MUZAFFAR-ED-DIN, shah of Persia (1853-1907), the second son of Shah Nasr-ed-Din, was born on March 25, 1853. He was in due course declared vali and, or heir-apparent, and invested with the governorship of Azerbaijan, but on the assassi nation of his father in 1896 it was feared that his elder brother, Zill-es-Sultan, the governor of Isfahan, might prove a dangerous rival, especially when it was remembered that Muzaffar-ed-Din had been recalled to Teheran by his father upon his failure to suppress a Kurd rising in his province. Muzaffar-ed-Din was duly enthroned, with the support of the British and Russian govern ments, on June 8, 1896, the Russian general Kosakowsky, com mander of the Persian Cossacks, presiding with drawn sword.
Towards the end of 1896 the Amin-es-Sultan, who had been grand vizier during the last years of Nasr-ed-Din's reign, was disgraced, and Muzaffar-ed-Din announced his intention of being in future his own grand vizier. The Amin-ad-Dowla, a less mas terful servant, took office with the lower title of prime minister.
The financial difficulties of the Government, enhanced by the shah's colossal extravagance, gave a great opportunity to the Russians, who provided a Persian loan, and extended their influ ence in Persia. At the beginning of 1900 a fresh gold loan was negotiated with Russia, and a few months later Muzaffar-ed Din started on a tour in Europe by way of St. Petersburg (Lenin grad), where he was received with great state. He visited the Exhibition of 1900, and while there an attempt on his life was made by a madman named Francois Salson. By the end of 1901
his treasury was again empty; but a fresh Russian loan replen ished it and in 1902 he again came to Europe, paying on this occasion a State visit to England. On his way back he stopped at St. Petersburg, and at a banquet given in his honour by the tsar toasts were exchanged of unmistakable significance. None the less, during his visit to King Edward VII. the shah had been profuse in his expressions of friendship for Great Britain, and in 1903 a mission went to Teheran to invest him with the Garter.
The shah's misguided policy had created widespread disaffec tion in the country, and the brunt of popular disfavour fell on the atabeg (the title by which the Amin-es-Sultan was now known), who was once more disgraced in Sept. 1903. The war with . Japan now relaxed the Russian pressure on Teheran, and at the same time dried up the source of supplies; and the clergy, giving voice to the general misery and discontent, grew more and more outspoken in their denunciations of the shah's misrule. Muzaffar ed-Din made another journey to Europe in 1905; but he failed to obtain further supplies at St. Petersburg. In the summer of 1906 popular discontent culminated in extraordinary demonstra tions at Teheran, which practically amounted to a general strike. The shah proclaimed a liberal constitution, the first parliament being opened by him on Oct. 12, 1906. Muzaffar-ed-Din died on Jan. 8, 1907, being succeeded by his son Mohammed Ali Mirza.