The Persian Revolution of 1905-1909
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THE
PERSIAN REVOLUTION
OF 1905—1909
London:FETTER LANE, E.C.
C. F. CLAY,Manager
Edinburgh:100, PRINCES STREET
Berlin:A. ASHER AND CO.
Leipzig:F. A. BROCKHAUS
New York:G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
Bombay and Calcutta:MACMILLAN AND CO.,Ltd.
All rights reserved
Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din “al-Afghan”
(died March 9, 1897)
THE
PERSIAN REVOLUTION
OF 1905—1909
BY
EDWARD G. BROWNE,M.A., M.B, F.B.A.,
SIR THOMAS ADAMS’ PROFESSOR OF ARABIC
AND FELLOW OF PEMBROKE COLLEGE IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Cambridge:
at the University Press
1910
DEDICATION
Have aided Persia in her hour of need,
Whether by tongue, or pen, or sword they wrought,
Whether they strove or suffered, spoke or fought,
Whether their services were small or great,
This book of mine I humbly dedicate.
May these approve my poor attempt to trace
This final effort of an ancient race
To burst its bondage, cast aside its chain,
And rise to life ‘a Nation once again.’
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||
Preface | xi | |
CHAP. | ||
I. | Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din, the Protagonist of Pan-Islamism | 1 |
II. | The Tobacco Concession and its consequences | 31 |
III. | The Assassination of Náṣiru’d-Din Sháh | 59 |
IV. | The Granting of the Constitution by Muẓaffaru’d-Din Sháh | 98 |
V. | Muḥammad ‘Alí Sháh and the Constitution, until the abortiveCoup d’Étatof December, 1907 | 133 |
VI. | The Anglo-Russian Agreement, as seen through Persian eyes | 172 |
VII. | TheCoup d’Étatof June 23, 1908, and Destruction of the firstMajlis | 196 |
VIII. | The Defence of Tabríz. First Period: June—December, 1908 | 233 |
IX. | The Fall of Tabríz and the Rising of the Provinces | 259 |
X. | The Nationalist Triumph, the Abdication of Muḥammad ‘Ali, and the Restoration of the Constitution | 292 |
XI. | The Accession of Sulṭán Aḥmad Sháh, and the Convocation of the secondMajlis | 324 |
Appendix A.The Bases of the Persian Constitution, namely: | ||
(i) | TheFarmánof August 5, 1906 | 353 |
(ii) | The Electoral Law of September 9, 1906 | 355 |
(iii) | The Fundamental Laws of December 30, 1906 | 362 |
(iv) | The Supplementary Fundamental Laws of October 7, 1907 | 372 |
(v) | The New Electoral Law of July 1, 1909 | 385 |
Appendix B.Notes embodying additional information received while the book was passing through the Press, namely: | ||
(1) | Memorandum on Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din by Mr Wilfrid Scawen Blunt | 401 |
(2) | Hájji Sayyáḥ, Furúghí and theI‘timádu’s-Saltana | 404 |
(3) | M. Antoine Kitábjí | 405 |
(4) | Mírzá Aḥmad of Kirmán and Sayyid Ḥasan | 405 |
(5) | Ḥájji Shaykh Hádí Najm-ábádí | 406 |
(6) | The Amíriyya Palace | 407 |
(7) | Shamsu’l-‘UlamáandAminu’ẓ-Ẓarb | 407 |
(8) | Execution of Mírzá Riẓá of Kirmán | 408 |
(9) | Shaykh Aḥmad “Rúḥí” of Kirmán and his two companions | 409 |
(10) | Characters of Muẓaffaru’d-Din Sháh and of theAmínu’d-Dawla | 415 |
(11) | TheQiwámu’d-Dawla | 418 |
(12) | Shapshál Khán | 420 |
(13) | TheAnjuman-i-Makhfi | 420 |
(14) | TheSipahsálár | 420 |
(15) | Fatwá on the Rights of Zoroastrians | 421 |
(16) | Attitude of Bahá’ís towards Persian Politics | 424 |
(17) | A Russian view of British Foreign Policy | 429 |
(18) | TheMujallalu’s-Sulṭán | 432 |
(19) | Original texts of the Liakhoff Documents | 432 |
(20) | The Moving Spirits of the Rasht Rising | 430 |
(21) | Mr H. C. Baskerville | 440 |
(22) | Sattár Khán | 441 |
(23) | Persia and theTimes | 443 |
(24) | Execution of Shaykh Faẓlu’lláh | 444 |
(25) | The Fate of certain prominent Reactionaries, especially theMuwaqqaru’s-Salṭana | 445 |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
(1) | Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din “al-Afghán” | Frontispiece | |
(2) | Prince Malkom Khán | To face p. | 38 |
(3) | Náṣiru’d-Din Sháh | To face„p.„ | 58 |
(4) | Mírzá Muḥammad Riẓá of Kirmán | To face„p.„ | 62 |
(5) | Three of Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din’s disciples | To face„p.„ | 94 |
(6) | Muẓaffaru’d-Din Sháh | To face„p.„ | 98 |
(7) | Sayyid Muḥammad-i-Ṭabáṭabá’í and Sayyid ‘Abdu’lláh-i-Bahbahání | To face„p.„ | 114 |
(8) | Cartoons from theḤasharátu’l-Arẓ | To face„p.„ | 116 |
(9) | Members of the FirstMajlis | To face„p.„ | 124 |
(10) | Taqí-záda | To face„p.„ | 130 |
(11) | Muḥammad ‘Alí Sháh | To face„p.„ | 132 |
(12) | TheAminu’s-Sulṭán | To face„p.„ | 140 |
(13) | TheSáldáru’d-Dawla | To face„p.„ | 142 |
(14) | Shaykh Faẓlu’lláh-i-Núrí | To face„p.„ | 148 |
(15) | ‘Abbás Aqá of Tabriz | To face„p.„ | 150 |
(16) | TheNáṣiru’l-Mulk | To face„p.„ | 162 |
(17) | Mírzá Ghaffár of Qazwin | To face„p.„ | 166 |
(18) | Map of Persia, shewing the “Spheres of Influence” | To face„p.„ | 172 |
(19) | TheẒillu’s-Sulṭán | To face„p.„ | 196 |
(20) | Amír Bahádur Jang | To face„p.„ | 198 |
(21) | Áqá Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din of Isfahán and theMaliku’l-Mutakallimín | To face„p.„ | 204 |
(22) | Mírzá Jahángír Khán and Hájji Mirzá Ibráhim Áqá | To face„p.„ | 208 |
(23) | Two Picture Post-cards of the Revolution | To face„p.„ | 210 |
(24) | Colonel V. Liakhoff | To face„p.„ | 212 |
(25) | The Baháristán after the Bombardment | To face„p.„ | 224 |
(26) | Facsimile of Persian Siege-map of Tabriz | between pp. | 248–9 |
(27) | Sayyids and National Volunteers of Tabríz. | To face p. | 252 |
(28) | The three greatMujtahidswho supported the National Cause | To face„p.„ | 262 |
(29) | The Bakhtiyárí liberators of Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 266 |
(30) | Dervishes in camp outside Isfahán | To face„p.„ | 268 |
(31) | A Nationalist Council at Rasht | To face„p.„ | 292 |
(32) | House of‘Adlu’l-Mulkat Tabríz. | To face„p.„ | 294 |
(33) | Bakhtiyárís in camp outside Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 298 |
(34) | Group of National Volunteers at Rasht | To face„p.„ | 300 |
(35) | Bakhtiyárís in camp outside Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 302 |
(36) | Constitutionalists in refuge at the Ottoman Embassy. | To face„p.„ | 304 |
(37) | Bakhtiyárís mustering in theMaydánat Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 306 |
(38) | TheSipahdárand theSardár-i-As‘ad | To face„p.„ | 308 |
(39) | Bakhtiyárís in camp outside Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 310 |
(40) | Bakhtiyárí Kháns with the guns | To face„p.„ | 316 |
(41) | Sultán Aḥmad Sháh and the Regent‘Azudu’l-Mulk | To face„p.„ | 324 |
(42) | Shapshál Khán andSa‘du’d-Dawla | To face„p.„ | 418 |
(43) | Facsimile ofFatwáon the rights of Zoroastrians | p. | 422 |
(44) | Facsimile of Letter to Persia Committee | p. | 423 |
(45) | Mu‘izzu’s-Sulṭánand Yeprem Khán | To face„p.„ | 436 |
(46) | Sattár Khán the Defender and Raḥím Khán the Besieger of Tabríz | To face„p.„ | 440 |
ERRATA
p. xiv, l. 17.‘Abu’lláhshould, of course, be‘Abdu’lláh.
p. 109, l. 9.OmitGeorge.Mr George Churchill was never Vice-Consul at Rasht. It was one of his brothers.
p. 120, l. 25, and p. 124, ll. 3, 10, and 24.‘Aynu’d-Dawlawas Prime Minister, but never had the title ofAtábak.
p. 156, l. 12.Ṭáhír Pasha was not a General, but was the President of the Turkish Frontier Commission.
p. 161, 5 lines from the bottom.Aujumansis, of course, a misprint foranjumans.
p. 162, l. 30.I am informed on good authority that theNáṣiru’l-Mulkwas not put in a cell.
p. 163, n. 1ad calc.TheNáṣiru’l-Mulkleft for Europe on the evening of his deliverance, not the next day.
p. 198, ll. 18–19.The Shah’s automobile was empty, except for thechauffeur.See p. 110 of theBlue Book(Persia, No. 1, 1909).
p. 207, l. 1.“Six” appears to be an exaggeration: three is the more probable number.
p. 207, ll. 19–20.It appears doubtful whether the Russian officers actually shot any of their own men.
p. 208, ll. 3–4.I am informed on good authority that “reduced to ruins” is too strong an expression, and that the Sipahsálár Mosque was not very much damaged, while the Baháristán was wrecked not so much by the artillery fire as by the men who looted it after the bombardment was over.
p. 210, ll. 13–20.The “Race-course incident” to which reference is here made took place on Sept. 16, 1908. Its introduction at this point in the book is, perhaps, misleading.
p. 255, ll. 3 and 15.ForCastelloreadCastelli.
p. 265, l. 31.I am informed thatBínábis a mistake forMínáb.
POSTSCRIPT
Although incidental mention is made of a few matters (such as the trial and execution of theMuwaqqaru’s Salṭana) which belong to the earlier part of this current year (1910), the systematic narrative ceases with the restoration of the Constitution and the occurrences immediately connected therewith. No attempt has been made to deal with the most recent events, of which the assassination of Sayyid ‘Abdu’lláh-i-Bahbahání (July 15); the withdrawal of Taqí-záda from the capital to Tabríz (about August 1); the bombardment and forcible disarmament of thefidá’ís(August 7, 1910); the wounding of Sattár Khán and the pensioning of him and Báqir Khán; the intrigues of theSipahdár-i-A‘ẓam;the recent attempt of the Russians to extort concessions as the price of the withdrawal of their troops (an attempt at blackmailing against which even theTimeshas protested); and the death of the late Regent,‘Aẓudu’l-Mulk,on Sept. 22, are the most important. The accession of Sulṭán Aḥmad Sháh and the restoration of the Constitution mark the beginning of a new epoch, which in the future may fitly form the subject of a new volume.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in thepublic domainworldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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