"مجلد I مذكرات بخصوص بلاد فارس والمنطقة الحدودية الشمالية الغربية. ١٩٠٥." [و‎‎٨] (٣١٠/٢٠)

Memorandum of information received during
the month of February 1905, regarding
external affairs relating to Fersia.
[Note.—T bie memorandum is based upon reports, the accuracy of
which it is not always possible to guarantee.]
PERSIA.
1. Tehran .—The late M. Vlassoff,
Russian Minister at Tehran, has been replaced
by M. Alexis Nicclaievitch de Speyer, who
landed with his wife and family on the 20th
December at Enzeli, reaching Tehran on
Christmas day. The new Minister’s attitude
towards the Persians is likely to be more con
ciliatory than that of his predecessor. He has,
by command of the Tsar, already invested
Prince Azad-es-Sultan, Governor-General of
Ghilan, with the Grand Cross of the White
Eagle, and his Vizier with the First Class
Order of St. Anne, in the evident hope to
revive Russian prestige, which has been
damaged by the results of the war.
2. Considerable ferment has been raised
by a proposal of the Ministry to impose a
stamp tax on all contracts and documents
between Persians drawn up by mullas accord
ing to the Shorh? law. The mullah views are
that, as the Shah is not the actual head of the
church, such documents cannot be taxed by
the civil power, whose only function in the
matter is to see to their execution. The Gov
ernment on the contrary ground their claim
on their right to register the documents. The
intention to introduce the tax has, however,
been denied by them, but at the latter
end of December, as a precaution against
an expected demonstration by discontented
mullas and tullabs, the palace guard was
doubled, and the troops of the garrison
served out with ball ammunition. This gave
rise to a rumour that the Shah was dead or
dying, and a large crowd assembled around the
palace. The Shah is said to attribute the
affair to the intrigues of the newly-arrived
Russian Minister who, he thinks, desires the
recall of the Atabeg.
3. His Majesty has, on several recent
occasions, publicly testified his confidence in
the Ain-ed-Dowleh, whose policy of retrench
ment is increasing his unpopularity with
the influential sections of the public. It is
anticipated, however, that if the Vizier cannot
find funds for the Shah’s coming tour, he
will fall like the Atabeg.
4. The Shah is also reported to have
privately expressed his delight at the fall of Port