‘Seistan Persia & Seistan’ [‎173r] (354/617)

when his anger rises very fond of music, careless about his dress and generally untidy,
wysedom consults his assistants on important affairs, and prefers thinking over the
subject himself shut up in a room; quick reader and writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. , decisive, not fanatic. He had
not touched wine until he went to Europe, but since he enjoys it. He is for<nving, but if
once a man plays unfair with him, although he forgives, yet he does not have such
confidence m him that he had before. He is rather vain, fond of society, patriotic.
His success and the copious favours he has received and receives from the Shah
nave caused a great jealousy by his. fellow-Ministers against him, and this immediately
after the Shah s return from Europe in 1889, when he was greatly working in the interests
it r , . n § llsh eilte rpnse, viz.. Concession for the road to Shushter, Regie, mining, &c.,
all of which were against the Russian political interests.
^ His enemies, viz., Amin-u-Dowleh, late Mushire-u-Dowleh, Naib-us-Saltaneh, Zil-us-
sultan, Sahibi Dewan, Azud-ul-Mulk, Kavam-ud-Dowleh, and nearly all the attendants of
the -Palace were working against him, intriguing at the same time with the Russian Minister
and M. Spyrs to bring troubles on him.
. most unpopular English institution of all was the Regie, against which, with the
intrigues of the iTaibuis-Saltaneh, M. Biitzow made a protest in 1890 before that enterprise
was inaugurated.
Sadre Azam, with the counsel of this Legation, fought the Russian Minister and
proved to him that the Persian Government were not bound by the Treaty not to grant a
monopoly to any one they liked.
Ihe conduct of the manager of the Regie, in spite of the Sadre Azam’s continual
advice for the quiet working enterprise, roused first the interested merchants in this trade
and then the people against the Regie, which gave the Russian Minister here and his
Consul-General at Tabriz, as well as the enemies of Sadre Azam, the most favourable
opportunity and instrument, one to thwart British interest and destroy their opponent, and
the other (Sadre Azam’s enemies) to ruin him completely. So they began to work against
the Regie, which they reckoned would naturally ruin the Sadre Azam. In this scheme
both the enemies of Sadre Azam and the Russians succeeded in the abolition of this
enterprise; and no doubt, if not entirely ruined His Highness, still his influence with the
Shah and his popularity with the people were much impaired, nor in such a momentous
time, according to his own confidential conversation with Mr. Greene and myself, he
received any practical help from our Legation, for whose interest, he grieved to say, had
worked.
Erom that time, and by other incidents which happened since, Sadre Azam’s real
influence with the Shah began to fade, and His Majesty, through the constant intrigues of
the Naib-us-Saltaneh and Zil-us-Sultan and others, is impressed with a conviction that
Sadre Azam has been the cause of getting him into debt to the English Company.
The Russian Minister, having succeeded in his scheme and having got the better over
his opponent, thought it advisable to win the one man’s friendship whom he preferred to
the others, nevertheless, they were his colleagues in the scheme.
The opportunity afforded him in 1892, when Sadre Azam fell out with the Shah and
sent in his resignation, which His Majesty did not accept. Then the Russian Minister
came in and showed his friendship and help. He had an audience with the Shah and
advised His Majesty to reconcile Sadre Azam, as no other Minister could do any good for
him except Amin-us-Sultan, &c. The reconciliation w 7 as made and His Highness was in
that year raised to the position of Sadre Azam. The Russian Minister took the credit to
himself, and took a good care also to make it known to all the world that he was the cause
of reinstating the Sadre Azam.
From that time Sadre Azam, discouraged by abolition of the Regie and other English
enterprises which were, through his assistance, introduced, and by the callous indifference
of his Master in bettering the state of his country, he has become comparatively careless in
the affairs of the country in general, and submits to the wishes of the Shah with forbearing
disgust. Now and then his patience gives way and attempts to resign and quarrels with
the Shah, but those round him, such as his relations and his proteges, force him to be
reconciled.
His friends, that is real friends, are few, I may say none than his wife and family, but
those who now profess to be his loyal friends are Amin Khelvat, Ikbal-u-Dowleh,
Mushire-ul-Mulk, and a few more in the same standing, but these men to begin with are
not influential enough, nor, I think, if Sadre Azam came to grief would stand by him.
Vali Ahd professes a great friendship for Sadre Azam, but we know what sort of weak:
creature he is, wdiose assistance, as long as the Shah lives, is of no avail to his Highness
the Sadre Azam, and in the event of the Shah’s death he may be influenced by those
around him against Sadre Azam.
I have heard repeatedly from Sadre Azam in our confidential conversation, saying
that he rather would be a peasant in Europe than in his present situation here, in which
position he cannot do any good for his country under this present Shah, who, he said, has
not a particle of patriotism in him, and thinks nothing for the country, but a greed for
money and women. Nor, he said, it is any use trying to make him do anything. He was
telling: me these words with most painful feelings.
8 (Signed) NAWAB An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. .
September 22, 1895.