‘A collection of treaties, engagements and sanads relating to India and neighbouring countries’ [‎20] (37/578)

PERSIA.
20
1917, as a result of the Bolshevik revolution, all Russian troops were
withdrawn, the Jangalis had risen in Gilan, and the Turks were again
advancing on Tabriz. It was therefore decided early in 1918 to send a
British force from Mesopotamia to protect Tehran, and this force suc
cessively occupied Kermansliah, Hamadan, Kasvin, Reslit and Enzeli.
Meanwhile, however, anti-British feeling had increased throughout
the country: and it was only when the final victory in Palesxine and
on the Western front had enabled Vossuq-ud-Dauleh to form a
definitely friendly cabinet that some sort of order was restored. In
1919 Vossuq-ud-Dauleh concluded an Anglo-Persian Agreement
(Vo. XXIV), under which Great Britain agreed to lend Persia expert
advisers and to grant a loan of £2,000,000 for the execution of the neces
sary reforms. Persian opinion was not at the moment unfavourable to
this Agreement: and, had it at once been submitted to the Majlis, it
would probably have been ratified. Unfortunately however Vossuq
delayed until the forces of opposition were organised and the Bolsheviks
and Jangalis had again occupied Gilan. In June 1920 Vossuq re
signed and was succeeded by Mushir-ud-Dauleh, who also failed to
present the Anglo-Persian Agreement to the Majlis. The withdrawal
of British troops from Persia at the end of 1920 left the Persian Govern
ment with no alternative but to come to terms with the Soviet. A
Russo-Persian Treaty * was signed in February 1921. In the
same month Reza Khan with 3,000 Cossacks entered Tehran
fiom Kasvin. A Cabinet crisis ensued, increasing the prevailing un
certainty : and the knowledge, that all British troops would be withdrawn
as soon as the roads were open, finally eliminated all possibility of the
Anglo-Persian Agreement being carried into effect. Mushir-ud-Dauleh
resigned, and Zia-ud-Din, vdio had joined Reza Khan’s coup d’etat, was
appointed Prime Minister. His first act was to denounce the Anglo-
Persian Agreement and to arrest all supposed supporters of it; but his
subsequent projects of reform quickly antagonised all vested interests,
a nd in May 1921 he was forced to resign and to leave Persia.
In 1920 Persia acceded to the Covenant of the League of Xations.
^ In the same year an Agreement (No. XXV) was concluded between
Great Britain and Persia, modifying the Commercial Convention of
1903 (No. XX).
In June 1921 a treaty t of friendship was concluded between Persia
and Afghanistan. In December the Persian Foreign Minister and the
Russian Plenipotentiary exchanged notes regarding the interpretation
of cert am articles of the Treaty of February 1921 Appendix No.
* Appendix No. XXV.
t Appendix No. XXVI.