The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-04 00:00:00

PERSIA.

Our last advices from the Persian capital, which
come down to the 7th ultimo, are not of the most flat-
tering nature, with every allowance even for the state
of the country at the time of the late Sovereign's de-
cease. The youthful monarch, Nassiruddin Shah, has
not hitherto been able to consolidate the foundations
of his rule, shattered by the intrigues of the priests
and mullahs, and the open rebellion of certain chiefs.
The great influence of the English and Russian em-
bassies at Teheran, which placed him on the throne
of his ancestors, alone retains him in his seat. The
siege of the sacred city of Meshed, in Khorassan still
continued, and the place holds out with successful ob-
stinacy against all the efforts of the Snah's troops.
it is more than suspected that the latter are suffering
from scarcity of provisions, and from the cold of a
winter whits has set in with great severity. The
last native reports state that the passes between Te-
heran and Meshed are impassable from the snow. In
Ispahan the priestly party have set the Shah's go-
vernor at defiance, and having enlisted the desperate
Lootie of the city in their favour, broke out into
open insurrection. Many lives had been lost, but
latterly the Royalists had had the advantage. At
Shiraz things are in a better state. The Lootis have
been suppressed; but this city of Persian poesy is now
one of the most profound sinks of corruption. Hadji
Kawani, one of the most powerful and active in-
triguers of the day, rules paramount in the city, while
the .// Kahni, or Lord of the Tribes, brooks no rival
outside the walls. His Royal Highness Prince Bah-
man Mirza, the nominal governor of Fars, is a mere
cipher. [n the Dashtistan, or maritime provinces of
Persia, the authority not only of the governors of
Lar and Fars, but of the Shah himself, is openly
derided. The Sheikh of Bushire, after having suc-
cessfully resisted a desultory siege of some months
by the Junghistan troops, countenanced by the go-
vernment of Fars, has just been honoured by a
Khelaat from the Prince—the reward of successful
rebellion. It is, of course, now the policy of the
Persian Government to disclaim and denounce the
Junghistan chief's proceedings, who still holds in
possession one of the principal walled villages of
Bushire Sheikh, and refuses to ',restore it save on
meat advantageous terms. The Sheikh of Lingab, the
most flourishing town on the sea-coast of Persia, and
Sheikh Seif of Gembroois (Bander Abbas), have sent
up troops to the mountain passes to resist the force
which the royal Governor of Lar has sent to compel
their submission. It may be readily conceived how
commerce suffers during these commotions. M. de
Sartegis, the late French Minister at Teheran, has
not yet been replaced by the French Government.
It will be recollected.tbat he retired from the Persian
capital in consequence of his having failed to accom-
plish the principal and secret object of his mission—
namely, the ratification of a commercial treaty with
Persi3, claiming equal rights with the English and
Russian!, and the establishment of a French resident
at Bushire, &c. He was sent out in 1844 by Louis
Philippe, ostensibly to protect the interests of the
Lazarist missionaries, who were considered to have
been unjustly expelled from Persia by the then
Sovereigp, Mahonsed Shah, and his Minister Iladji
Mirza Agasi, lately deceased at Kerbela. M. de
Sartegias pot content with this, unwisely aspired to
be the protector of all Catholics in Persia, and thus
alarmed the Persian Government into opposition to all
his views. The present able Vizier of the youthful
Shah, Mirza Mahomed Takki, has the confidence
both of the Russian Ambassador (Prince Dolgorouki,
Count Medeur's successor) and of Colonel bhiel.
Thus powerfully aided, the Persian minister ought
to succeed in the general pacification of the empire,
and in restraining the excessive demands of the
Mullah, or priestly party, which in Persia, as at
Constantinople, is the grand obstacle to all improve-
meet, either social or intellectual, of the masses.
There appears to be no truth in the absurd report
that Russia has marched troops to assist the city of
Meshod in its rebellion. The northern provinces of
Ghilan, Mazenderan, and Azerbijan, are pretty tran-
quil, although it is necessary at all times to keep an
eye on the governor of the latter, Prince Babman
Mirza, who, it is notorious, is at heart inclined to
Russia.