of Tabriz in the first Majlis of
1907, a prominent Constitutionalist leader against Muhammad
Ali Shah, and was imprisoned by him at Bagh-i-Shah for 6
months after the Royalist coup (Tkat and bombardment of the
Majlis in June 1908.
He became a member of the ‘ Moderate ’ party formed by tbe
regent Nasr-ul-Mulk and in 1909-10 was president of the second
Majlis. As a “Constitutionalist” he had been anti-Russian
and pro-British, but he now became friendly with the Russians^
and was Minister of the Interior in the Cabinet formed by the
pro-Russian Sipah Salar (No. 31a) in 1911, and owing to his
friendly relations with the Russians he was one of Mr. Shuster s
bitterest enemies. He and Sipah Salar were^ cognisant o
Russian designs for the return of Muhammad Ali, the ex- Shah r
to Persia and on account of their treason in concealing their
information from the Majlis the Cabinet was dimissed, and they
and others took ‘ bast (Per.) A Persian custom allowing an individual to seek asylum at a designated location. ’ in the Russian Legation at Zargandeh.
Mustashar-ud-Dauleh remained out of office until 1913 when
he was Minister of Rosts and Telegraphs in ’Ala-us-Sultaneh’s
Cabinet and used his influence to secure the grant of mining,
and other concessions to the Russians.
He lost popularity owing to his Russophil tendencies, was
not elected member of the third Majlis, and to retrieve his
position, at the outbreak of war turned his coat and became an
open supporter of the Germans, and through Turko-German aid
became Minister of the Interior in Mushir-ud-Dauleh’s Cabinet-
Owing to his upbringng in Constantinople he was strongly
Turkophil, was assisted by Asim Bey, the Turkish ambassador,.
and became the principal opponent of Farman Farma (No. 10),