Mahmud Jam, taking effective steps in saving the state from near bankruptcy by modifying the tax laws. In December 1936, he proposed a bill to Majles that would seal a large contract with two American companies. The bill came under heavy protest from the British and the Russian governments, putting intense pressure on Dāvar's ministry. On 10 February 1937 the news of Dāvar's apparent suicide took the capital Tehran by storm. Rumors spread that two days earlier Dāvar had been in private severely reprimanded and threatened by Reza Pahlavi. Some newspapers wrote that he had died of a heart attack, however others suggested that his death had been related to his proposed American bill to Majlis. Davar is said to have died by an overdose of opium. Four years before, in 1933, Reza Pahlavi had arrested Davar's closest friend Teymourtash. Teymourtash died shortly afterward in prison. Many say he was killed by the prison's physician through lethal injection on orders of Reza—a method widely used in those days. Dāvar is regarded as one of the most productive ministers during Iran's tumultuous years of the early 20th century, who made sweeping reforms to Iran's judicial system. In commemorating Dāvar, Reza Pahlavi is said to have told members of the Judiciary: "Don't ever think that you can become as good as Dāvar, by merely sitting in his chair." References Further reading Davar Ardalan, My Name Is Iran: A Memoir (Henry Holt and Co., New York, 2007). , . External links The Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran Islamic Republic of Iran Judiciary Public Relations Bureau Dāvar's great-granddaughter on NPR Source used for this article 'Alí Rizā Awsatí (عليرضا اوسطى), Iran in the past three centuries (Irān dar Se Qarn-e Goz̲ashteh - ايران در سه قرن گذشته), Vol. 2 (Paktāb Publishing - انتشارات پاکتاب, Tehran, Iran, 2003). . 20th-century Iranian politicians 1885 births 1937 deaths Iranian prosecutors Members of the National Consultative Assembly Ministers of Justice of Iran People from Sari, Iran Revival Party politicians University of Geneva alumni