Simultaneous with Nasseraddin Shah's second visit to Europe and talks of forming Cossack Brigade by the Russians, a child was born in 1877, in Alasht village of Savadkuh in Mazandaran who was named Reza and was destined to overthrow the Qajar rule and found the Pahlavi dynasty.
His father AbbassAli, a colonel of Savadkuh regiment and his mother Zahra (Nushafrin) were Caucasian migrants. At the birth of the child, Nushafarin lost his husband who was on a mission in Tehran. So she took her son and headed for her brother and relations in Tehran. They settled down in Sanglaj neighborhood and lead a very poor and destitute life. Reza Khan turned out to be a rogue and villain. For affording the basic necessities he worked as an errand boy in ironsmith's and the stable of British Legation. Eventually, through helps of Aboul- Hassan Khan, he entered Savadkuh regiment as a soldier. In 1896, subsequent to the murder of Nasseraddin Shah, this regiment was recalled to Tehran to guard the government centers and foreign legations. He took promotions in the regiment and became sergeant major of the Russian loan Bank in Meshed and sometimes later he became sergeant major of machine gun. He accompanied Ein-od-dowleh when he was exiled to Fariman. He became a favorite to Ein-od-dowleh and begins to learn reading and writing. In 1909, he joined Bakhtiary and Armenian forces to suppress the regional disorders in Zanjan and Ardebil. Then he was promoted major of the gunners', and eventually became the commander of Hamedan brigade. Then he was sent on a mission to suppress Mirza Kuchak Khan in Guilan.
As Russian forces began to evacuate Iranian cities, the British set for carrying a coup in Iran and achieving their long entertained goals. To do this, they made the preliminary arrangements with General Edmund Ironside (commander of British forces in Iran), Ardeshir Jey (the British spy in Iran), Reza Khan, commander of Hamedan brigade, and Seyyed Zia, managing editor of Raad daily. The Hamedan forces entered Tehran, occupied the capital without the least resistance, and arrested about one hundred political and leading figures and clergies. Ahmad Shah escaped to FarahAbad Palace, and Fath-ollah Khan Sepahdar Rashti to the British Legation. Eventually, RezaKhan and Seyyed Zia were appointed as the commander of Cossack division and as the prime minister respectively.
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