He was a Crimean Jewish who graduated from Petersburg School of Orientalism and was fluent in languages like Turkish, Persian, Arabic and French. In 1900 Mirza Reza Khan Arfa-al-Doleh was assigned by Iran court to find a suitable teacher for the crown prince...

Fatemeh Moezzi
 
He was a Crimean Jewish who graduated from Petersburg School of Orientalism and was fluent in languages like Turkish, Persian, Arabic and French. In 1900 Mirza Reza Khan Arfa¢-al-Doleh was assigned by Iran court to find a suitable teacher for the crown prince, Mohammad Ali Mirza. He chose Shapshal who had recently graduated and sent him to Tabriz.
 
 
Shapshal engaged in educating the crown prince in Tabriz and his income was 16 thousand rubles a year. He made friendly and close ties with the crown prince during his stay in Tabriz and gained power of influence over him. After the transfer of throne to Mohammad Ali Mirza, Shapshal came to Tehran too. His influence did not decrease and he settled in the position of opponents of the constitution. This was while the constitutionalists attacked him too as the Russian element against constitution and provoking Mohammad Ali Shah and vilified him in the publications. One of the requests of the first parliament was the dismissal of Shapshal from the court and the Shah apparently agreed but he was accompanied by Shapshal when he went to the Shah Garden. After the liquidation of the parliament and start of the minor oppression, journalists and followers of constitution were arrested and transferred to the Shah Garden. Shapshal was present in their trials and even reprimanded some of them. In 1908, despite his and Mohammad Ali Shah’s will, he was forced to leave Iran and went home to Crimea. Belgian Neves believed: “Shapshal is a corrupt, worthless man who only thinks of himself and can be purchased by anyone who pays his worth.”