'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎6v] (12/96)

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Unpopular with his subordinates. Quick and hot-
tempered, but less so than formerly. Uses his
position for his financial advantage. Not very intelli
gent, but very hard-working. Speaks French and
Italian. Does not appear to like the British.
Transferred to General Staff 1944.
28. Bayat, Murteza Quli (Saham es
Sultan).
A landowner from Sultanabad, born about 1882.
Owns considerable property. Member of the Majlis
on several occasions, and Minister of Finance
1926-27. Deputy Speaker of the tenth Majlis.
Member of the Adalat party 1942. Accused of
hoarding wheat during the winter of 1942-48.
Minister of Finance in Soheily’s Cabinet 1943 and
performed the useful function of effacing himself
completely in favour of Dr. Millspaugh. Not
included in Soheily’s revised Cabinet of December
1943.
Speaks a little French. A highly respectable and
polite man. Minister without Portfolio in Sa'id’s
Cabinet March-August 1944. Prime Minister
November 1944-April 1945. He sought to improve
relations with the Russians but his efforts only
resulted in the paralysis of the administration of
the country. Sent as Governor-General to Tabriz
in December 1945 but failed to do anything to
check the Azerbaijan independence movement and
soon returned to Tehran. Joined Qavam’s Cabinet
in February 1946 as Minister of Finance, but was
not included when Cabinet was re-formed in August
1946.
29. Bushihri-Dehdasti, Agha Javad (Amir
Humayun).
Born in Tehran 1898. Second son of the late
Haji Muin-ut-Tujjar. Educated at Tehran and in
Europe. Speaks French and English. Married a
daughter of the late Haji Amin-uz-Zarb. Elected
a member of the seventh Majlis. More interested in
politics than his elder brother Agha Riza. Fond
of pomp, and very extravagant in his manner of
living. Nicknamed by some of his friends “ Prince
Merchant.”
Was in Hamburg at the outbreak of the war in
1939, and spent some time in Germany thereafter.
Finally got away to Stamboul in 1942 with the
help of Count Schulenburg and returned to Tehran
March 1943. Arrested and sent to Sultanabad as
a suspect in June 1943. Released May 1945.
Appointed Governor-General of Fars October 1946
with approval of the Qashqais but only held the
appointment for a few T months.
A clever man who in the past has always main
tained friendly relations with British officials.
30. Dadvar, Mehdi (Vussuq-es-Saltaneh)
Born about 1874. Entered the service of the
Ministry of War when quite young. Chief of
Accounts of the Mazanderan Regiments 1905.
Joined the Nationalists and came to Tehran
with the Nationalist forces. Chief of
Accounts at the War Office 1909. Held this post
for six years. Assistant Minister for War 1916 to
1918. Governor of Zinjan and Khamseh 1918.
Minister for War during 1920. Governor of Gilan
for a few months in 1922. Governor-General of
Fars in 1924; and of Kerman 1925. Governor-
General of Khorasan 1926—27. Elected a member
of the eighth Majlis. Deputy Speaker of the ninth
and tenth Majlis. In the eleventh he was (1939)
only a member for Tehran.
Attached to one of ephemeral parties in the
Majlis in 1942-43, but having failed in his ambition
to become once more Minister of War he is devoting
some of his time to promoting trade with India.
Governor-General Tabriz, February 1944.
Recalled February 1945. Friendly and pleasant in
manner. When in Tabriz invariably took the line
of least resistance and was regarded as nothing
more than an amiable figurehead. Seemed to be
completely amenable to the wishes of the Russians.
A voluble talker but carries no weight.
31. Danishian, Ghulam Yahiya
Is about 45 years old and is believed to have been
born in Russian territory. He speaks Russian well,
having been educated in that country, and it is said
that he served with the Russian army in the
Caucasus for a short time.
In 1937 he came to Azerbaijan and settled in
Sarab, a village about half way between Tabriz and
Ardabil. Some time later he was arrested by the
Persian authorities on the charge of being a Soviet
agent, and was imprisoned in Tehran. On the
Russian occupation of Azerbaijan he obtained his
release and went to live in Tabriz.
On the formation of the Tudeh Party, Danishian
lost no time in joining it, and he was given the task
of organising a branch at Sarab, and later another
at Mianeh. At the latter village he came into active
conflict with the Kherieh Party, which was strongly
opposed to the Tudeh, and in the course of a skir
mish Danishian was wounded. This provoked the
wrath of the Russian commander of troops in k
baijan, General Glinski, who, as a reprisal, cast
several of the leading personalities in Mianeh into
prison in Tabriz.
The formation of the Azerbaijan Democrat Party
brought Danishian an appointment as Commander
of Fida’is in Mianeh and Zenjan. The landlords in
Mianeh district decided to leave for Tehran for
security, and in their absence, Danishian looted
their properties for his personal benefit with the
result that he is now one of the wealthiest men in
Azerbaijan.
Pishavari promoted Danishian to the rank of
general on 5th April, 1946, his charge being the
Fida’is in Sarab as well as in Mianeh and Zenjan.
When the agreement was reached between Azer
baijan and the Central Government on 16th June,
1946, Danishian was promoted to be Commander-in-
chief of the Fida’is and established himself in
Tabriz. He made frequent tours of inspection of
Azerbaijan in connexion with his duties and is
reputed to have enjoyed the confidence of *%■
Russians to the same extent as Pishavari himseify^
Danishian is reputed to be possessed of exceptional
courage and determination, and the Democrat
Party, including Pishavari, fear and hate him. Fled
to Russia in December 1947 when Persian troops
occupied Azerbaijan.
32. DashH, Ali
Born about 1887. Educated in the schools of the
Holy Places of Iraq. Returned to Persia about 1922
and edited a paper called the Shafaq Surkh. As an
editor he became notorious for slanderous abuse and
the extortion of money by blackmail, and his abuse
of Great Britain and British statesmen was
frequently the subject of complaint from His
Majesty’s Legation to the Persian Government.
He was elected a Deputy to the fifth Majlis in
1924, but he was refused a seat by the Parliamentary
Commission, whose duty it was to scrutinise his
election proceedings. He was prominent in the
abortive Republican movement in 1924, and is said
to have received and pocketed large sums from
Reza Pahlavi, on whose behalf he worked. After
acquiring a share of this world’s goods he appeared
to become more human and ceased the abuse and
vituperation for which he had become famous. He
espoused the cause of Reza Pahlavi against Ahmed
Shah, and was elected a Deputy to the sixth Majlis
in 1926. He was invited to Moscow in October