'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎517] (576/714)

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THE NORTH-WEST AND WESTERN PROVINCES
517
rMjij
1
pares tk
lioffererjOf® 1
Population
miles. Colonel Stewart, now Consul-General at Tabriz, returns it
as 43,500, General Schindler as 35,000. The total population
is estimated at not far short of 2,000,000/ of which the
Kurds are reckoned at 450,000, and the Christians at
72,900 (Nestorians, 44,000 ; Armenians, 28,900). Owing in part
to the missionary establishments of the foreign churches, in part
to the staffs of the various consulates at Tabriz, and in part to the
mercantile importance of the latter city, there are now as many as
120 Europeans and Americans in the province. The name
Azerbaijan is said to be derived from Azer, fire, and baijan, keeper,
and to testify to the ancient predominance of the fire-worshippers
in this part of Persia. It is identical with the Atropatia or Atro-
patene of the classical writers.
In the tables which I publish elsewhere of the Persian Re
venue for 1888 to 1889, the contribution of Azerbaijan appears
at 786,142 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , plus 60,062 Miarvors of grain, or a
and ex- total money value of 966.666 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , equivalent to
penditure 276,190?. On the other hand, the revenue for 1889 to
1890 appears in the Consular Report 2 as 385,674/. No two tables
of Persian accounts were ever found to agree : and there is frequently
sufficient ground for divergence in the different bases upon which
the conflicting calculations have been framed. In this case the
figures in the earlier and smaller estimate are those of revenue
from taxes and customs only, and are calculated at the rate of 35
krans to \l. The figures in the Consular Report contain other
items, as the following table shows ; and the recent remarkable
rise in silver having lowered the rate of exchange to 30 krans
to the 11., they are counted at that rate :—
'Maliat' (including land tax in money, rent of Crown lands, tax
on cattle, and tax on trades), 750,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. ....
Tax in kind, 15,200 kharvars (liharvar = 1,000 lbs.) of grain =
6,785| tons. Value, at 15s. a hharvar of 1,000 lbs .
7,000 kharvars of straw = 3,125 tons, at 6s. $d. a Tiharvar of
1,000 lbs
Customs and octroi, 271,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
Passports, 20,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
Total .
£
= 275,000
= 11,400 0 0
2,275
90,333
6,666 13
385.674 19 0
This total is not in itsel f by any means too severe a burden for
1 If this be correct, Azerbaijan must be by far the most thickly populated pro
vince of Persia.
2 Diplomatic and Consular Reports, No. 789, 1890.