'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎196r] (396/610)

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val of Great Britain, of the Gendarmerie under Swedish officers
in the Isfahan district of South Persia, bordering on Bakhtiari
land, which they regarded as their own sphere and resented the
presence of non-Bakhtiari armed forces in these regions. The
hostility between Gendarmerie and Bakhtiaris, grew so strong
that in 1914 fighting between them nearly broke out in Tehran,
where, since their participation in the expulsion of Muhammad
AH Shah in 1909, contingents of Bakhtiari sowars had always
been stationed.
During the early days of the war Samsam, while taking money
from the British Legation, set to work on behalf of our enemies.
He did not, like some of the younger Bakhtiari Khans, leave
Tehran with the “ Muhajirin ” in November 1915 and of neces
sity kept quiet until the Russian revolution and withdrawal of
Russian troops from Persia, but after these events he seized
his opportunity, by German aid was elected a Tehran deputy
for the Majlis by the Democrats in 1918 and started an open and
violent anti-British propaganda. Soon after in return for a
present of 15,000 tumans the Shah appointed him Governor of
Khorasan, but, owing to opposition aroused, the appointment
was cancelled, and to avoid refund of the cash, the Shah made
him Premier after the acquiescence of the British Legation had
been obtained on Samsam’s undertaking to stop his anti-British
activities—a promise, however, which he immediately broke
and proceeded to select his Ministers from among the notable
opponents of Great Britain.
The hostility of the Cabinet increased with news of the
great German attack on the French front, the advance of the
Turks from Tabriz towards Zinjan, and of the Jangalls to Manjil.
It declared all treaties made with Russia during the last 100
years abrogated, and cancelled the extra territorial rights, which
subjects of European powers enjoy in Persia, on the basis of the
treaty of Turkomanchai akin to the rights they have under the
“ Capitulations ” in Turkey, e.g. exemption from taxes, and
right of trial before their consular representatives. The situa
tion was critical, until the arrival of British troops at Kazvln
and the withdrawal of the Turks towards Tabriz enabled Sir
C. Marling, the British Minister, to demand of the Shah the
dismissal of the Cabinet. Samsam at first refused to relinquish
office, but finally the Cabinet fell and Vusuq-ud-Dauleh came
into power with British support on the 7th August 1918.
He is a weak minded old man verging on his dotage, an
obstinate, uneducated tribesman, unable to speak or write
Persian properly.