File 1110/1916 Pt 2 'Persia: SITUATION Miscellaneous' [‎89v] (183/276)

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largely believed, and, as a matter of fact, although Nizam-es-SuItaneh was the only
traitor, the loyalty of Soulat and the Yali was in doubt for long after Mustofis fall.
The Bakhtiaris also were clearly waiting on events, and a message, which I believe now
to have been forged, from the Ilkhani The paramount chief of certain tribes in south west Iran. and Ilbeggi, reminding the Khans in Tehran that
“ the Bakhtiaris are Mussulmans,” is said to have been the immediate cause of Mustoffs ^
abandonment of the policy of alliance. Be this as it may, the alleged message was
regarded as exceedingly ominous by so good a friend of the two Powers as Akbar
Mirza, and it is a good sample of the influences brought to bear on the wavering mind
of the Prime Minister.
In the provinces, also, to all appearances the tide haa not yet turned against the
Germans. The Committee of National Defence, protected by a considerable force of
gendarmes and mujahids stationed at various points along the road to the capital, was
sitting at Kum, and with the aid of Mirza Suleiman Khan, the late under secretary of
the Minister of the Interior, was announcing itself to Persia as the true national
Government, denouncing the Cabinet, and particularly Farman Farma, the Minister of
the Interior, as traitors to the Shah and country, and calling .on all true patriots and
Moslems to rise together and drive the hated Russian and British invaders from the
fatherland. Some material successes were also scored by the Germans, who succeeded
in obtaining the evacuation by our consuls and colonies of Sultanabad (9th December),
Yezd(17th December), and Kerman (14th December). These achievements were cheap
enough, as, failing any support from the local Persian authorities, our colonies were
powerless, but they served to provide a few facts wherewith to leaven the mass of lies
of victories over Russians concocted by the Kum Committee.
That some of the German agents were prepared to try conclusions with their mixed
forces of mujahids and gendarmes against the Russian regulars has been proved by
correspondence seized at Kum, and it was well established also that a concentration
of numerically formidable forces was taking place at Burujird and Kermanshah,
where it was believed that the Lurs and Kurdish tribes under the influence of
Nizam-es-Sultaneh—who is credibly reported to have received 80,000b from the
Germans—were ready to fall on the Russians. The occupation of Hamadan also by the
Russians took longer than was generally expected, and, generally speaking, the
change of scene which the arrival of General Baratofs army was to accomplish was
by the middle of December by no means so apparent and complete as to inspire
Mustofi with the confidence and determination required to execute his new policy.
When, therefore, his Highness confessed that he could not ca'rry out the alliance
policy and offered to resign, he was only reflecting the general sentiment that a change
of person at the head of affairs was inevitable, and the Russian Minister and I welcomed
the prospect. Ain-ed-Dowleh having put himself out of court by his refusal to join
Mustofi, there were at this moment but two candidates, viz., Sipahsalar and Farman
Farma, and both had been busy trying, each in his own way, to improve their chances
with great assiduity, Farman Farma by currying favour with the Shah and Sipahsalar
throughout the pro-Russian Persian party, headed by his jackal, Amin-ul-Vizareh, and
inspired and financed by M. Kozminski, who, in addition to his official duties as the
Russian commercial agent, is agent for Sipahsalar’s estates. Between the merits of the
two candidates there could scarcely be any comparison. Farman Farma is a man of
considerable intelligence, determination, and knowledge, whereas the Sipahsalar’s
qualifications can be fairly well appreciated from the epithet of buffoon once applied to
him by Sir Walter Townley, and therefore, though I was for a moment disposed to
think that it might be politic to allow the “ Russian ” candidate a short innings and so
clear the ground for a long Farman Farma Ministry, I thought that, in the still
uncertain state of affairs, it was imperative to take the better man, who was, moreover,
cordially supported by my Russian colleague. I also reflected that Farman Farma
himself would have been greatly chagrined had we invited him at the eleventh hour to
make way for a rival who had taken but a minor share in bearing the burthen of the
difficult times behind us. Accordingly, when the Shah proposed to M. de Etter and
myself that Farman Farma should be entrusted with the reins of office, we warmly
supported the suggestion, and the new Prime Minister entered office on the 24th
December.
I cannot pretend that the composition of the new Ministry was wholly reassuring.
Farman Farma at least got rid of the enemy elements that had figured in the late
Administration, and two of his appointments, that of Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. -i-Mansur to the Department
of Posts and Telegraphs, and of Prince Abkar Mirza, Saram-ed-Dowleh, a son of the
Zill-es-Sultan, as Minister of Public Works, were excellent; while Ali Kuli Khan,
Mushaver-ul-Mamalik, could be counted on to carry out instructions; on the other
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