'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎200r] (404/610)

No. 23. SAIYID ZIA-UD-DIN.
Born about 1885. Son of Agha Saiyid AH Agha, Yazdi,
Mujtabid, who was a popular leader in 1908-9, but has now
retired from politics.
Saiyid Zia was editor of a newspaper called “ Charg,”
which was suppressed by the Government and re-appeared
under the name of “ Barg,” was again suppressed and re
appeared as the “ Ra’ad.” In 1909 he fell foul of the Majlis
and retired to Europe for 2 years. In the spring of 1918 he
wrote a series of powerful and brilliant articles in the “ Ra’ad,”
disclosing the intrigues of Mustaufi-ul-Mamalik’s Cabinet. The
Cabinet retaliated by suppressing all the newspapers of
Tehran, but its downfall was largely due to these articles. In
1918-19 he was the trusted confidant of Vusuq-ud-Dauleh and
in 1919 was sent by him to negotiate with the Azarbaijan
Government at Baku. His mission however was not suc
cessful.
He is extremely clever, and when he has lived down the un
popularity due to his connection with Vusuq-ud-Dauleh may
have a big career.
No. 24. SALAR LASHKAR, Abbas Mlrzd.
Bom in 1890. Second son of Farman Farma. He was
educated at Harrow and Sandhurst and speaks English fluently.
He is son-in-law of the active pro-German Nizam-us-Sultaneh
(No. 1), and in 1915 was his Chief of Staff when Nizam-us-
Sultaneh was Governor General of the West under the aegis of
the Turks and Germans, and was Governor of Hamadan until it
was occupied by the Russians. On the arrival of the Russians
at Kirmanshah a safe conduct to Tehran was obtained for him
by his father, Farman Farma. It is doubtful whether he was
really pro-Turk, but he found himself in the enemy’s camp and
was constrained toj oin them.
He was Governor of Kirmanshah 1918-19, but left under
a cloud, and became Under Secretary for War and President of
the Anglo-Persian Military Commission in 1919. He is not so
clever as his brothers, but more rapacious.
No. 25. SARIM-UD-DAULEH, Akbar Mlrzd.
Born about 1885. Eighth and favourite son of the Zill-us-
‘Sultan, the eldest son of Nasir-ud-Din Shah but debarred from
accession to the throne because his mother was not a Kajar
princess. At his father’s instigation he killed his own mother