"تقرير عسكري عن بلاد فارس - المجلد I ١٩٣٠" [ظ‎‎٩] (١٥٤/٢٣)

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followers. _ His chief supporter Mursal Sadiqov, brother of
the notorious Khuddu Verdi, was executed in Meshed on
the 14th May.”
Khuddu, who since his repulse had been intermittently
collecting adherents for a reputed second attempt, returned
to Khurasan in April, was induced to make his submission,
and was conveyed imder escort to Meshed. He and his
brother Allah Verdi were executed in June 1921.
For tsome time after the Persian coup d'etat at Tehran
early in 1921, there were no direct consequences in
Khurasan, but in April the Governor-General, Qavvam-us-
Saltaneh, was arrested by the Commander of the Gendar
merie at Meshed, and was despatched under escort to the
capital, where he w r as imprisoned.
Under orders from Zia-ud-din’s cabinet all the Military
cadres were absorbed into the Gendarmerie force, which
considerably increased the powet of Colonel Muhammad
Taqi Khan, the Commander of the Gendarmerie at Meshed,
who styled himself “ Commander-in-Chief of all the forces
in Khurasan ” and who exercised full control over the
Province as a de facto “ Military Governor-General of
Khurasan, by arresting various subordinate officials ”.
In the beginning of May the Persian Cossack Commander
Reza Khan (now Reza Shah) was made War Minister. He
was instrumental in the removal of the Premier, Syed
Zia-ud-din, who fled to Baghdad. Qavvam-us-Salta,neh, who
had been sent to prison in Tehran from Meshed was re
leased and made Premier in June 1921. The task of re
organising the Persian Army which had been taken in hand
by Zia-ud-din before, now came to a standstill.
Rebellion of^ Muhammad Taqi .—The news of Reza
Khan s ^ coup d etat was received w r ith amazement every
where in the Province and the immediate effect of the
change was the abrogation by telegraphic orders from
Tehran of the scheme of reforms initiated by Zia-ud-din
in Khurasan. Although these orders were received with
much satisfaction by the majority of the people of Meshed
—Colonel Muhammad Taqi hipiself was naturally much
displeased and refused to comply. He arrested various
personages concerned in the previous administration, includ
ing the Governor-General and the Chief' Telegraph Official.
One of his first acts w r as to send circular telegrams to his
officers stationed in outlying distriets asking °them if he
could count on their support. To these he rgoeived favour-