'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎19v] (38/96)

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158. Uvaisi) AH Muhammad
Born in Tehran 1884. Educated at the School
of Political Science at Tehran. Entered the service
of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1903. Vice-
consul at Baku 1904. Karguzar at Darejez 1905.
Deputy Karguzar at Tabriz 1906. Governor of
Enzeli (now Pahlevi) 1908. Passport Officer at
Constantinople 1909-14. In the Ministry of Public
Works 1918. Served in this Ministry in various
posts until 1931, when he was appointed Governor
of Yezd. Governor of Khuzistan 1933-35.
Appointed as commercial representative in the East
(India, China and Japan), with headquarters at
Bombay, March 1936. Employed in Tehran 1945
in Ministry of Commerce and Industry, as Under
secretary of State.
Speaks French fluently, and is a pleasant
conversationalist. Married to a European lady.
Has great ideas on commerce and development
schemes. Not popular with his colleagues.
159. Vasiqi, Sadiq
Born in 1898 at Tabriz, but of a Mazanderan
family. Employed for many years in the Depart
ment of Commerce of the Ministry of Public Works,
and in the Ministry of Commerce since the former
ministry was divided up. Under-Secretary in the
Ministry of Commerce until April 1938, when he
became Acting Minister on the dismissal of M. Ala.
He has paid several visits to Europe, notably to
Germany when the Clearing Agreement with that
country was negotiated in 1935, and to Moscow in
1939, when the question of renewing the Russo-
Iranian Trade Agreement arose. Head of Agricul
tural Bank in 1942, but was removed to make room
for one of Qawam-as-Saltaneh’s political nominees.
Member of the board of the Iran Insurance Com
pany, February 1943. Head of Mortgage Bank,
December 1943. Secretary of the Perso-Soviet
Cultural Relations Committee, February 1944.
Member of the National Bank Supervisory Board,
August 1945.
Educated in Tehran at the Ecole Polytechnique
(Dar-ul-Funun), and speaks French and English.
160. Vussuq, Hasan, G.C.B. (Vussuq-ud-
Daulah)
Born about 1868. Began his career in the
Ministry of Finance. Elected a Deputy to the first
and second terms of the Majlis, and in 1909 chosen
to be a member of the Nationalist Committee,
which directed the affairs of State after the abdi
cation of Muhammad Ali Shah. His first Cabinet
appointment was as Minister of Justice in October
1909. In the following month he became Minster
of Finance, but resigned in July 1910. In July
1911 he became Minister for Foreign Affairs. Again
Minister for Foreign Affairs in January 1913, he left
for Europe in June of the same year. Minister for
Foreign Affairs, July-August 1914, and Minister of
Finance, Augusb-December 1915. Prime Minister
and Minister for Foreign Affairs, August 1916 to
May 1917. Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
from August 1918 to June 1920. Negotiated the
Anglo-Persian Convention of 1919. Visited Europe
in June 1920, and only returned to Persia at the
beginning of 1926. Appointed Minister of Finance
in June 1926, but resigned in November to take his
seat in Parliament. Elected as a Deputy from
Tehran to the seventh term of the Majlis 1928-30.
Appointed President of the new “ Academy ” for the
revision of the Persian language, December 1935.
A man of great ability and character. He became
unpopular over the Anglo-Persian Convention, but,
after a most able arid convincing defence of his acts
as Prime Minister during the period 1918-20 before
the Majlis, he regained a large measure of popu
larity.
Went to Europe for a serious operation 1940;
survived it, unable to return to Persia; he was
appointed ambassador to Turkey by his brother,
Qawam-es-Saltaneh- in 1942, but could not proceed.
Speaks French fluently, also a little English.
Returned to Persia summer 1946. Is now too old
to take an active part in politics.
161. \ Yazdan Panah, General Murteza
Born about 1891; son of Mirza Ali Akbar, a small
shopkeeper in the village of Serdasht. In 1907
Murteza Khan entered the Cossack Cadet School.
Received his commission in 1912, showed strong
pro-Russian sympathies, and consequently gained
rapid promotion. Made lieutenant-colonel in 1919
and colonel in 1920. During the whole of his service
he was intimate with Reza Khan, and accompanied
him on the march to Tehran in February 1921 which
culminated in the coup d’Etat. Was promoted
general and given command of the Central Division.
In July 1927 he fell from favour, and was put under
arrest for a short time for an unknown reason.
Whatever the suspicions against him were, they
appear to have been unsubstantiated, for he was
released very soon. In the autumn of 1928 he was
appointed inspector of the gendarmerie, but was
superseded in 1930 and left without any active
command.
Murteza Khan was always regarded until 1927
a very loyal supporter of Reza Shah, but after h*5
arrest in 1927 he appeared to have lost confidence
in Reza Shah. He is active, intelligent, ambitious,
and a strict disciplinarian. His military ideas and
his general education are very limited, but he has
shown anxiety to learn. He is not popular amongst
the troops, but is feared and respected. Holds aloof
from foreigners, and is a strong opponent of foreign
interference in Persia.
Inspector of Infantry in 1932. Commandant of
Tehran Cadet College, 1933.
On the fall of Reza Shah, Murteza Khan became
Chief of the General Staff, and worked as a loyal
supporter of the young Shah. On the appointment
of Amir Ahmedi as Minister of War in 1943 it
became apparent that the two could not work
together, and Murteza’s department became quite
separate from that of the Minister of War; in fact,
the Shah took to giving orders to the Chief of the
Staff without the knowledge of the responsitW
Minister. Murteza took two months’ leave in Juil^
1943, but was soon appointed commander of the
Tehran garrison.
Appointed adjutant-general to the Shah, autumn
1943, a post he still retains. Member of the Perso-
Soviet Cultural Relations Committee, Februarv
1944. •
Speaks Russian and has a Russian wife.
Leader of military contingent chosen to represent
Persia at Victory Parade in London, June 1946.
Honest, genial and staunchly patriotic, he urged
the Shah strongly to oppose the candidature of
Qavam-us-Saltaneh in February 1946, but without
success. Although he is one of the Shah’s closest
advisers, he does not have a very high opinion of
him personally, though he is devoted to the
monarchy. He is one of the few senior army
officers who are incorruptible. He is reputed to
have had close relations with the Soviet Embassy,
but this is most probably untrue.
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162. Yazdi, Dr. Murtaza
Born about 1900. Educated in Germany where
lie is reported to have joihed the Communist Party. *
Often represents Tudeh workers in negotiations
between them and their employers. In early months
of 1946 made a tour of the south and south-east iri
an effort to whip up Tudeh support and was res
ponsible in large measure for the troubles in Isfahan
in April of that year. Often translates for the
Russian Ambassador. A member of the Directing
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