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Sykes' History of Persia Vol 2 (pdf) - Heritage Institute

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448 HISTORY OF PERSIA CHAP.<br />

in check only by means <strong>of</strong> ships operating from a base, and<br />

that it would put an end to the beneficent naval activity<br />

<strong>of</strong> Russia if Ashurada were evacuated. As the Turkoman<br />

would have immediately recommenced their raids if the<br />

Russian ships had left, this argument would appear to<br />

have had weight.<br />

The Turkoman were by no means disposed to acquiesce<br />

tamel^irTlTnew" order which prevented their raids. In<br />

1851 they surprised the island and killed or carried <strong>of</strong>f its<br />

garrison. It was given out possibly in order to " save<br />

face"- that these raiders had been asaistecl_hy_Ersia, and<br />

the Russian representative demanded the dismissal <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Shah's brother from the governorship <strong>of</strong> Mazanderan.<br />

This demand sorely<br />

tried the Amir-i-Nizam, who held it<br />

to be wholly unjustified, but after protesting strongly he<br />

wisely yielded to the Northern Power.<br />

The Fall <strong>of</strong> the Amir-i-Nizam^ 1851 Nasir-u-Din<br />

showed remarkable loyalty<br />

to his great Minister ; but, as<br />

was only to be expected, the influence brought to bear,<br />

which pointed out his undoubted popularity among the<br />

soldiers, who knew that they owed their regular pay and<br />

clothing to him, at length aroused the fears <strong>of</strong> the Shah.<br />

Surrounding himself with his guards, he sent a messenger<br />

to his Minister to inform him that he was no longer Vizier,<br />

but only Commander <strong>of</strong> the army. This order was received<br />

with perfect submission, and Mirza Aga Khan, the<br />

Itimad-u-Dola, was appointed Sadr-i-Aazam. The fallen<br />

Amir-i-Nizam, but for ill-advised action on his behalf by<br />

the Russian Minister, who declared him protected by the<br />

Tsar and then withdrew from this position, might have<br />

weathered the storm. But this intervention and the<br />

intrigues <strong>of</strong> his enemies goaded the Shah to order him to<br />

retire to Kashan. There, watched by<br />

his devoted wife, he<br />

lived for two months, but it was then decided to execute him,<br />

and he was seized by a ruse. In the bath <strong>of</strong> the beautiful<br />

palace at Fin his veins were opened, and <strong>Persia</strong>'s great<br />

Minister passed away. It is said that people have the<br />

rulers they deserve and, if so, <strong>Persia</strong> is to be sincerely<br />

pitied<br />

for she is ruled, as Europe was in medieval times,<br />

;<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficials<br />

by whose main desire is to amass wealth per fas aut

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