مجموعة ٣٩/٢٨ "بلاد فارس: مراسلات مطبوعة ١٩٢٩-١٩٣٦" [و‎‎٨‎١] (١١٧٤/١٧٢)

8-3
man. A y ear Irder the Shah whilst on a visit to his rapidly expanding estates
-at Shahabad (ex-IIarunabad) savaged the Governor of Kermanshahan because
lie had seen villagers without the Pahlevi cap. Assadullah Mirza, Shaihab-ud-
Dowleh, K.C.v .0. only just avoided dismissal by persuading his Sovereign! that
these men were outside his governorate and within that of Kurdistan. &
. 3* I leave Iran liaving seen the discarding of the Pahlevi cap and the impo
sition ot the European dress m many of its most debased forms upon dwellers
of towns, villages, hemlets and hovels indiscriminately. The measure has been
imposed by officials, police and even by the military with every means in their
power. The more noticeable change, not yet fully completed,' is the unveiling
of the women, with the officially inspired campaign against the “ chuddur ”. If
the Persian press is full of accounts of the ardour of its womanhood in adopting
the new dress, it naively omits to note that there are to-day in the provinces
only a very few women to be seen in public. Prejudice against unveiling and
the lack of means of providing any form of European dress account for this.
4. I believe that the policy of presenting the Persian to appear outwardly
as a European is inspired by the hope that he will acquire inwardly those good
qualities of the West which will lead to his national and personal improvement.
But plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose is true of the majority. The East
moves slowly. Yet if the change had not been forced upon the people in haste
it could not have been imposed at all. The Persian, given a delay, would have
hoped for some intervention before the expiration of the time limit.
5. Government in the present form and under the strong ruler seems firmly
established. A soldier himself the Shah is said to have full control of the
Army and whilst he commands the only field from which a rival may rise there
seems no danger to him from any other direction.
6. Complaints are heard against Government from time to time. These
are the inevitable result of measures to secure increased revenue for the needs
■of the fighting services and of the civil administration. The merchant class
in general is dissatisfied with the restrictions on trade and the intervention of
government as a trader. But as individuals, many recognise that they are pay
ing in taxation no more than they and their fathers paid to the Prince Governors
General in the past. Also that they are now living under more favourable con
ditions of security. And all educated classes realise with pride that the work
of progress has been carried on without binding the country with foreign
loans.
7. The mujtehid and ulema are the class most affected by the new regime.
The large revenue they derived as civil registrars has been lost to them with
the foundation of the registration department. The abolition of public reli
gious practices, such as the Muharrem ceremonies, &c., and the studied indiffer
ence shown towards religion are depriving them of all influence and prestige.
As a class they are a potential danger to the regime if a strong leader snould
appear from their ranks. The ruler is well aware of this and will taxe
measures to guard against it.
8. My impression is that the Shah commands the fear of all his subjects
and in the East this means their allegiance and respect. His work m waking
up the country and of pulling out the fighting services and the civil admimstra-
tion from the‘ruts of indifference and sloth is recognised by all. His policy loi
industrial development is admired. The activities which have made him the
West landowner and industrialist m Iran and the large fortune he has
acquired receive no condemnation. In fact, I am convinced that he would have
earned the odium of his subjects if he had failed to take advantage of
opportunities.
o Even in the provinces one gathers the impression that great progress has
been addled in He Army. . The men are^etter equipped armaments harm
been improved and the physical and material g f nd one
hands. . . , .
10. The road guards service has been a “4ioter el dStricts! a ' , Coim
Ears. Security exists, with a few inci en ^ t p e Amnieh upon
sSr than the revenue levied upon the same
people by tribal chieftains in the past.