Coll 28/46 ‘Persia. Who’s Who, and Leading Personalities in:’ [‎123r] (245/352)

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and surgery after eight years in Birming
ham and at Guy’s Hospital, lieal name is
Tabatabai, of the Yezdi family of that name.
Employed by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company as a
doctor 1940-42, and since practising in Tehran.
A bright young man who seems keen on his pro
fession. Married the youngest daughter of Vosugh-
ediDouleh.
170. Tabatabai, Muhammad Sddiq.
Second son of the late Seyyid Mohammad
Tabatabai, who was a prominent figure in the
Nationalist movement of 1906 to 1910. Born in
Tehran about 1880. Elected to the third and fourth
Majlises. In close touch with pro-Germans during
the war of 1914-18. Emigrated to Turkey in 1916.
Returned in 1918 and co-operated with Suleiman
Mirza in forming the Socialist party. During this
phase he was in close touch with the Soviet
Embassy. Ambassador to Turkey 1924^-27. Recalled
in 1927 and offered a post as a judge in the High
Court of Appeal, but did not accept it.
Speaks French. Said to be intelligent and hard
working. Was more or less under arrest for about
ten years in Tehran until the fall of Reza Shah
1941. Gradually entered political life after that and
initiated and fostered the only Liberal party of
Persia, called the “ Millat ” party (“ The Nation ”).
Head oi the Election Committee for Tehran
1943-44, and himself elected Deputy. Aspires to
becoming Prime Minister, but, though intelligent,
has ruined his health by excessive opium-smoking.
Elected President of the fourteenth Majlis.
An opium addict for thirty years, he frequently
found it difficult to keep awake when he was pre
siding over the Majlis. Moreover, sessions could
not last till after 1-30 p.m. because the time for his
pipe had come. An incorrigible intriguer he stands
close to the Shah to whom he has always offered
bad advice, favouring a conciliatory policy towards
Soviet aggression. His “ liberal ” ideas are not to
be taken seriously. He and his friends pride them
selves on their patriotism and the pursuit of the
middle way between Britain and the U.S.S.R. For
reasons unknown he is generally regarded as a
“ national ” figure. Would like to be Prime
Minister.
171. Tabatabai, Seyyid Zia-ud-Din.
Born about 1893. Son of the late Seyyid Ali
Yazdi Tabatabai. Edited the newspaper Rad
(Thunder) in Tehran in 1915-16. Played a con
siderable political role in 1917-18. Sent to Baku
by Vosuq-ud-Dowleh in 1919 as Persian represen
tative to Caucasian Azerbaijan; returned to Tehran
in May 1920. Carried out coup d'fitat with the
help of the Cossacks in February 1921, and seized
the reins of office. Appointed Prime Minister with
full powers by Ahmed Shah on the 1st March, 1921,
and effected numerous arrests. His reforms were
too radical for the country and the time, and he fell
from power in June, fleeing the country. He has
been in the tobacco business while exiled.
Took a prominent part in the Pan-Islamic Con
gress at Jerusalem in 1933.
Said to have assisted Kazemi in the negotiations
with Iraq at Geneva during 1935.
In 1942, being by that time the owner of a very
prosperous farm near Chazza in Palestine, which
he had developed himself, he began to think of
returning to his native country, and Muzaffar Firuz
began with great energy and indiscretion to run a
newspaper campaign in his favour in Tehran. He
published a letter from the Seyyid in which the
Russians were praised in fulsome language. His
name came forward a good deal in the Tehran press
during 1943, and quite a number of Deputies in the
thirteenth Majlis seem to have favoured his return.
[78—62]
The Russians and the Shah, however, were stead*
fastly opposed to his return, the former because
they mistrusted Firuz’s unfortunate letter, and the
latter through fear that the Seyyid might become
a dictator. However, he returned to Tehran in
September 1943 and was elected to the fourteenth
Majlis from Yezd, his native place. Caused annoy
ance by insisting on wearing a woollen hat of
Caucasian style, and alienated some of his friends
by an appearance of stubbornness and obstinacy.
Founded a political party which in the summer of
1945 was officially launched under the name of
“ Iradeh-i-Milli ” or National Will. His followers
claimed that the party numbered about 9,000 in
Tehran, at the end of 1945. Is the particular bug
bear of the Tudeh and the Russians, who never tire
of vilifying him as the arch-enemy of his country
and the principal tool in Persia of imperialists,
reactionaries, &c. During the near-panic which
prevailed in Tehran in November-December 1945
as a result of the approach of the Azerbaijan
Democrats towards Qazvin many leading politicians
and Deputies began seriously to consider that
Seyyid Zia should be exiled from Persia as a sop
to the Russians.
Arrested by Qavam-us-Saltaneh on the 19th
March, 1946.
It is no exaggeration to say that Seyyid Zia rallied
the anti-Tudeh forces in Persia and thus made it
possible to resist intensive Soviet pressure when it
came. Alone among Persians he has never allowed
personal or even party interest to interfere with his
policy. By his uncompromising resistance to
Russian encroachments he became the symbol of
Persia’s will to resist. Though suspicious of Sa‘id
when he first came to power, he nevertheless sup
ported him wholeheartedly when he proved that he
was determined to resist Soviet demands. Simi
larly, he strongly supported Hakimi’s foreign policy,
although his party suffered severely at his hands.
Again, when Qavam-us-Saltaneh did not surrender
to the Soviets he gave him his support, although
the latter has a personal feud with him since he was
one of those imprisoned by him in 1921.
A man of outstanding singleness of purpose and
courage. Personally attractive, religious without
being fanatical or obscurantist, he is at the same
time short-tempered and impatient of criticism.
These defects, however, were very much less notice
able during the last few months of the fourteenth
Majlis. He is both honest and energetic—a very
rare combination in Persia. In matters non-political
he tends to have very wild ideas which he defends
with unreasonable obstinacy.
The comparative lack of success of his party was
due first to furious Soviet opposition, secondly, to
his having been out of contact with the country for
twenty-three years, and thirdly to the impossibility
of reconciling his progressive ideas with the con
servatism of many of his followers on whose
financial aid he was dependent Speaks French
and English.
Has something of the mystic in him
172. Tadayun, Seyyid Muhammad.
Born about 1884, a native of Birjand in East
Persia; educated in Tehran, where he graduated and
became a schoolmaster. After the split up of the
original Democrat party in 1912, Tadayun became
the leader of one of the more important Democrat
factions. He was elected a Deputy from Tehran
to the fourth term of the Majlis, and from Birjand
to the fifth and sixth terms. Was elected President
of the Majlis in the second half of the fifth term,
and again at the beginning of the sixth term. In
February 1927 he was appointed Minister of Edu
cation, but in December he resigned that appoint
ment owing to disagreement with his colleagues in
the Cabinet, but he resumed office nine days later
G