Page:Historyofpersiaf00watsrich.djvu/396

376 A HISTORY OF FERSIA. On the llth of March, 1849, the regiments of the gar- rison of the citadel of Tehran refused to listen to the commands of their officers, and proceeded to the house of the Ameer-i- Nizam, in front of which they began to vociferate loudly, and to demand their arrears of pay. They were, however, persuaded to return to their quarters, on the promise that their alleged grievances would be inquired into on the following morning, and redressed if proved to be real. On the next day the troops again made their appearance unarmed ; but they were con- fronted by the personal attendants of the Minister, who fired upon the clamorous mob. Upon this the exas- perated troops returned to their barracks for their arms, and again came forth in a body, vowing vengeance against the Ameer. The Persian Minister had now recourse to the friendly interference of the English charge d'affaires at Tehran. That officer had formerly been employed in the command of Persian troops, and he was listened to by the mutineers ; but his efforts were insufficient to quell the tumult. The furious soldiers were unanimous in their demand that the Ameer should be dismissed or put to death ; and not a word was now said as to their arrears of pay. The Shah had not the means of putting down this mutiny, at the outset, by force, and it seemed likely that he would be compelled to submit to the dangerous course of allowing himself to be dictated to by an armed throng. The Minister in this dilemma volunteered to retire from office ; he left the citadel forthwith, and took up his abode in the house of Meerza Agha Khan, whose services to the government on this occasion won for him the -entire confidence of the Shah and of the Ameer-i-Nizam.