THE DEPOSED SHAH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9557, 2 August 1909, Page 3

THE DEPOSED SHAH.

The career of the deponed Shah Mohammed Ali of Persia ha 3 been even more stormy that usually befalls an Eastern monarch, and his reign was short. The Constitution of Persia was promulgated on August sth, 1906, by an edict of the Shah Muz-affer-ed-Din. The edict was the result r>f various political disturbances, which were bought . bout by the scandalous misgovurnment of the Ahi-cd-Dowlah, who was then vizier, and culminated in the grounds of the British Legation at lehnran. The Fundamental Laws were promulgated on January 3rd, 1907. Five days later Muzaffer-ed'Din died, and Mohammed Ali rcighed in his stead. Mohammed Ali, immediately he came to the Throne, began to show his intention of wrecking the Constitution. He refused to invite members of the Assembly to his coronation, and advised his Minister* to refuse to attend its sittings. 'lhe provincial governors followed suit, and in many cases did their utmost to prevent the local elections taking place. In February, 1907, the Assembly demanded an explicit declaration on the pa,.t of the Shah that ha would recognise the Constitution. This declaration wus finally obtained from the Shah in October, 1907. But he constantly intrigued against the Constitutor and, when Parliament refused to sanctiun some extravagant proposals he had made his artillery bombarded the Assembly and razed it to the ground, the members were dispersed and numbers were executed. After that the Shah governed with reactionary Ministers. Rebellion was raised by the Nationalists, who joined Hands with the revolutionaries and Bakhtiari, and marched against Teheran. The city was entered. They found there the bulk ot the citizens sympathizing with them, the Cossacks under the Russian officer Colonel Liakhoff were compelled to seek terms of surrender, and a hurriedly convoked Nationalist Asembly deposed the Shah. Mohammed Ali is '■J7 years of age.