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‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎278r] (562/722)

The record is made up of 1 volume (384 folios). It was created in 1886-1895. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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colours is borue the name of the district to which the battalion belongs,
with its regimental number and division.
Seven regiments of infantry have been nominally disbanded, in order to be
replaced by a division being organised by Colonel Schemel,who, with twelve
other Austrian officers, has been employed since the beginning of last year
in the Shah’s service. It is intended that this division should consist of
three regiments of three battalions each,—one battalion of light infantry
(jagir) and three battalions of artillery. At present it does not comprise
more than 2,200 men, and the old battalions still exist, though they are
not called out on service. The scale of pay having been increased, and the
men belonging to this corps being lodged and fed more in accordance with
European ideas, its cost to the Persian government is relatively heavy, the
annual disbursement for each 1,000 men being estimated at about 45,000
tumans.
The Austrian officers have fixed the following rates of pay for their divi
sion :—
Officers.
Colonel
Tumans.
... 600 a y
Lieutenant-colonel
• •
... 500 „
Major
..
... 400 „
Captain
..
... 300 „
1 st lieutenant
• ••
. . *. . .
... 150 „
2 nd lieutenant
...
..
... 120 „
Extra allowances to officers for forage, &c., are only given while on active
service in the field, and outfits on first appointments.
Men.
Shatus.
Sergeant-major
Sergeant
Corporal
Private, 1st class
Private, 2nd class
18 a day.
16 „
14 „
13 „
12 „
The regular infantry regiments in Persia are at present mostly
with smoothbores ; but the Persian government now possesses—
700 Wendel rifles. 1 30,000 tabatieres.
6,000 chassepots. ‘ 20,000 Minie rifles.
50,000 to 60,000 smoothbores of various systems.
armed
Memorandum on the Persian Army, by Lieutenant-Colonel K. Smith, R.E.:* 9th
September 1883.
It is very difficult to get trustworthy statistics regarding the Persian
army. Few officers or government officials know anything beyond what
comes under their immediate notice. The nominal strength of the several
regiments, and even the number of regiments, differ widely from the actual
figures.
* Note by Captain F. de Lcessoe, Translator of Foreign Furopean Languages, Foreign
Department.
This memorandum does not appear to be quite correct. Mr. Thomson’s memorandum, dated
21st June 1880, is much better, and may be trusted in all cases where the two memoranda differ.

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Content

This volume is Volume I of the four-volume Gazetteer of Persia (1886 edition). It was compiled for political and military reference by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Metcalfe MacGregor, Assistant Quarter Master General, in 1871, and brought up to 31 July 1885 by the Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General’s Department in India. It was printed by the Government Central Branch Press, Simla, India in 1886.

The areas of Persia [Iran] covered are Astarabad, Shahrud-Bustan, Khurasan [Khorāsān], and Sistan. The boundaries of the areas covered by Volume I are as follows: the Afghan border from the River Helmand to Sarakhs in the east; and from there a line north-west to Askhabad, due west to the Atrak, which it follows to the Caspian Sea; then along the sea coast to Ashurada Island; then in a straight line to Shahrud; and from the latter south-east to Tabas hill, Sihkuha, and the Helmand, from where the river first meets the south-east border of Sistan.

The gazetteer includes entries on human settlements and buildings (forts, hamlets, villages, towns, provinces, and districts); communications (passes, roads, bridges, canals, and halting places); tribes and religious sects; and physical features (rivers, streams, springs, wells, fords, valleys, mountains, hills, plains, and bays). Entries include information on history, geography, buildings, population, ethnography, resources, trade, agriculture, and climate.

Information sources are provided at the end of each gazetteer entry, in the form of an author or source’s surname, italicised and bracketed.

The volume includes the following illustrations: ‘VIEW OF AK-DARBAND.’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 12v]; ‘PLAN OF AK-KALA.’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 14]; ‘ROUGH SKETCH OF ASTARÁBÁD, FROM AN EYE-SKETCH BY LT.-COL. BERESFORD LOVETT, R. E., 1881.’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 24]; ‘ROUGH PLAN OF BASHRÚGAH’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 40v]; ‘ROUGH PLAN OF BÚJNÚRD’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 48]; and ‘BUJNURD, FROM THE S. W.’ [Mss Eur F112/376, f 49v].

It also includes the following inserted papers (folios 51 to 60): a memorandum from the Office of the Quartermaster General in India, Intelligence Branch to Lord Curzon, dated 6 December 1895, forwarding for his information ‘Corrections to Volume I of the Gazetteer of Persia’, consisting of articles on the Nishapur district of the province of Khorasan, and the Shelag river.

Extent and format
1 volume (384 folios)
Arrangement

The volume is arranged as follows from the front to the rear: title page; preface; list of authorities consulted; and entries listed in alphabetical order.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 388, these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.

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English in Latin script
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‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎278r] (562/722), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/376, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100107690763.0x0000a3> [accessed 28 November 2024]

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