"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية: العمليات في بلاد فارس ١٩١٤-١٩١٩" [و‎‎٣‎٠] (٥٦٦/٦٤)

MUZAFFAR-UD-DIN SHAH 31
J concessions. Matters came to a climax in 1890 when a tobacco
monopoly was granted to a British company. Tobacco is
used in Persia probably to a greater extent than in any other
, et country, and, led by the priests who successfully forbade the
consumption of tobacco until the concession was rescinded,
et “® the popular clamour, emphasised by disturbances and riots
^ in many places, finally forced the Shah to cancel the concession.
| 0111 Incidentally, it may be remarked that the half mil li on sterling,
H which he paid the British company as compensation, laid
® the foundation of a National Debt, which constantly increased
n! -* and added greatly to the difficulties and anxieties of the ad-
. ® ministration. It is also noteworthy that there was still no
uri '" generally expressed desire among the population for reform
is ak i n government.
stal i n 1896 Nasir-ud-Din was assassinated by a disciple of Sayad Accession of
Jamal-ud-Din, one of the chief protagonists of Pan-Islamism M yzaffar-ud-
the $i: and a vehement critic of the Persian administration. ? 896 . Shah ’
:epi Muzaffar-ud-Din, who, largely owing to support from Russia,
utati succeeded his father as Shah, was quite unfitted to cope with
remi the difficult situation he inherited; and the unchecked extra-
ifortk vagance and oppression of his officials and followers added to
ualci the general discontent and disorder. To replenish his empty
rorU treasury, he obtained, in 1900, a loan of about two and a half
t SU million sterling from Russia on the security of the recently
toft increased customs dues. This amount was soon spent in
i aid! paying off debts and the expenses of a royal visit to Europe,
the* The Shah then obtained in the following year another loan
from Russia of over a million sterling. For this second loan
ongl Russia took advantage of the British pre-occupation in South
Egypt Africa to obtain several valuable concessions and an increase
;edF® i n the customs tariff which was as favourable to Russian trade
opeaulf as it was unfavourable to British. Great Britain was only
jit ad; able to mitigate the effect of the latter by the Anglo-Persian
1Si ho# Commercial Convention of 1903, by steps taken by Lord
ie ’ti®l Curzon (then Viceroy of India) to foster and support British
worldf trade in Persia, including the opening of the Nushki-Seistan
d ft® trade route, and by the successful termination of a second
whhhjj Seistan Boundary Commission.
British were faced by the fact that in Tehran and England and
"ntid- Northern Persia Russian influence had become predominant the Persian
Paii^ an< ^ Russia was making every effort to extend her influence Gulf ’
i / 0 Seistan and to the Persian Gulf, where she was attempting
ie -to obtain a naval footing. Here also for a few years past
f d bj^ erman y k ac ' heen making organised efforts to achieve political