Diplomacy and Murder in Tehran
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Laurence Kelly F.R.S.L. is the author of a distinguished biography of Lermontov. He has studied and lived in Russia. ‘My book of the year is Laurence Kelly’s Diplomacy and Murder in Tehran. Kelly’s description of the literary and social life in St Petersburg and Moscow in the early 19th century is fascinating in itself and a portrait of a doomed generation of young, cultured aristocrats.’ Raymond Carr, The Spectator ‘Kelly’s highly readable and enjoyable book is the first biography in English of this intriguing figure. It is doubly fascinating: as an insight into a golden age of Russian literature, and for its diplomatic and military history of a region that still interests us.’ Jan Dalley, Financial Times ‘A vivid, dramatic story. .The exotic life of a supremely Russian, a well-told, informative tale, contemporary relevance – what more could the reader ask?’ George Walden, The Sunday Telegraph ‘Laurence Kelly’s wonderfully thorough life of Griboyedov, Diplomacy and Murder in Tehran is a first-class work of scholarship and a terrific, sensa- tional read. Not just a gripping story, but an important book.’ Philip Hensher, Books of the Year, The Spectator ‘In Laurence Kelly, Griboyedov has found a biographer who is at home in the princely salons of St Petersburg as he is in the souks of the Orient or the vine covered foothills of the Caucasus. An excellent book that is as impressive in scholarship as it is easy, indeed addictive, to read. A tour de force.’ Simon Sebag-Montefiore ‘Carefully researched and superbly planned…the book and its narrative are extremely exciting, telling an unfamiliar and gripping story.’ John Bayley, Times Literary Supplement ‘In this fascinating biography, Laurence Kelly paints and enthralling portrait not only of the doomed diplomat but also of a critical episode in the often tormented relationship between Russia and Iran.’ Philip Mansel, Sunday Times ‘Kelly, a prizewinning author, wears his meticulous scholarship lightly and tells a riveting tale that reads like a Russian novel.’ Shusha Guppy, Times Higher Educational Supplement ‘A fascinating a readable account of the life and death of Alexander Griboyedov.’ Donald Rayfield, Literary Review ‘Well-researched and finely written. It is a fascinating tale of imperial con- flict and political intrigue with much contemporary relevance.’ New York Review of Books ‘Laurence Kelly must be congratulated on finding such a dramatic story and telling it in such a lively style, in a work of true but unobtrusive scholarship. Anyone with even a casual interest in Russian history will be gripped, and moved, by this book.’ John Jolliffe, The Tablet ‘Laurence Kelly has produced the first-ever English biography of Griboyedov. His book admirably reflects the attitudes and sensitivities of the era and illuminates the roots of many of the conflicts that plague the region to this day.’ Parviz C. Radji, Former Imperial Persia’s Ambassador to London, The Moscow Tribune ‘Brilliant and multi-faceted…both his life and death make for an extraordi- nary tale. In Laurence Kelly Griboyedov has found the biographer he de- serves. A groundbreaking book. A treasure trove for future historians and literary scholars on this subject and period.’ Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky, Moscow Times ‘I can think of no more agreeable way of learning about the complicated early history of Russian interference in Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus than by reading this account which, if it were fiction, would be unbelievable. Laurence Kelly deserves congratulation for producing this riveting, fast-paced story.’ Antony Wynn, Cornucopia ‘A lively, thoroughly researched and highly dramatic tale of events. Kelly not only makes a notable contribution to the study of Russian imperialism and Russo-Persian relations, but he succeeds in producing a more subtle and persuasive account of Griboyedov himself.’ Simon Franklin, Rossica ‘An admirable contribution to the study of the least known of the great troika of Russian literature’s first flowering. A vibrant book.’ East-West Review, Journal of the Great Britain-Russia Society ‘Stunningly researched. This book offers a valuable contribution to the diplomatic history of Russia, the Caucasus and Iran.’ London Diplomat DIPLOMACY AND MURDER IN TEHRAN Alexander Griboyedov and Imperial Russia’s Mission to the Shah of Persia LAURENCE KELLY TPP TAURIS PARKE PAPERBACKS Published in 2006 by Tauris Parke Paperbacks An imprint of I.B.Tauris and Co Ltd 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010 www.ibtauris.com First published in 2002 by I.B.Tauris and Co Ltd Copyright © 2002, 2006 Laurence Kelly The right of Laurence Kelly to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN 1 84511 196 6 EAN 978 1 84511 196 0 A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: available Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt. Ltd. Contents Acknowledgements ix List of Illustrations xii Introduction 1 IAMoscow Education 5 II The War of 1812 16 III Literary Beginnings: St Petersburg 24 IV The Duel 32 V Into Exile 40 VI Arrival in Tiflis 47 VII Yermolov and Russian Imperialism 53 VIII Journey to Tehran 58 IX Tabriz and the Deserters 65 X Diplomatic Diversions 73 XI Return to Tiflis 82 XII Theatrical Campaigns, Moscow 88 XIII Woe from Wit 95 XIV Love and Politics, St Petersburg 107 XV Crimea and the Northern Caucasus 116 XVI The Decembrist Débacle 128 XVII The Persian Campaign 138 XVIII Armistice Negotiations 147 XIX The Treaty of Turkmanchai 153 XX A Hero’s Return 162 XXI Courtship and Marriage 170 XXII Tabriz to Tehran 179 XXIII Countdown to the Massacre 187 XXIV Diplomatic Repercussions 195 XXV The Aftermath 201 Appendix I: Griboyedov’s Death and the ‘British Conspiracy’ Theory 205 Appendix II: Table of Russian Ranks 223 Appendix III: Anglo–Russian Rivalry in Persia 224 Notes on the Text 227 Bibliography 288 Index 304 Acknowledgements There is no full-length biography of Griboyedov in English; considering his importance as a literary figure in Russia, there has also been com- paratively little written about him in the West. In part this may be due to the shortage of the necessary literature about him in university or academic libraries. I should exemplify this by explaining how much biographical material relating to Griboyedov and his contemporaries is to be found in those two repositories of 19th century Russian history, Russky Arkiv and Russkaya Starina: even the London Library, with its first-class Russian collection, does not possess these series in full. Of necessity, this book has been something of a pioneering work, involving a decade of research, and including journeys to Russia, Georgia and the Crimea. I am enormously grateful for the help and generosity I have received on the way. Among Western academics, my greatest debt is to Professor Evelyn Harden, late of Fraser University, Vancouver. I have been able to draw extensively from her PhD thesis for Harvard University in 1966, analysing Yuri Tynianov’s historical work The Death of the Vazir Mukhtar (i.e. Griboyedov). This exhaustive piece of scholarship has provided me with many illuminating insights into Griboyedov’s diplomatic role, and the history of Georgia, Persia and Armenia in the 1820s. I am also grateful for her patience in reading a number of draft chapters, and pointing out errors and omissions. The search for rare books and studies of Griboyedov’s activities in Georgia has led me to have recourse to the kindness of many inhabitants of that most ancient corner of the world, notably Tamila Mgaloblishvili and Irakli and Gela Charkviani; I am also very grateful to Liya Kiknadze and Tamara Dragadze for checking the archives at their disposal for details of Griboyedov’s role in repatriating Russian deserters to Tiflis. Regrettably their researches have proved fruitless, perhaps because files have been removed; the thorny problem of the deserters’ fate, and the numbers involved, is still unsolved. My friend Gyorgy Putnikov, in Moscow, has been equally unsuccessful in finding the answer. On Persian questions, which involved a language I regret I cannot speak or read, I owe a special mention to Sir Claus Moser for introducing me to Dr John Gurney of the Oriental Institute in Oxford; thanks to Dr Gurney I was able to enlist the help of the distinguished Persian historian ix Diplomacy and Murder in Tehran Dr Negin Nabavi in researching and interpreting Persian sources. Thanks also to Dr Homa Katouzïan of Oxford for his professionalism in defining the pound/toman exchange rates. I am deeply grateful to Shusha Guppy and Shirin Mahdavi for their help and introductions. It is also pleasant to record the high quality of the Persian section of the Library of the Royal Geographical Society. To the extent that this book makes a fresh contribution to our understanding of the tangled story of Russian and Anglo–Persian relations in the late 1820s, I have to express my gratitude to the helpful staff of the India Office Library, and to Michael Blake and Dr Anthony Farringdon. I must also offer my thanks to Sir Denis Wright, who with his encyclopaedic knowledge of Anglo–Persian history, gave me many generous leads, and unstinting encouragement at the right moment.