Ghassem Khan Vali (1878–1933; ), otherwise and better known by his military title of Sardar Homayoun, the son of Ali Khan Vali and grandson of was the first Imperial Iranian Army general to graduate from the prestigious Saint-Cyr Military School in France, which was founded by Napoléon in 1802. During the Overthrow of the Qajar dynasty, Sardar Homayoun was encouraged by the local politicians and moderates, backed by Edmund Ironside, 1st Baron Ironside and the British Government, to become the Shah of Persia (the fact that his lineage could be traced to the Qajar dynasty gave added incentive to have him on the throne). He mainly declined out of his loyalty to Ahmad Shah, although it was stated that it was out of his fear for his family's safety and his moral reluctance to use force against his countrymen, a measure which was inevitable for the maintenance of the monarchy. His reluctance was seen as cowardice by the British, and so the position was later given to Reza Shah Pahlavi.