'File No. II/12 Foreign Dept Memoranda of Information re: affairs in Persia and Arabian shore of the Persian Gulf. Jan '09 --' [‎6r] (11/178)

Memorandum of information received during
the month of January 1909, relating to
affairs in Persia, and the Arabian shore
of the Persian Oulf.
1. Information received during the
Insecurity of Persian month showed that the
trade route's. insecurity, which had
hitherto distinguished the southern routes, had
now spread to the roads between Hamadan
and Kermanshah and from thence to Tabriz.
The General Manager of the Imperial Bank
of Persia considered that, owing to the danger
of remitting money, the transaction of any
business was becoming an impossibility.
2. Hitherto, with the exception of
the movement in
The situation in Persia. Azerbai j an aad an
abortive rising as far east as Meshed (vide
paragraphs 6 and 9 of Memorandum for
December 190^), popular discontent at the
government of the Shah had elsewhere not
shown itself in acts of overt hostility. But,
early in January,
Disturbances in Ispahan. Ispahan followed the
example set by Tabriz.
The revolt was due partly to the Nationalist
movement, partly to the feeling aroused by the
corruption and oppression of the Governor.
For two or three days Ispahan was a scene of
anarchy and confusion, the bazaars being
pillaged by the Shah's soldiers. The Governor
and other local authorities took refuge in the
British Consulate. On the 3rd January, how
ever, order was restored by the arrival of the
Samsam-es-Sultaneh, who had lately been
deposed by the Shah from the position of
Illkhane. The Governor tendered his resigna
tion, but the Shah, in spite of remonstrances
from the representatives of Great Britain and
Russia, who, as the only means of guaranteeing
securitv, urged His Majesty to appoint the
Samsam-es-Sultaneh, nominated the Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’).
Eirma as Governor of Ispahan.
In the meantime, the British and Russian
Consuls at Ispahan were instructed to hold
the Sarasam-es-Sultaneh, who was defacto
Governor, responsible for public order and for
the security of British and Russian nationals.
Following the usual Persian policy of
“ divide et impera” the Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). Firma decided