Morgan Shuster
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222105938
2008-06-27T16:12:38Z
Friejose
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/* Background */ wikifix
[[image:MorganShuster.jpg|thumb|right|W. Morgan Shuster, Late Treasurer-General of Persia and author of ''The Strangling of Persia''.]]
'''William Morgan Shuster''' ([[1877]] — [[1960]]), [[United States|American]] lawyer, civil servant, and publisher, who is best known as the [[treasurer-general of Persia]] by appointment of the Iranian parliament, or [[Majlis of Iran|Majlis]], from May to December [[1911]].
==Background==
Shuster was born in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, DC]] and educated in the [[The George Washington University|Columbian University and Law School]]. After graduation, Shuster who became a customs collector for the U.S. government, serving in [[Cuba]] in [[1899]] following the [[Spanish American War]], and in the [[Philippines]], which was at that time an American colony.
==In Persia==
In [[1906]], the [[Constitutional Revolution of Iran]] sought to establish a Western-oriented, democratic [[civil society]] in [[Persian Empire|Persia]]. The movement forced the [[Shah]] to agree to the election of the first Majlis, the opening up of a relatively free press, and a number of other reforms.
After being recommended by the U.S. government to the Iranian minister in Washington, Shuster was appointed by the Majlis to help manage the country's financial position. Persia was on shaky financial footing at the time due to heavy debts accumulated by the [[Qajar]]s, the Persian royal family, to the two colonial powers of [[Great Britain]] and [[Imperial Russia|Russia]] in Iran. Great Britain and Russia had previously carved up Persia into two spheres of influence pursuant to the [[Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907]]. [[image:Shuster-team.jpg|thumb|left|Morgan Shuster and American officials at Atabak Palace, Tehran, 1911.]] Shuster became active in supporting the Constitutional revolution of Persia financially. <ref>See p.83 of:
*بررسی مناسبات ايران و آمريکا 1925 ميلادی -1851. سيدعلی موجانی. وزارت امورخارجه - دفتر مطالعات سياسی و بين المللی. چاپ اول : تهران 1375. موسسه چاپ و انتشارات وزارت امور خارجه
*Link: http://www.iranian.com/Behgar/2006/July/USA/Images/MONASBATeAMRIKA.pdf</ref> When Iran's government ordered ''Shu'a al-Saltaneh (شعاع السلطنه)'', the Shah's brother, who was aligned with the goals of [[Imperial Russia]] in Persia, to surrender his assets to the government, Shuster was assigned this task, which he promptly moved to execute. [[Imperial Russia]] immediately landed troops in [[Bandar Anzali]] demanding a recourse and apology from the Persian government.
The hiring of Shuster and his American associates as financial advisors concerned the imperial powers, who sought to keep Persia from independent influences and dampen national feeling.
Under Russian and British pressure, the vice-regent of Persia expelled Shuster from office in December 1911 against the will of the Persian parliament. Shortly thereafter, due to the chaotic political climate created by Shuster's ouster, the deposed Shah, [[Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar]] attempted an invasion of Persia.
<blockquote>''The Majlis approved (Shuster's) financial powers. Shortly after his arrival the Russian government demanded his expulsion, and when the Majlis refused to do so, Russia occupied northern parts of Iran. The Majlis was suspended, and no budget law was prepared for a number of years.''<sup>[http://www.irvl.net/88_years_of_government.htm]</sup></blockquote>
hence eventually, [[Majlis of Iran|Iran's parliament]] in Tehran was shelled by General Liakhoff of [[Imperial Russia]], and the American Morgan Shuster was forced to resign under tremendous British and Russian pressures. Shuster's book ''"The Strangling of Persia"'' is a recount of the details of these events, a harsh criticism of [[United Kingdom|Britain]] and [[Imperial Russia]].
==''The Strangling of Persia''==
Shuster returned to the [[United States]] and wrote a scathing indictment of Russian and British meddling in the affairs of Persia, titled ''[http://www.mage.com/SP.html The Strangling of Persia]''. In one well-known passage of that book, Shuster decried the influence of the [[Great Powers]]:
<blockquote>''[I]t was obvious that the people of Persia deserve much better than what they are getting, that they wanted us to succeed, but it was the British and the Russians who were determined not to let us succeed.''</blockquote>
''The Strangling of Persia'' was originally published in [[New York City|New York]] by the [[Century Company]] in [[1912]], then reprinted by the [[Greenwood Press]] in [[1968]] and [[Mage Publishers]] in [[1987]] and [[2005]]. The book was subtitled, the ''story of the European diplomacy and oriental intrigue that resulted in the denationalization of twelve million Mohammedans, a personal narrative''. The book is currently in print, ISBN 0-934211-06-X.
==References==
<references/>
==See also==
*[[U.S.-Iran relations]]
*[[History of Iran]]
*[[List of Iranians#Famous Americans in Iran|Famous Americans in Iran]]
*[[Persian Constitutional Revolution]]
*[[The Great Game]]
[[Category:Expatriates in Iran|Shuster, Morgan]]
[[Category:American lawyers|Shuster, Morgan]]
[[Category:American writers|Shuster, Morgan]]
[[Category:American publishers (people)]]
[[Category:1877 births|Shuster, Morgan]]
[[Category:1960 deaths|Shuster, Morgan]]
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