"ملف ١١/ ٤٤ الشخصيات الرائدة في العراق وإيران والمملكة العربية السعودية" [و‎‎١‎٥] (٩٦/٢٩)

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infantry regiment for three years. Inherited large
estates from his father in the district of Hamadan,
but owing to his absence in Europe from 1921
to 1929 these estates have been allowed to
deteriorate. Was appointed Governor of
Kermanshah by Vossuq in 1919, where he was
very popular on account of his honesty and
integrity. Being a rich man he was imprisoned
at the time of the coup d’Etat in 1921, and made
to pay 20,000 tomans as the price of his release.
He was so disgusted at this unmerited treatment
that he left Persia and vowed never to return.
During his stay in Europe he lost heavily at Monte
Carlo and Deauville. Teymourtache met him in
Europe in 1928, and persuaded him to return to
Persia, which he did in 1929. Appointed Grand
Master of Ceremonies at the Court in March 1929.
Sent to Europe on private business for the Shah
in March 1930 and returned at the end of December.
A reputation for honesty saved him from sharing
his friend Teymourtache’s fall. Grand Master of
Court Ceremonies (Foreign) 1938. Dismissed
owing to royal irritability during the Crown Prince’s
wedding celebrations in April 1939, and retired to
his estate at Kabud-Kahang, near Hamadan.
An extremely agreeable and likeable man, with
more than a veneer of European culture. Is the
best type of educated Persian, and is noted for
U^Nhonesty and integrity. Speaks fluently French,
German and English.
Is tremendously rich with ample investments
abroad. Devotes much time and energy to
improving the lot of his peasants. Obstinate, but
great force of character and personality. Has great
influence in Hamadan area where he is looked on
as experienced, wise and good. Honest, hard
working and pro-British. In June 1945 bequeathed
all his lands to his peasants and distributed copies
of the will among them. Appointed the British
Embassy and the Imperial Bank of Iran as two
of the executors.
120. Qashqai, Muhammad Nasir
Born 1904. The eldest son of the late Isma’il
Qashqai (Saulat-ud-Dauleh). Elected to the eighth
Majlis as a- member of the Qashqai. Ilkhani and
the most influential chieftain of his tribe for a short
time during 1930. Deprived of parliamentary
uiamunity and arrested for conspiracy in 1932. Fled
_ l7\n Tehran during the general disorder in Septem-
•taer 1941 and recovered his old position in Fars where
he is now the accepted but not entirely undisputed
leader of the Qashqai. Is the only one of the four
brothers who is married. Does not smoke or drink
and is a model family man. Tall, broadly built,
staring eyes, slight smallpox marks on face, of com
manding presence. A fast talker and a good
raconteur. Fond of town society and, when living in
civilised surroundings, is very reasonable and
amenable. When living with the tribes he seems to
lose his balance (where matters outside the
parochial affairs of the tribes are concerned) and to
be easily misled. This instability probably results
from his varied earlier experiences including
imprisonment in Tehran with his father who died
in captivity.
Until the summer of 1945, when he eventually
screwed up courage to come to Tehran, he seems to
have been generally in fear of re-imprisonment. His
anxiety to consolidate his position leads him, at the
prompting of others, to see in himself a future
Governor-General of Fars. Prime Minister and even
Shah of Persia.
Speaks a little English and understands much.
He had two Germans with him in 1943 and made a
landing ground, intended for German aeroplanes,
near Farrashband. He rebelled in 1943 and was
attacked by troops under Marshal Shahbakht but
the operations were very half-hearted and soon
fizzled out. In April 1944 he handed over the Ger
mans who had taken refuge with him and undertook
to co-operate with the Allies. Was a leader of a
tribal revolt in Fars in summer of 1946 in which his
brothers also took part. After some fighting the
Qashqais came to an understanding with the
Government and peace was restored.
One of his brothers, Muhammad Hussain, was a
Deputy in the fourteenth Majlis, for Abadeh.
Studied in England but left because of chronic
asthma and studied economics at Berlin University.
Voluble speaker and very excitable, unreliable and
not to be trusted.
Khusru, another brother, is the youngest son of
Saulat-ud-Dauleh and was born in 1921. The
reprobate of the family. Great personal bravery and
recklessness. Inherits his father's cruelty and
sadism : credited with a number of wanton killings.
Was appointed Governor of Firuzabad in November
1943 but is never at his post, preferring to make
frequent trips to Tehran. Made large sums of money
by selling monopoly goods destined for the tribes at
an enormous profit in the open market. Has per
sonal charm, considerable powers of persuasion and
a boundless capacity for making mischief. Is
generally described as a “ child ” which is intended
by some in excuse of his excesses and by others to
mean that it is time he grew up.
The fourth brother, Malik Mansur, was born in
1907 and studied at Reading University. Tall and
lithe, hawk-like appearance, very attractive per
sonality, talks much but slowly and tends to repeat
himself. Speaks good English, German and a little
French, Turkish and Turki. Reported to be loved
by the tribespeople where Nasir is feared. Devoted
to tribal pursuits of hunting and riding. Says that
he will do his utmost to oppose any Government
attempt at interference with the tribe and that he
is prepared to fight the army.
121. Qawam, Ibrahim (Qawam-ul-Miilk)
Bom 1888. The son of Murza Habibullah Khan
Qawam-ul-Mulk, who was killed accidentally in
May 1916. During the war of 1914-18 was very
friendly to us, and carried on his father’s
traditional policy of opposition to the powerful
Qashqai group of tribes headed by the late Ismail
Khan Soulat-ud-Douleh. Having inherited vast
properties in Fars from his father, as well as the
titular headship of the “ Arab ” tribes of that
province, he wielded immense authority in the
south of Persia at the time of the coup d’Etat
of 1921. Reza Khan (late Reza Shah) when
Minister for War met the Qawam at Isfahan in
August 1923 and expressed a wish that he should
reside at Tehran; he therefore became elected to
the Majlis as member for the Khamseh (Arab)
tribes and thereafter has resided a good deal in
Tehran. Always on terms of close friendship with
His Majesty’s Consul at Shiraz, the Qawam
engaged in 1926 a British agricultural expert to
develop his vast estates; the experiment proved a
failure through local opposition and the Qawam’s
stinginess; the British expert left in 1928. In
1929 fled to Europe, doubtless having foreseen the
Qashqai revolts of that year. Visited London 1929.
Returned to Tehran the following year, having
put his two boys to school at Beirut. His vast
properties were left in the hands of his servants,
who remitted him a monthly subvention. In 1929
various questions of validity of title to property
were raised by the Ministry of Finance; and in
1931 the whole question was settled by the exchange
of lands. The Qawam was given crown lands in
Nishapur, in the neighbourhood of Tehran, and
elsewhere in the centre of Persia, in exchange for
his Fars properties. It is believed that he did well