Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1215

 1163 PERSIA.

(IkAn.)

Reigning Shah.

Sultan Ahmed Shah- born January 20. 1898 <27th Sha!»n II led his father, Muhatnmed All Shah (who abdicated) Juh under regency of Ali Heza Klian, Azu I el Mnlk, chief of the Kajar Azud el Mulk", the R*-_ <.-i>t<jnih«»r 22, 1910. and o: of the

.-..une month the National Counelt elected Ahn'l Kaasirn Khan, Nasser el Mulk, who was then in Europe, a* his successor. The Regent arrived in Teheran on February 8, 1911, and definitely assumed the functions of R«gent l.v taking the oath before the National Council on March 4. The coronation a Shah took place on Jnly 21, 1914. Brothers of th* Shah. — I. Iteead es Saltaneh. II. Mi; | issan

Valiahd (heir apparent), born February 19, 1899 (9th Shaban III. Muhammad Mcli.li Mir/a. IV. Mahmud Mirza. Uneh's of th< Abu'l Fath Mirza, Salar ed Dowleh, born

1881. II. "Abu'l Fazl Mirza, Arad es-Sultau, born 1883. III. Kuli Mirza, No.-ret-es-Sultan*'!' '.. bora 1894. IV. Naar-ed-diu

i. born 1896. The Royal Family is very numerous : there are some thousands of

- and princesses. The Shah of Persia -by hi* official title. ' Shahinshih ' (a corruption of Shahan Shah), or King ot Kings -was until 1906 absolute ruler within his dominions, and master ot the live* and goods of all his subjects. The whole revenue of the country being at their disposal, recent sovereigns of

ibis to amass a large i ;ne, but that of the present occupant

of the throne is small.

The present sovereign of Persia is tl»e seventh of the dynasty of the Kajars, which t(x>k possession of ih< crown after a civil war axtending over fifteen years, from 1 77'.' t« 1794. The date of ai-ceesiou of taxh of the sovereigns of the dynasty was as follows : —

\gha Muhammcd. 177f Muzatfar-ed-din,son of N?.

2. Fath Ali. nephew of Agha cd-din. . 1896-1907

Muhanimed. I7f'7 Ali son of

3. Muhammcd, grandson of Fath Muzaffar-ed-din. 1907-190V

Ali. . 1 ^r?D-lS4S 7. Sultan Ahmed, son of Mu-

4. Nasr-ed-din, son of Muham- hammed Ali. July 16. 1909

med. . . 1S48-1806 According to the Constitution the Shah must belong to the Shi'ah faith and his successor must be his eldest son, or next male heir in succession, whose mother was a Kajar princess.

Constitution and Government.

The form of government in Persia up to the year 1906 was, in its most important features, similar to that of Turkey. The Shah, within the limita- tions imposed by the Mohammedan religion, was an absolute ruler, but had to reckon with the power of the leading doctors of law (Miijtahid), who resided at Xajaf and S Mesopotamia. Unlike the Sultau of Turkev

lie had no religious standing. In 1905. the Persian people demanded repre- sentative institutions, and in January, 1906, the Government announce.! that the Shah had given his consent to the establishment of a National icil (Mejlis i Shora i Milli). But the Mejlis was never properly con- stituted, though attempts were wade to -set it working. Since Noreaiber.