'File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia' [‎8v] (16/96)

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Education 1914-18. First Persian representative
to League of Nations. Appointed Persian Minister
in Berne 1919-22. Did not venture to return to
Persia till the Pahlevi regime was well established
in 1931. A chamberlain to Muzaffar-ed-Din Shah
and Ahmed Shah. Employed in the Ministry of
Education 1934, as a professor of economics.
Imprisoned 1939 by order of Reza Shah, on an
accusation of having expressed doubts whether the
trans-Iranian railway would pay. Sentenced to
two years’ imprisonment, but kept in prison when
his term had been served. Finally obtained release
on the fall of Reza Shah in 1941. Director of the
Propaganda Section in 1942 and 1943 though he
was not very effective in that post and was relieved
of his duties early in 1943. Advocated propaganda
in favour of religion in order to keep men’s minds
away from communism.
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in Qavam’s
Cabinet February 1946. Left out when the Cabinet
was re-formed in August.
Speaks French, German and some English. A
very voluble, persistent, tedious little man, with a
great idea of his own importance and infallibility.
Has a large family of daughters.
49. Ghani, Qasim
Born about 1894 at Sabzevar. Sent to Tehran
for education by his uncle, Agha Khazra'i, and
studied in the Bahai “ Tarbiat ” school for four
years. Then went to Beirut where he qualified
as a doctor after a course lasting about seven years.
On return to Tehran stayed a short time and then
went back to his native town and practised
medicine, founding a hospital and doing many good
works. Then went to Meshed, where he married
a rich wife. A great student of Persian literature.
Elected as a Deputy for Meshed in the 13th Majlis.
Minister of Health in Soheily’s revised Cabinet of
December 1943, Minister of Health in Sa'id’s
Cabinet of March 1944. Resigned in April 1944.
Member of the Persian Farhangistan or Academy.
A cultured and widely-read man, reputed to be
a Bahai, but that is doubtful. Author of a history
of Sufism. Member of Persian Delegation to
U.N.O. September 1946.
50. Hajir, Abdul Husain
Born about 1895. The son of one of the
“ Fida’is ” of the early days of the Constitution,
who served under Taqizadeh.
In 1930 served under Taqizadeh in the Ministry
of Roads and Communications; and in the following
year followed that Minister to the Ministry of
Finance. Government inspector of the National
Bank. A favourite of Davar’s, he was given various
lucrative posts by him, including the management of
the Cloth Monopoly (“ Shirkat-i-Qumash ”) and,
most important of all, the direction of the Exchange
Control Commission. Relinquished his post at the
Exchange Control Commission in the summer of
1937 to proceed to Europe as part of a commission
to purchase stocks for the Cloth Monopoly. Head
of the Industrial and Agricultural Bank August
1938. Minister of Commerce and Industry March
1942 and Minister of Roads and Communications in
Sulaili’s Cabinet of February 1943. Showed com
mendable energy in inspecting communications in
person.
Went to England to study transport conditions in
June 1943 and was still away at the end of the year:
meanwhile in December 1943, on the Cabinet being
reshuffled he became Minister of the Interior. Again
Minister of the Interior in Sa’id’s Cabinet of
March 1944, but was dropped when there was a
reshuffle of the Cabinet in August 1944. Minister
of Finance in Hakimi’s Cabinets of May and of
November 1945. Again Minister of Finance in
Qavam’s re-formed Cabinet of August 1946.
A man of conspicuous ability and intelligence. In
his early days he was an interpreter and munshi A term used in the Middle East, Persia and South Asia to refer to a secretary, assistant or amanuensis. Munshis were employed in the British administration in the Gulf. at
the Russian Consulate-General. Speaks French,
Russian and English; very talkative but has many
sound ideas and a shrewd knowledge of his country
men. Is unmarried.
51. Hakimi, Ibrahim (Hakim-ul-Midk)
Born in Azerbaijan 1870: studied medicine in
France for ten years; speaks French. Was Qajar
Court Physician as was his father. Deputy in the
first Majlis 1908. Minister of Finance 1910.
Minister of Education 1910, 1911. Minister of
Finance 1911. Minister of Finance or Education
several times up to 1918. Minister of Education
1920. Lived in retirement throughout Reza Shah’s
reign. Minister without Portfolio in Qavam-us-
Saltaneh’s Cabinets August 1942 and February
1943. Associated with Qavam-ul-Mulk in his pro-
German intrigues before the invasion. Member of
the National Bank Advisory Council in 1943, 1944
and 1945 • was considered an ancient nonentity,
deaf and infirm, but in May 1945 was appointed
Prime Minister because all other candidates were
opposed by one or other faction in the Majlis
His Cabinet failed to obtain a vote of confidence
and resigned a month later. He again became
Prime Minister in November 1945 and did his best
to deal with the Russian-inspired independence
movement in Azerbaijan and had courage enolBM
to refer to the Security Council of U.N.O. the
situation created by the Russian refusal to allow
the Persian Government to send troops to Tabriz.
In December 1945 wished to go to Moscow for
direct negotiations with the Russians but his request
was turned down. Exhausted by his efforts and
intimidated by the growing hostility of the Shah
and the factions in the Majlis, he resigned in
January 1946.
A respectable old man of rather weak character.
52. Hidayat, Abdullah, Major-General
(Sarlash gar)
Born about 1902, the son of Mukhbir-ud-Douleh
(Ghulam Reza Kemal-Hidayat), and so member
of a family that has usually been pro-British.
Brigadier Hidayat is outwardly friendly; and is
intelligent and ambitious but something of an
intriguer. Trained at the French Ecole de Guerre,
and also at Fontainebleau. Head of the Tbtf^
Bureau, General Staff, February 1941; at the Statfl
College, November 1941; Deputy Chief of the
General Staff, May 1942; Commandant of the
Officers’ School, November 1942. Under-Secretary
Ministry of War, April 1944. Acting Minister of
War, September 1944. Director of Artillery,
November 1945. Under-Secretary of War, February
1946. While still retaining this post he left for the
United States in March 1947 to negotiate purchases
of military supplies under a; proposed loan to the
Government for this purpose.
A well-qualified serious officer, more staff officer
than a commander. Has a good reputation for
honesty. When with the General Staff supported
Yazdan-Paneh in his opposition to a foreign military
mission. Belongs to the military clique headed
by his friend Razmara. Speaks good French and
some English.
53. Hidayat, Izzatullah
Son of the late Sani-ed-Douleh, who was
murdered in Tehran during the Constitutional
troubles about 1908. Born about 1895. Educated
as a civil engineer in Germany. Member of the
staff of the Legation at Berlin 1920-23. On the
staff of the Ministry of Public Works 1925.
Appointed Chief of Railway Construction about
that time. Interested in various engineering
projects in Tehran, and in a spinning factory An East India Company trading post. .