# The Persian Revolution of 1905-1909

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THE
PERSIAN REVOLUTION
OF 1905—1909
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
London: FETTER LANE, E.C. C. F. CLAY, Manager
Edinburgh: 100, PRINCES STREET Berlin: A. ASHER AND CO. Leipzig: F. A. BROCKHAUS New York: G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS Bombay and Calcutta: MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltd.
All rights reserved
Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din “al-Afghan”
(died March 9, 1897)
THE
PERSIAN REVOLUTION
OF 1905—1909
BY
EDWARD G. BROWNE, M.A., M.B, F.B.A.,
SIR THOMAS ADAMS’ PROFESSOR OF ARABIC AND FELLOW OF PEMBROKE COLLEGE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Cambridge: at the University Press 1910
DEDICATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page :
| Preface | Preface | xi |
| CHAP. |||
| I. | Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din, the Protagonist of Pan-Islamism | 1 |
| II. | The Tobacco Concession and its consequences | 31 |
| III. | The Assassination of Náṣiru’d-Din Sháh | 59 |
| IV. | The Granting of the Constitution by Muẓaffaru’d-Din Sháh | 98 |
| V. | Muḥammad ‘Alí Sháh and the Constitution, until the abortive Coup d’État of December, 1907 | 133 |
| VI. | The Anglo-Russian Agreement, as seen through Persian eyes | 172 |
| VII. | The Coup d’État of June 23, 1908, and Destruction of the first Majlis | 196 |
| VIII. | The Defence of Tabríz. First Period: June—December, 1908 | 233 |
| IX. | The Fall of Tabríz and the Rising of the Provinces | 259 |
| X. | The Nationalist Triumph, the Abdication of Muḥammad ‘Ali, and the Restoration of the Constitution | 292 |
| XI. | The Accession of Sulṭán Aḥmad Sháh, and the Convocation of the second Majlis | 324 |
| Appendix A. The Bases of the Persian Constitution, namely: |||
| (i) | The Farmán of August 5, 1906 | 353 |
| (ii) | The Electoral Law of September 9, 1906 | 355 |
| (iii) | The Fundamental Laws of December 30, 1906 | 362 |
| (iv) | The Supplementary Fundamental Laws of October 7, 1907 | 372 |
| (v) | The New Electoral Law of July 1, 1909 | 385 ​ |
| Appendix B. Notes embodying additional information received while the book was passing through the Press, namely: |||
| (1) | Memorandum on Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din by Mr Wilfrid Scawen Blunt | 401 |
| (2) | Hájji Sayyáḥ, Furúghí and the I‘timádu’s-Saltana | 404 |
| (3) | M. Antoine Kitábjí | 405 |
| (4) | Mírzá Aḥmad of Kirmán and Sayyid Ḥasan | 405 |
| (5) | Ḥájji Shaykh Hádí Najm-ábádí | 406 |
| (6) | The Amíriyya Palace | 407 |
| (7) | Shamsu’l-‘Ulamá and Aminu’ẓ-Ẓarb | 407 |
| (8) | Execution of Mírzá Riẓá of Kirmán | 408 |
| (9) | Shaykh Aḥmad “Rúḥí” of Kirmán and his two companions | 409 |
| (10) | Characters of Muẓaffaru’d-Din Sháh and of the Amínu’d-Dawla | 415 |
| (11) | The Qiwámu’d-Dawla | 418 |
| (12) | Shapshál Khán | 420 |
| (13) | The Anjuman-i-Makhfi | 420 |
| (14) | The Sipahsálár | 420 |
| (15) | Fatwá on the Rights of Zoroastrians | 421 |
| (16) | Attitude of Bahá’ís towards Persian Politics | 424 |
| (17) | A Russian view of British Foreign Policy | 429 |
| (18) | The Mujallalu’s-Sulṭán | 432 |
| (19) | Original texts of the Liakhoff Documents | 432 |
| (20) | The Moving Spirits of the Rasht Rising | 430 |
| (21) | Mr H. C. Baskerville | 440 |
| (22) | Sattár Khán | 441 |
| (23) | Persia and the Times | 443 |
| (24) | Execution of Shaykh Faẓlu’lláh | 444 |
| (25) | The Fate of certain prominent Reactionaries, especially the Muwaqqaru’s-Salṭana | 445 |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| (1) | Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din “al-Afghán” | Frontispiece | Frontispiece |
| (2) | Prince Malkom Khán | To face p. | 38 |
| (3) | Náṣiru’d-Din Sháh | To face„p.„ | 58 |
| (4) | Mírzá Muḥammad Riẓá of Kirmán | To face„p.„ | 62 |
| (5) | Three of Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din’s disciples | To face„p.„ | 94 |
| (6) | Muẓaffaru’d-Din Sháh | To face„p.„ | 98 |
| (7) | Sayyid Muḥammad-i-Ṭabáṭabá’í and Sayyid ‘Abdu’lláh-i-Bahbahání | To face„p.„ | 114 |
| (8) | Cartoons from the Ḥasharátu’l-Arẓ | To face„p.„ | 116 |
| (9) | Members of the First Majlis | To face„p.„ | 124 |
| (10) | Taqí-záda | To face„p.„ | 130 |
| (11) | Muḥammad ‘Alí Sháh | To face„p.„ | 132 |
| (12) | The Aminu’s-Sulṭán | To face„p.„ | 140 |
| (13) | The Sáldáru’d-Dawla | To face„p.„ | 142 |
| (14) | Shaykh Faẓlu’lláh-i-Núrí | To face„p.„ | 148 |
| (15) | ‘Abbás Aqá of Tabriz | To face„p.„ | 150 |
| (16) | The Náṣiru’l-Mulk | To face„p.„ | 162 |
| (17) | Mírzá Ghaffár of Qazwin | To face„p.„ | 166 |
| (18) | Map of Persia, shewing the “Spheres of Influence” | To face„p.„ | 172 |
| (19) | The Ẓillu’s-Sulṭán | To face„p.„ | 196 |
| (20) | Amír Bahádur Jang | To face„p.„ | 198 |
| (21) | Áqá Sayyid Jamálu’d-Din of Isfahán and the Maliku’l-Mutakallimín | To face„p.„ | 204 |
| (22) | Mírzá Jahángír Khán and Hájji Mirzá Ibráhim Áqá | To face„p.„ | 208 |
| (23) | Two Picture Post-cards of the Revolution | To face„p.„ | 210 |
| (24) | Colonel V. Liakhoff | To face„p.„ | 212 |
| (25) | The Baháristán after the Bombardment | To face„p.„ | 224 |
| (26) | Facsimile of Persian Siege-map of Tabriz | between pp. | 248–9 ​ |
| (27) | Sayyids and National Volunteers of Tabríz. | To face p. | 252 |
| (28) | The three great Mujtahids who supported the National Cause | To face„p.„ | 262 |
| (29) | The Bakhtiyárí liberators of Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 266 |
| (30) | Dervishes in camp outside Isfahán | To face„p.„ | 268 |
| (31) | A Nationalist Council at Rasht | To face„p.„ | 292 |
| (32) | House of ‘Adlu’l-Mulk at Tabríz. | To face„p.„ | 294 |
| (33) | Bakhtiyárís in camp outside Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 298 |
| (34) | Group of National Volunteers at Rasht | To face„p.„ | 300 |
| (35) | Bakhtiyárís in camp outside Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 302 |
| (36) | Constitutionalists in refuge at the Ottoman Embassy. | To face„p.„ | 304 |
| (37) | Bakhtiyárís mustering in the Maydán at Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 306 |
| (38) | The Sipahdár and the Sardár-i-As‘ad | To face„p.„ | 308 |
| (39) | Bakhtiyárís in camp outside Iṣfahán | To face„p.„ | 310 |
| (40) | Bakhtiyárí Kháns with the guns | To face„p.„ | 316 |
| (41) | Sultán Aḥmad Sháh and the Regent ‘Azudu’l-Mulk | To face„p.„ | 324 |
| (42) | Shapshál Khán and Sa‘du’d-Dawla | To face„p.„ | 418 |
| (43) | Facsimile of Fatwá on the rights of Zoroastrians | p. | 422 |
| (44) | Facsimile of Letter to Persia Committee | p. | 423 |
| (45) | Mu‘izzu’s-Sulṭán and Yeprem Khán | To face„p.„ | 436 |
| (46) | Sattár Khán the Defender and Raḥím Khán the Besieger of Tabríz | To face„p.„ | 440 |
ERRATA
p. xiv, l. 17.‘Abu’lláh should, of course, be ‘Abdu’lláh.
p. 109, l. 9.Omit George. Mr George Churchill was never Vice-Consul at Rasht. It was one of his brothers.
p. 120, l. 25, and p. 124, ll. 3, 10, and 24.‘Aynu’d-Dawla was Prime Minister, but never had the title of Atábak.
p. 156, l. 12.Ṭáhír Pasha was not a General, but was the President of the Turkish Frontier Commission.
p. 161, 5 lines from the bottom.Aujumans is, of course, a misprint for anjumans.
p. 162, l. 30.I am informed on good authority that the Náṣiru’l-Mulk was not put in a cell.
p. 163, n. 1 ad calc.The Náṣiru’l-Mulk left for Europe on the evening of his deliverance, not the next day.
p. 198, ll. 18–19.The Shah’s automobile was empty, except for the chauffeur. See p. 110 of the Blue Book (Persia, No. 1, 1909).
p. 207, l. 1. “Six” appears to be an exaggeration: three is the more probable number.
p. 207, ll. 19–20.It appears doubtful whether the Russian officers actually shot any of their own men.
p. 208, ll. 3–4.I am informed on good authority that “reduced to ruins” is too strong an expression, and that the Sipahsálár Mosque was not very much damaged, while the Baháristán was wrecked not so much by the artillery fire as by the men who looted it after the bombardment was over.
p. 210, ll. 13–20.The “Race-course incident” to which reference is here made took place on Sept. 16, 1908. Its introduction at this point in the book is, perhaps, misleading.
p. 255, ll. 3 and 15.For Castello read Castelli.
p. 265, l. 31.I am informed that Bínáb is a mistake for Mínáb.
POSTSCRIPT
Although incidental mention is made of a few matters (such as the trial and execution of the Muwaqqaru’s Salṭana) which belong to the earlier part of this current year (1910), the systematic narrative ceases with the restoration of the Constitution and the occurrences immediately connected therewith. No attempt has been made to deal with the most recent events, of which the assassination of Sayyid ‘Abdu’lláh-i-Bahbahání (July 15); the withdrawal of Taqí-záda from the capital to Tabríz (about August 1); the bombardment and forcible disarmament of the fidá’ís (August 7, 1910); the wounding of Sattár Khán and the pensioning of him and Báqir Khán; the intrigues of the Sipahdár-i-A‘ẓam; the recent attempt of the Russians to extort concessions as the price of the withdrawal of their troops (an attempt at blackmailing against which even the Times has protested); and the death of the late Regent, ‘Aẓudu’l-Mulk, on Sept. 22, are the most important. The accession of Sulṭán Aḥmad Sháh and the restoration of the Constitution mark the beginning of a new epoch, which in the future may fitly form the subject of a new volume.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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