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

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^- jw li,i<br />

'<br />

I<br />

" A<br />

TITLES OF THE SHAH.<br />

CHAPTER LXXXI<br />

THE STATE OF PERSIA BEFORE THE REVOLUTION<br />

IThe Sovereign, The Pivot <strong>of</strong> the Universe, The Sultan, His Auspicious<br />

Majesty, His Royal Majesty, The King <strong>of</strong> Kings, The Royal Possessor <strong>of</strong><br />

Kingdoms. His Majesty the Shadow <strong>of</strong> Allah, the Khakan. The Titles <strong>of</strong><br />

the Shah.<br />

The Old Order and the New. The recent revolution<br />

whereby the old order has given place to the new will<br />

be dealt with in the final chapter. It marks the dawn <strong>of</strong><br />

a fresh period which at it<br />

present would be difficult to<br />

criticise with pr<strong>of</strong>it. In this chapter<br />

I am dealing entirely<br />

with the state <strong>of</strong> <strong>Persia</strong> as I knew it before the revolution,<br />

at a time when there was no idea <strong>of</strong> adopting a<br />

constitution modelled on European<br />

lines.<br />

The Powers <strong>of</strong> the Shah. The Shah <strong>of</strong> <strong>Persia</strong> was<br />

an absolute monarch. The saying that " the law <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Medes and <strong>Persia</strong>ns altereth not " testifies to this conception<br />

<strong>of</strong> the monarchy in Achaemenian times and<br />

;<br />

the<br />

proud, nay arrogant, titles <strong>of</strong> the Shah given as a heading<br />

to this chapter embodied the <strong>Persia</strong>n conception <strong>of</strong> his<br />

position as handed down from the bygone centuries.<br />

In his person were " fused the threefold functions <strong>of</strong><br />

government, legislative, executive and judicial.<br />

He was<br />

the pivot upon which turned the entire machinery <strong>of</strong><br />

487

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