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Saudi Arabia and Iran: Outside Pressures 79

knew how ineffective lie would be in any direct confrontation
with Britain, Iran had known a long period of domination by
Britain and Russia in the nineteenth century, and, after the accession
to power of Riza Shah, in 1921, became openly assertive of its
rights and integrity, on both the national and the international
level. The period 1918-21 had been difficult. Instead of being
allowed to participate at the Paris Peace Conference, the Persian
Government was made to realise that the collapse of Czarist Russia
had only served to strengthen the British hold on Persia. This
realisation became clearer with the conclusion of the Anglo-Pcrsian
Treaty of August 1919, which gave Britain the greatest possible
influence, short of declaring a protectorate, in the country; for
example, the British Government became responsible for the reorgani­
sation of not only the financial, but also the military, administration
of the country. The movement led by Riza was the natural outcome
of the restrictive clauses of the treaty, and his main aim on assuming
control was to consolidate the authority of his government: first,
by centralising its power; later, by establishing the state’s external
independence. During the 1920s and 1930s, therefore, it was these
concerns that, as the British Government was fully aware, governed
Anglo-Iranian relations.
Following the basic principles of his internal policy, Riza Shah
first concentrated on systematically destroying the semi-autonomy
of the provinces of Iran: in 1921, Khurasan and Gilan were subdued;
in 1922, after the Government had quelled a rising in Tabriz,
the Kurds submitted; and in 1924 a revolt by the tribes of Luristan
was suppressed. Riza took a particularly close interest in establishing
and organising an efficient Iranian armed force. The first step
was to dismiss the foreign—mostly British and Swedish—officers
of the existing military. In 1924 his forces were strong enough
to tackle the province of Arabistan (present-day Khuzistan), which
was governed by Shaykh Khaz‘al of Muhammarah, in whose territory
the oilfields of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company lay, and who conse­
quently had special assurances of protection from Britain. When
Shaykh Khaz'al publicly denounced Riza, the latter swiftly threatened
military operations against him; unable to resist, the Khaz‘al bowed
to the pressure and in November 1924 tendered his submission.
The next month a military government was established in Khuzistan,
and in April 1925 Khaz'al was arrested and sent to Tehran, where
he lived under house arrest until his death.
Riza’s treatment of Khaz‘al necessarily brought on the possibility
of a confrontation with the British Government, which had given
the shaykh a good deal of support. But, although the British made
official protests regarding his submission and exile, little else was
done. The resurgence of nationalism in Iran had caused widespread