Persian Coup de'at

## Outcome

### Cause

Japan's discovery of the British, Russian and Ottoman plan for Persia and unveils it to Persian Nationalists led by Reza Shah
Ahmad Qajar Shah overthrown by Mohammad Ali Shah
Constitution Abolished

### Aftermath

Qajar Dynasty Collapses, Pahlavi Dynasty is born

## Participants

### Allied Faction

Mohammad Ali Shah
Abdol Majid Mirza
Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad-Hossein Naini Gharavi
Colonel Mohammad Taqi-Khan Pessian

### Oppossing Commanders

Reza Shah
Prince Abdol-Hossein Farman Farma
Mohammad Hassan Mirza
Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi

The Persian Coup de'at was an event during World War I in which Reza Shah rose to power as the Shahanshah of Persia and the start of his conquest of India, Afghanistan, Khiva, Bukhara, the Gulf States and Zanzibar.

## History

### Before the Coup de'at

Persia was ruled by the Qajar Dynasty since 1789. During that time Persia was a backward feudal economy ruled by Mullahs, Ayatollahs, Aristocrats, Fundamentalists, Nobles and Princes as Feudal Lords and Tribal leaders who answer to the Qajar Sultan. Persia was ruled by Foreign Dynasties, Turkic Feudal Lords, Religious Clergy and many more for thousands of years since the fall of the Sassanid Empire. Qajar rule was later on unpopular as the Sultans have been loosing to the British, Russian and Ottoman forces.

The Qajar family took full control of Iran in 1794, deposing Lotf 'Ali Khan, the last Shah of the Zand dynasty, and re-asserted Iranian sovereignty over large parts of the Caucasus. In 1796, Mohammad Khan Qajar seized Mashhad with ease, putting an end to the Afsharid dynasty. He was formally crowned as Shah after his punitive campaign against Iran's Georgian subjects. In the Caucasus, the Qajar dynasty permanently lost many of Iran's integral areas to the Russian Empire over the course of the 19th century, comprising modern-day Georgia, Dagestan, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Regardless of its territorial losses, Qajar Iran maintained its political independence and reinvented the Iranian notion of kingship.

The Sublime State of Persia entered the twentieth century in the middle of a financial crisis. Under Muzaffar al-Din Shah, who had ascended to the throne in 1896, government expenditures far outpaced revenues. To solve this problem, the Shah turned to European creditors. In 1901 he awarded Persia’s first concession to British businessman William D’Arcy for exclusive rights to the exploration, extraction, and sale of oil. In addition, the Shah had taken out two large loans from the Russian crown. Britain and Russia had fought for influence in Persia as part of the Great Game and both used such economic agreements as a means of furthering their control of the country.

This combination of economic decline and foreign interference angered the populace against Mozaffar ad-Din Shah’s incompetent rule. Discontent proved strong enough to bring together three key segments of Persian society to favor radical change. The first were the bazaaris: the traditional merchant class, economically powerful and most directly affected by the financial crisis. The second, rather unexpectedly, was the ulema: the Shi’a religious leaders. Though traditionally conservative, the ulema had formed an alliance with the bazaaris during the Tobacco Protests of 1892, as each group opposed the growth of Western influence in Persia. Lastly came Persia’s small intellectual class, which despised the corrupt imperial court and desired modernization. Together these groups coalesced into the Nezhat-e-Mashrooteh: the Constitutional Movement.

Events soon came to a head. In December of 1905 three prominent merchants were bastinadoed (caned on the soles of their feet) for charging exorbitant prices. In protest, the merchants of Tehran closed the bazaar. Discontent mounted over the following year, and violent reprisals by the Russia-backed Persian Cossack Brigade caused yet more outrage. Leaders of the ulama, speaking from the sanctuary of a mosque, demanded the adoption of a constitution and house of justice; Mozaffar ad-Din Shah, in response, ordered the mosque cleared. This violation of sanctuary backfired, turning popular opinion even further against the Shah, and the rebels simply fled to another mosque in the city’s outskirts. By June, bazaari leaders had likewise claimed sanctuary in the British Legation and mounted their own calls for a democratically-elected parliament. In August, the Shah agreed to the first elections, which were held that fall and won overwhelmingly by representatives of the bazaaris. Meeting in October, this First Majlis (parliament) immediately converted itself into a Constitutional Convention. The first draft of the Fundamental Law (as the constitution is known in Persia) was rejected by the Shah, who desired that the monarchy retain some power, including the ability to appoint and dismiss the prime minister. The majlis begrudgingly accepted most of these demands. On December 31st, 1906, the second draft of the Fundamental Law was signed into law by the ailing Mozaffar ad-Din Shah. Mass celebrations broke out in Tehran, and only five days later the Shah died of natural causes.

The new ruler, Mohammed Ali Shah, was a determined absolutist and at once plotted the overthrow of the constitutionalists. A number of events helped him to that end. On August 31st, 1907 in St. Petersburg, the Anglo-Russian Convention was concluded, forming the basis of what would become the Triple Entente. As part of this new partnership, Britain and Russia agreed to divide Persia into two spheres of influence: the Russians in the north, the British in the south. Britain withdrew its support from the constitutionalists and joined Russia in backing the Shah. At the same time, attempts by the majlis to centralize the tax system upset local notables whose wealth was maintained by traditional tax farming. Proposals aimed at increasing secularism and women’s rights were denounced by conservative religious leaders.

Now with European support on his side, Mohammed Ali Shah moved to crush the constitutionalists. On June 23, 1908, the Shah declared Vladimir P. Liakhov, commander of the Persian Cossack Division, military governor of Tehran. His forces shelled the Parliament building, captured it, and executed several constitutionalist leaders. The Cossacks effectively took over the city, banning public meetings and closing down newspapers, in what became known as the ‘Minor Tyranny’. However, most of the majlis deputies were able to flee to the provinces where they organized resistance.

The constitutionalist army drew from many sources: from the major cities, socialists from the Caucasus, the personal armies of feudal landlords, and most importantly the 12,000 Bakhtiyari tribesmen. Fighting raged throughout the country, but come July 1910 the disparate forces were converging on Tehran. Mohammed Ali Shah was forced to flee to the Russian Legation and agreed to abdicate the throne and go into exile; Succeeding to the throne was eleven-year-old Ahmad Shah under the regency of his uncle. The Grand Majlis came into power, punishing the former Shah’s loyalists and dramatically expanding the electorate. Thanks to their major role in the constitutionalist victory, the Bakhtiyari saw their influence increase dramatically.

The Civil War had devastated the country, and the Second Majlis struggled to restore a sense of order. The former Shah Mohammed Ali attempted with Russian backing to reclaim the throne in July of 1910 and was defeated, but only just. Persia’s finances were still in a very bad state and tax reform remained out of reach. Besides extracting harsh concessions, the British and Russians also commonly made deals directly with local or tribal leaders, further undermining the idea of centralized government. When the majlis hired an American lawyer named Morgan Shuster as financial advisor and he began collecting taxes from Russian-connected officials, Russia delivered an ultimatum, demanding among other things the removal of Shuster from his post. The majlis refused, and in December of 1911 Russian forces occupied Persia’s northwest, slaughtering those who resisted. The ability of the majlis itself was hampered by infighting between the liberal Democrats Party and the conservative Moderate Socialists. With Russia poised to attack Tehran and the constitutionalists still intransigent, the Prince Regent dissolved the Second Majlis and acceded to the Russians’ demands.

### World War I before Coup

The Young Shah Ahmad Shah Qajar was crowned Shah of Iran after many years of a regency that began since he succeed his unpopular father. The Shah declared Persia neutral which had angered the Ottomans, British and Russians who desired to use Persia as a way to help them win the war. The British decided to conquer Persia to partition it between the Ottomans, Russians and the British themselves. Sadly the Japanese discovered the plan and decided to meet with Persian Nationalists and reveal them the plan.

Persian Nationalists led by popular Soldier Reza Khan, the Brigadier General in command of the Persian Cossack Brigade who is popular for being the only Persian commander of the Army. Reza met with the Japanese who helped him drill the Persian Cossacks with Japanese Drills. When he visited Japan during a Pan-Asian event, he had learned about Japan's Imperial Cult which influenced him to create the belief that he is descended from Cyrus the Great, the legendary King/General of Persia who was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, the first Persian empire which was the first of the largest Empires in the world as an Imperial cult. Reza creating this Imperial Cult was a way for him to make the Qajars illegitimate rulers of Persia which will gain massive support for his campaign. The Japanese and the Persian Cossack Brigade then used this to get supporters which was successful due to discontent with the Qajar rulers in not keeping Persia neutral and repelling the invaders.

### Planning the Coup

Reza had decided to recruit Persian Nationalists in the Army with a Japanese Style Conscription and he even bought ships from Japan and the Germans. Reza had decided to gain support from the exiled Third Majlis as they decided to create propaganda that legitimized Reza as the rightful ruler of Persia which was easy due to discontent with the Qajars who were seen as puppets of the British, Russians and Ottomans who desired to enslave the Persian people under domination of separate cultures and religions.

The Majilis planned to campaign in elections to end the administration of Prime Minister Abdol Majid Mirza Eyn-ed-Dowleh which was responsible for not enforcing Persia's neutrality diplomatically. The election campaigns had started as the Maijlis tried to find a good candidate, sadly the elections were cancelled as Ahmad Shah Qajar had a stroke and fell down the steps which resulted in Mohammad Ali Shah took back the Qajar throne. Mohammad Hassan Mirza and Prince Abdol-Hossein Farman Farma denounced Mohammad Ali Shah's return, however Mohammad Ali Shah put arrest warrants on their heads as they fled. After they fled they ran into Reza and his loyalists with the Japanese as they decided rework the coup plans as elections were now banned.

### The Coup

They decided to rally all of Reza's supporters in Persia to march on Tehran and oust Mohammad Ali Shah and his absolute monarchy. Reza's supporters gained aid of the Police who arrested loyalists of Mohammad Ali Shah and the clergymen who supported his regime. Reza's loyalists were supported by Aristocrats who funded them with money to prevent themselves from loosing their fortunes. The Majilis took control of the government with aid of Reza's loyalists and their supporters who then exiled Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar to the Ottomans.

The British, Russians and Ottomans hearing news of Mohammad Ali Shah's failures tried to suppress the coup with a full on invasion until the British and the Ottomans got distracted with the Arab Revolts and Bulgaria bombarding Istanbul. The Russians were distracted with Anarchy in their country due to dissatisfaction with Russia loosing the war.

Reza was then crowned Shahanshah of Persia after the coup as Prince Abdol-Hossein Farman Farma became Prime Minister of Persia. The British called the Coup a "terrorist attack" and decided to invade Persia through India, sadly this decision only provoked the Japanese who sent their forces from the East Indies to bombard British Ceylon to distract the British. The Italians and Arab Rebels in the Middle East distracted the British units trying to invade Persia by making them instead protect their Arab holdings from the Arab Rebels.

## Aftermath

Persia was reorganized by Reza Shah as he and Farman Farma with aid of the Majilis and Reza's loyalists reformed Persia and modernized the country into a strong state as he built Schools, Hospitals and reformed the Government to allow elections for the Majilis who offically decided to turn Persia into a Zoroastrian monarchy. Reza gave Japanese firms (including the Zaibatu) oversight of construction and financial institutions in Persia as the British called Reza Shah a threat because he traded Persia out of British, Russian and Ottoman Influence and into Japanese influence which made Persia into a member of the Central Powers and a Pro-Japanese State.

Persia had also become a hub for the Indo-Aryan Pan-Asian Parties and Militias from Afghanistan, Central Asia and the British Raj which was also seen as a threat to the British as they would loose India and their supply of Indian troops.

After all of these reforms, Persia then started the Indo-Persian unification