'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎201v] (407/610)

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Wo. 31. SIPAHDAR-I-A’ZAM, Fathullah Khan, K.C.M.G.,
Former title Sarddr Mansur.
Born about 1860. He is uncle of 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. Muhi (No. 76) and
IVlirza Karim Khan (No. 74). He began life as a villager, then
entered the Customs as a small employe, married the widow of
his uncle Akbar Khan Beglerbegi and so succeeded to part of
his property, and finally made his fortune by farming the Customs
of Enzali for several years before the establishment of the
Belgian administration and acquired large estates in Gilan.
In 1903 he was created K.C.M.G. for his services as “ Mlhman-
dar ” to Lord Downe’s Mission to Tehran to confer the order of
the garter on Muzaffar-ud-Din Shah.
In 1907 at Tehran he took a prominent part in the Reform
movement and in June of that year was arrested by the Shah
and expelled to Mazandaran, when the British Legation spoke
on his behalf. He returned to Tehran in December 1908, and
took refuge at the Russian Legation until July 1909. In 1910 he
went to Europe.
He has held various Cabinet posts: Justice 1915, Posts and
Telegraphs 1916, Interior 1916, and of War from February 1919
until March, when he was compelled to resign on the assumption
of his having intrigued against Vusuq-ud-Dauleh, the Prime
Minister. The real instigator however was Sarim-ud-Dauleh
(No. 25).
He is friendly to foreigners; as a Gilan landowner he
looked to the Russians for support, but was well disposed to
the British. His estates have been confiscated by the Jangalis
and Bolsheviks and he is now hard up (November 1920).
On the resignation of the Cabinet of Mushir-ud-Dauleh in
November 1920 on the question of the dismissal of Russian
officers from the Persian Cossacks, he was appointed Premier
and his first action was to order their dismissal. He is a pleasant
man of the country gentleman type, talks no language except
Persian and a few words of French. He has a reputation for
integrity and is personally popular with the people.
No. 31 f. SIP AH SALAR-I-A’ZAM, Vail Khan.
_ Born about 1846. Former titles Nasr-us-Sultaneh, Sipahddr-
i-A'zam. Received title of *Sipah Sdldr 1915. Has 3 sons,
Amir Asad (No. 56), 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. Iqtidar (No. 62), Sa’id-ud-Dauleh
(No. 59), with the possible exception of the last and youngest,
Sipah Salar is a title held by the Commander-in-Chief ex-officio.