'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎528] (591/714)

PERSIA
the coffee-shops of Stambul. A few years ago Russia endeavoured
to stimulate the growth of cotton in Azerbaijan for her own supply
by distributing cotton-seed gratuitously to the native cultivators;
but the climate is less propitious in this province than in other
parts of Persia. With reference to the figures of exports given
above, and in mitigation of the disparity existing between them and
the imports, it should be mentioned that there is a large contraband
trade across the border both with the Russian and Turkish pro
vinces, which escapes the Custom-house altogether; and that the
total value of exports is probably half as much again.
Although the figures that I have cited seem to indicate a con
siderable volume of trade, complaints have long been heard in
Present Tabriz of the difficulties and small profits of business,
and future This arises principally from the vicious system of very
long credits, which is a time-honoured institution in this market,
from the rapid and constant fluctuations in exchange, and from the
commercial morality of the Persian traders, which is as low as can
well be imagined. A fraudulent bankruptcy, easily achieved by a
bribe to the officials, or mullahs, is the favourite means of escaping
an irksome debt. No doubt trade would be much improved if
either of two roads which have been talked about for years were
constructed ; (1) from Bayazid on the Turkish frontier (on the
Trebizond route), via Khoi to Tabriz, and thence to Kazvin, where
the main road would be struck to Teheran ; (2) via Ardebil to
Astara on the Caspian. Nothing has hitherto come of either of
these projects, although rumour is at this moment busy with their
extended execution. It is not safe in Persian politics, however, to
look much more than a yard beyond the end of your nose; and
therefore I shall say no more about them. The Manchester firm
of Ziegler's is the principal European house of business in Tabriz.
As I have said, Azerbaijan is the recruiting ground of the
flower of the Persian army, if, indeed, the phrase can be used of a
Azerbaijan f orce that ordinarily presents so bedraggled an appearance,
troops x speak here, however, of the material, not of the methods
or results. Abbas Mirza collected in this province the entire army
which, although ultimately severely beaten, performed so creditably
in the opening engagements of the Russian campaign. At the
time of the war (1826) the Azerbaijan army consisted of 20,000
cavalry, 6,000 regular infantry, and 10,000 irregular infantry, the
second item being to a large extent drilled and in part officered