Mirza Javad Khan (General Staff, 1916-1923)

Sa’d-ud-Daulah (Mirza Javad Khan)

Is of Tabriz family. Entered the Telegraph Department in 1861; was sent to Tiflis in 1867 (with his brother Mirza ‘Abbas Khan, now dead) to learn Russian. Was Telegraph Superintendant at Tabriz in 1871, and was also appointed director of the Tabriz College and Paymaster for the Azarbaijan troops. Came to Tehran, and married a daughter of the late Mukhbir-ud-Daulah. Intrigued against that Minister in 1877, and took sanctuary at Shah ‘Abdul ‘Azim (near Tehran). Then became a member of the Foreign Office through the influence of Hussain Khan, Sipah Salar. Was Persian Commissioner at the Paris Exposition of 1878. Appointed Minister to Brussels in 1892, which post he held until about 1902 when he was summoned to Tehran. Appointed Minister of Commerce, January 1905. In 1898 he was instructed by the then Grand Vizier, the late Amin-ud-Daulah, to engage the service of some Belgian Customs Officials to undertake a reform in the Customs of Persia and in February of the same year he engaged three officers who were described in the Times of February 2^nd, 1898, as follows: ― “The present head of this Mission, who will have the rank of Mudir, is M. Naus, at the present time Director of Taxes and Customs for the province of Brabant. M. Theunis, Inspector of Customs at Antwerp, and Mr. Priem, Controller at the same port, are the two other members.” In 1905, however, the Sa’d-ud-Daulah was M. Naus’ most dangerous opponent. Speaks French and Russian. Born about 1840. Owns a large house in Tehran near the Mukhbir-ud-Daulah’s town house. Was exiled in 1906 to Yazd at the instance of Mons. Naus who was supported by the Russian Minister, and took refuge at His Majesty’s Vice-Consulate where he stayed months. His Majesty’s Charge d’Affaires with considerable trouble obtained from the Persian Government a note dated August 25^th, 1906, giving a formal assurance of safety for the Sa’d-ud-Daulah’s life and property and permitting him a reside anywhere in Persia excepting Tehran. He thereupon left the British Vice-Consulate. He returned to Tehran in November 1906 and took his seat as a member of the National Assembly. During December and January he led the Anti-Belgian Campaign in the Assembly which culminated on 10^th February 1907, in the dismissal of Mons. Naus. He then started a campaign against the President of the Assembly with whom he had an old family quarrel, but not being able to dislodge him, retired from the house in May and placed himself at the ex-Shah’s disposal for the purpose of dissolving the Assembly. Two days before the Atabak’s assassination the principal Mujtahid Saiyid ‘Abdullah publicly denounced him as a traitor. If he was not actually an accessory to the murder of that statesman, as many confidently assert, he certainly knew that the murder was going to take place. He was appointed Foreign Minister a fortnight later, but on account of the strike of all the Foreign Office employees, who refused to work under him, he was dismissed fifteen days later. He continued to intrigue in the ex-Shah’s interest for the overthrow of the Assembly, and was, to a great extent, responsible for the ex-Shah’s attempted coup d’état of December. The people demanded his expulsion and he took refuge at the Dutch Legation in December 24^th, 1907. In June 1908 the ex-Shah gave guarantee for his life, person, property, and honour. He remained at Zarghandah, near the Dutch Legation, for a few days and then left. Entered political arena in December 1908. Was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs, 5^th January 1909. Dismissed, 30^th April 1909. Was reinstated in consequence of strong pressure brought on the ex-Shah by British and Russian Legations on 9^th May 1909. Took sanctuary in the British Legation with Mukhbir-ud-Daulah on 16^th July 1909, and subsequently obtained protection of the Russian Legation. Left Tehran for Europe under Russian protection in September 1909. Has a firm character but is not above peculation. Proposed by Russia as Regent, September 1912. That the return of Sa’d-ud-Dowleh to Persia would be greeted in Tehran with anything in the shape of universal rejoicing was hardly perhaps to be expected. Sa’d-ud-Dowleh is a politician with what his enemies describe as a somewhat shady past. Early in his political career he was exiled from Persia, and on his return in 1916 he entered Tehran in triumph and proceeded at once to the Assembly to preach so-called Extremist views and to create an organised opposition. The children of Revolution, however, are always suspicious of one another, and the more extreme Sa’d-ed-Dowleh became the less apparently was to be trusted by the representatives of the People. Soon all manner of hard things began to be said about him, and when later he definitely threw in his lot with the Royalist party it seemed as if the popular prejudices had some foundation in fact. It is not always easy to see beneath the surface of the troublous seas of Persian politics, but it seem more than probably that the sudden change that took place in Sa’d-ed-Dowleh’s political creed was due to nothing more than a realization of the hopeless incapacity of the loud voiced champions of Liberty, Fraternity and Equality whose cause he had at first espoused. He went into exile with his Imperial Master in 1909, but he does not appear to have shown any sympathy for the ex-Shah’s attempts to regain his lost throne. Herein, perhaps he displayed his patriotism ― or his astuteness; the opinions of his friends and his enemies will naturally differ on this point. But that Sa’d-ed-Dowleh possesses good qualities is proved by the fact that the invitation sent to him to return to Persia was despatched by Samsam-es-Saltaneh with the approval of both Russia and Britain. Extract from the Pioneer November, 30^th, 1912.

Who's who in Persia. Calcutta: General Staff, India, 1916-1923, pp. 373―374.