Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎266r] (531/678)

[This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty’s Government.]
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No. 7 . PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY.
ASIA.
[July 13.]
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CONFIDENTIAL.
2494
Section 2.
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No. L
Sir M. Durand to the Marquess of Salisbury.—[Deceived July 13.)
(No. 42.)
My Lord, Gulhek. June 11, 1896.
AS I informed your Lordship in my telegram No. 50, His Majesty the Shah
arrived in Tehran on the morning of Sunday, the 7 th June.
It had been given out that His Majesty would halt a day at 1 aftahad, 4 or 5 miles
from the town, and make a public entry on Monday ; hut on arrival at Yaftabad he
drove straight on, entering Tehran by a gate not ordinarily used, which enabled him to
reach the Palace unnoticed.
Directly it was known in the camp at Yaftabad that His Majesty had gone on a
stampede set in, every one trying to follow him as closely as possible, and I am told
that the scene was one of the wildest confusion, thousands of people on foot, on horse
back, and in carriages forcing their way along the Kasvin road and through the narrow
gate of the town.
The whole performance was to my mind exceedingly contemptible, and I am
surprised that the Sadr-i-Azam should have advocated, as he did, so undignified a course.
It is defended on the ground that the Persian Government had certain information of
an impending attempt upon the Shah’s life, which was to be made at Yaftabad. This,
however, I do not believe; and there is no doubt that the Shah’s furtive entry into his
capital has had a bad effect on the people, who express their feelings on the subject very
freely.
I inclose a letter from Mr. Wood, who accompanied His Majesty from Tabreez,
regarding the Shah’s journey towards Tehran. Here also some unfortunate incidents
occurred owing to the excessive timidity of the Shah or those about him.
On the day following His Majesty’s arrival he received the Corps Diplomatique in
public audience. His Majesty on this occasion acquitted himself well. He seemed to
be in much better health than when he visited Tehran a year ago. He had a healthy
colour in his face, and his carriage was firm and upright. In reply to a congratulatory
speech made by the French Minister, His Majesty spoke in a suitable and dignified
manner, announcing that he intended to follow^ in the footsteps of his father, to draw
closer the bonds of friendship between Persia and the allied Powers, and to improve the
condition of his country. He also thanked the Ministers present for their co-operation
in the maintenance of order after his father’s murder. Altogether, His Majesty created
a not unfavourable impression. It was noticed that he made a perceptible, though
barely perceptible, return to the salutations of the Corps Diplomatique, which his hither
had never done. He was well dressed, and wore great quantities of diamonds. He is
not, however, nearly as fine a man as his father was—his figure more sunken and his
face less striking.
His Majesty leaves Tehran for one of his country gardens to-morrow,*and will
remain there for the summer.
The new reign may now be considered to have fairly begun, and everything is quiet,
except in the province of Fars, the state of which is decidedly bad. This, however,
seems to be due entirely to the weakness and avarice of the Prince Governor A Prince of the Royal line who also acted as Governor of a large Iranian province during the Qājār period (1794-1925). , the
Rukn-ud-Dowleh, and I have no doubt that order will be restored when he is replaced by
a stronger man. Prices are high throughout the country owing to the excessive output
of copper, and there are other disturbing influences at work; but on the whole the
prospect is by no means unsatisfactory, and in some respects I think there is reason to
hope for an improvement upon the condition of affairs existing before the late Shah’s
death.
I have, &c.
(Signed) H. M. DURAND,
[1366 m—2]