Markus Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Nice photo mate! But actually this photo was signed (most likely) on June 30, 1909. In addition to 2nd class breast star of lion and sun order this handsome desperado has 2nd class breast star of noble Bukhara order. And a HUGE watch on the left hand! Regards, Nick P.S. Almost finished the new thread completely devoted to Cossack brigade Yes that date of 1909 makes more sense given the history of Cossack Brigade and lion and sun order! It looks like he split the year date with the month date. I look forward to seeing your Cossack Brigade thread. No better example of Russian and Persian relations history. Markus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Here is another Russian beauty! A commander badge. Thanks Mitya for spotting this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 The back of Russian made commander badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Post 16 in this thread http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/53054-russians-and-their-lions/ Cheers, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Post 16 in this thread http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/53054-russians-and-their-lions/ Cheers, Nick Lol! I thought it looked familiar! I looked through this entire thread thinking I have seen it before but neglected to look through your Russian Lion and sun thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Mohammad Vali Khan Tonekaboni Mohammad-Vali Khan, Sepahsālār-e Khalatbari Tonekāboni (Persian: محمدولیخان سپهسالار تنکابنی), also known as Sepahdar A'zam orSepahsālār-e A'zam-e Tonekāboni (Persian: سپهسالار اعظم تنکابنی), was the leader of the constitutionalist revolutionary forces from Iran's northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran and known as one of the greatest statesman and military commanders of Persian history as well as its wealthiest nobleman. He served as colonel for ten years and became Minister of Post and Telegraph as well as Minister of Customs where he was in charge of all imports into and exports out of the Persian empire. Later he became Minister of Treasury where he was singlehandedly in charge of the entire country's coin issue. He also held the title of Minister of Defence and was Prime Minister for four terms. His highest military title was Commander in Chief. He was of the royal Khalatbari family. As an ethnic Persian, Sepahsalar Khalatbari was the only leader who was able to restore security inside Persia by controlling the ethnic Turkomans inside the kingdom. He was called upon many times by not only the various sectors of the Persian government but also by the Russians to suppress the Turkomans. His enormous wealth with income estimated at US$2 million/year in the early 1900s (the equivalent of $530 million/year in 2000) allowed him to be the chief financier of the Persian Empire where he would use his property as collateral for loans the kingdom obtained from Russia and Britain. In 1909 he was given the title Sepahdar Azam and was sent by then King Mohammad Ali Shah to crush the Turkoman Azerbaijani constitutionalist uprising in the northwest headed by Baqer Khan and Satter Khan. He arrived in Azerbaijan but refused to fight the constitutionalist forces deeming it "fratricide". Instead he returned to Tonekabon and due to his genius military skill and national democratic following became the leader of the constitutionalist and anti-royalist forces, the same forces he was sent to crush. As their new leader he first occupied the city of Qazvin and then marched onto Tehran. During his march to Tehran the Russian foreign ministry in Saint Petersburg sent a telegram to the Russian Embassy in Tehran stating: "Please inform His Excellency Sepahdar Azam that if he and his army peacefully march on Tehran and then proceed to the house of Saad al Dowleh, then on the authority of this telegram, Sepahdar Azam and all his relatives and kin will be placed in the protection of the Tsarist government. The Tsarist government will pay him the equivalent of 6 million gold menats (approx US$500,000,000)." Sepahdar Azam (Khalatbari Tonekaboni) wrote back "The Russian government believes I have done all this for my own personal gain. For Iran's freedom and independence I will sacrifice my life and property and those of my children." Rejecting the Tsarist government's request, he continued his march and forced the royalists in Tehran to surrender. King Mohammad Ali Shah fled and sought refuge in the Russian embassy, then left Persia altogether. With no king or ruler, parliament passed a resolution to crown Khalatbari Tonekaboni the new King of Persia. He refused this title and instead urged a constitutional democracy. Eventually he accepted the title of Sepahsalar (Commander in Chief). Sepahsalar-e Khalatbari Tonekaboni became Minister of Defence in the first constitutionalist government that followed dethroning of King Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar in 1909. He subsequently became Prime Minister of Iran four times. As the largest property owner in Persia his noble "Khan" status allowed him to rule several fiefdoms in Gilan and Mazandarin provinces, including the city and regions surrounding Tonekabon. Sepahsalar Khalatbari Tonekaboni continued to fight the religious clerics' attempts to create a theocracy as well as the ruling establishments attempts to continue a monarchy. He took frequent trips to France to learn the French system of representative democracy. With the advent of the Pahlavi dynasty and the Reza Khans, imposed by the British in the 1920s, Sepahsalar Khalatbari Tonekaboni was placed under increased political pressure. Much of his property was seized by the new government in an attempt to control his wealth and his power. His favorite son, Colonel Ali Asghar Khan, was poisoned by agents of the Pahlavis. Sepahsalar had seen the new and first democratic constitutionalist government which he had created turn into an oppressive dictatorship plundered internally and controlled externally by the British. On July 16, 1926, at the age of eighty, Sepahsalar Khalatbari Tonekaboni committed suicide. His last note, written to his eldest son Amir Asad, read: "Amir Asad, right away take my body to the shrine for cleansing and burial next to my son Saad al Dowleh. Do it now. For after living eighty years no mourning or tears are needed for me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Samad Khan Momtaz os-Saltaneh, or Momtaz ol Saltaneh (1869–1955) (in Persian : صمد خان ممتاز السطنه) was an Iranian diplomat of the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasty era. Son of Ali-Akbar Mokrem os-Saltaneh, brother of Esmail Momtaz od-Dowleh, and Momtaz Homayoun, Samad Khan Momtaz os-Saltaneh was born in 1869 in Tabriz (Iran) in an Azeri family. He first married an Iranian. His son Abdollah would later become a diplomat in Iran. In a second marriage to a Frenchwomam, he had two daughters; one of them married a lawyer, the other, a magistrate. He died in 1955 in Paris and was buried at Père-Lachaise cemetery. In March 1921, Samad Khan was elevated Prince by Ahmad Shah with the title of Royal Highness. He was Grand Officier de la Légion d'honneur. In 1883, Samad Khan Momtaz os-Saltaneh was secretary of legation of Persia in Paris. He was embassy counsellor in St. Petersburg. He participated in the Nasser ed-Din Shah and then Mozaffar ed-Din Shah's travels to Europe. He was minister of Persia in Belgium and the Netherlands before being appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Minister in Paris in April 1905. He remained at this position until March 1926. He never returned to Iran and chose to live in Paris. He was recognized by the French government as counsellor of the Iranian embassy in Paris from March 5, 1946 to September 27, 1951. He was Prime Minister of Iran from 2 to 20 August 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Another portrait of Samad Khan Momtaz os-Saltaneh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 This is an unknown Persian Qajar Officer. He has two lion and sun medals, one of them having the stars between the rays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Another portrait of Samad Khan Momtaz os-Saltaneh. Please don't show these two photos of Samad Khan to this russian dude Mitya... Or he will go berserk! Because on one photo this Shah has one cockade (standing lion with the sword) and on the other photo he has another one (two lions and grenade between them)... Cheers, Nick P.S. Many thanks for posting these Markus! :beer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 When I saw this one I was simply dazed ... Simply amazing enamel work!!! To say nothing about diamonds and rubies! Interesting GB-style ribbon attachment Ex Spada Collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 When I saw this one I was simply dazed ... Simply amazing enamel work!!! To say nothing about diamonds and rubies! Interesting GB-style ribbon attachment Ex Spada Collection. Very nice Nick! An amazing early piece. Spada sure does have some of the best pieces. Thanks for posting. Markus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Another Persian Cossack portrait. The guy on the far right should get an award for having the most impressive mustache! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) A closer up view of the medals. In addition to the Lion and Sun medals we have Order of Art and Science, Turkish order of Mejidjie and Romanian order of the Crown. Edited March 26, 2012 by Markus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) Another Qajar portrait. In addition to a nice effigy medal, he has five order of Lion and Sun medals. Edited March 26, 2012 by Markus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I should really hurry with this new thread devoted to Cossack brigade, before you my friend post every Cossack photo in this thread! Regards, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I should really hurry with this new thread devoted to Cossack brigade, before you my friend post every Cossack photo in this thread! Regards, Nick LOL! Here is a question I would like answered, not knowing the Cossack uniforms very well. The little pockets along the breast areas that look like they are stuffed with cigars...what in the world are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) In this portrait the Persian officer looks like he is wearing every class of the Lion and Sun order he earned working his way up through the ranks. Edited March 26, 2012 by Markus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Another Qajar portrait. In addition to a nice effigy medal, he has five order of Lion and Sun medals. What a nice photo-portrait! Lions are lying? By the way this dude has "two lions and grenade" cockade, but "standing lion with the sword" emblem on his buckle... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr as my friend Mitya would say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanX Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) Here is a question I would like answered, not knowing the Cossack uniforms very well. The little pockets along the breast areas that look like they are stuffed with cigars...what in the world are they? These are "gazyry" ["газыри"] (from adygei "хьазыр" - "готовый" - "ready"). Originally these were the holders for ready-to-use powder + bullets charges covered in paper. Later (when bullet was introduced) these became decorative element. Regards, Nick Edited March 26, 2012 by JapanX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 These are "gazyry" ["газыри"] (from adygei "хьазыр" - "готовый" - "ready"). Originally these were holders for ready-to-use powder + bullets charges covered in paper. Later (when bullet was introduced) these become decorative element. Regards, Nick Thanks Nick! I knew you had the answer since you are quite the scholar! When they became purely decorative, they must have held at least some cigars. Their uniforms were quite nicely designed and were most distinctive. Markus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g1usxs Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 When I saw this one I was simply dazed ... Simply amazing enamel work!!! To say nothing about diamonds and rubies! Interesting GB-style ribbon attachment Ex Spada Collection. I am simply astonished!!! :jumping: :jumping: :jumping: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g1usxs Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Thanks Nick! I knew you had the answer since you are quite the scholar! When they became purely decorative, they must have held at least some cigars. Their uniforms were quite nicely designed and were most distinctive. Markus The boots aren't bad either. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitya Ivanov Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 "Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr as my friend Mitya would say." "There nothing else I can say..." (Lady Gaga:) Really don't know what to do with this buckles-and-cockades problem!!! Do we know any buckles with two-lions-the-crownbearers, btw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 A new arrival. A 1st class Halley Breast star with makers plate on the back with address, 143 Galerie de Valois, Palais-Royal, placing the manufacturing in the 1852-1870 era. This was the address of the firm during the reign of Napoleon III. Halley is one of my favorite makers having the best quality medals. The firm was taken over and changed name to Octave Lasne around 1900. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now