Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1213

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PERSIA.

(Iran.) Reigning Shah.

Muzaffar-ed-din, born 14 Jemadi II. a.h. 1269 = March 25, 1853, second son of Nasr ed-din. Shah; succeeded his father May 1, 1896.

Children of the Shdh. — I. Mohammed Ali Mirza, Valiahd (heir-apparent), born 1872. II. Malik Mansur Mirza Shua es- Saltaneh, born 1880. III. Abu'l Fath Mirza Salar ed Dowleh, born 1881. IV. Abu'l Fazl Mirza Azud es-Sultan, born 1883. Y. Husein Kuli Mirza, born 1894. VI. Nasr ed-din Mirza, born 1896. There are also twelve daughters.

Brothers of the Shdh. — I. Mas'iid, Zil es-Sultan, born January 5, 1850, has five sons and six daughters. II. Kamran, Naib es-Saltaneh, born July 22, 1856, has three daughters. III. Salar es-Saltaneh, born May 2, 1882. IV. Rukn es-Saltaneh, born February 14, 1883. V. Yamin ed-Dowleh. YI. Sultan Ahmed Mirza, born 1891. There are also twelve sisters.

The royal family is very numerous : there are some thousands of princes and princesses, but the official year-book only mentions two brothers, two sisters, 120 uncles, great-uncles, and cousins of the late Shah.

The Shah of Persia — by his official title, ' Shahinshah,' or king of kings — is absolute ruler within his dominions, and master of the lives and goods of all his subjects. The whole revenue of the country being at their disposal, recent sovereigns of Persia have been able to amass a large private fortune. That of the present occupant of the throne is reported to amount to five or six millions sterling, most of it represented by diamonds, the largest, the Derya i Nur, of 186 carats, and the Taj i Mah, of 146 carats, and other precious stones, forming the crown jewels.

The present sovereign of Persia is the fifth of the dynasty of the Kajars, which took possession of the crown after a civil war extending over fifteen years, from 1779 to 1794. The date of accession of each of the sovereigns of the dynasty was as follows : —

1. Agha Muhammed. . 1794

2. Fath Ali, nephew of Aglia

Muhammed. . . 1797

3. Muhammed, grandson of Fath

Ah 1835

It is within the power of the Persian monarchs to alter or to overrule the existing law of succession, and to leave the crown

Nasr ed-din, son of Muham- med .... 1848

Muzatfar-cd-din, son of Nasr- od-din .... 1896