'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎41v] (87/610)

70
the ex-Shah with Amir Mu’aiyid, Rashid-us-Sultan and Turko
mans, amounting to about 2,500 men in all, went to Savad Kuk
(i.e., Elburz route No. 1 of Chapter X para, (c) ), while Arshad-
ud-Dauleh had already started from Astarabad with a force of
2,000 Turkomans for Shahrud on the Meshed-Tehran road.
The menace to Tehran was a serious one as these 3 forces greatly
outnumbered any force available for its defence and had the
Royalists shown more initiative and vigour they would have
reached their objective. *Sipah Salar, the Premier, had become
alienated from the Constitutionalists and took no action, and
the heart and soul of the opposition to Muhammad Ali was
Yeprim who despatched about 1,200 men under Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Muhi
(No. 76) to check the Royalists’ advance from Larijan and
Savad Kuh. Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Muhi placed a small guard on the Imam-
zadeh Hashim ridge between Damavand and Larijan (route
No. 2 above) and went on with the greater part of his force to
occupy the Dalichai ravine between Saiyidabad and Aminabad
(stage 4 of Elburz route No. 1), where he was attacked by
Rashid-us-Sultan and the Royalist advance guard from Savad
Kuh. Rashid-us-Sultan was defeated and killed on 11th August
and Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Muhi advanced to Firuzkuh where he kept up
sporadic hostilities with the Royalists on the Firuzkuh pass.
Yeprim meanwhile got together a force of 1,200, which, with
Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Bahadur Bakhtiari, he led to the Varamin district where
they outmanoeuvred and defeated the numerically stronger
Royalist force from Shahrud at Imamzadeh Ja’far, 40 miles
from Tehran. Arshad-ud-Dauleh, its leader was captured and
executed. The Royalists in Larijan and Savad Kuh turned and
fled back to Mazandaran without waiting to be attacked and
the ex-Shah decamped to Astarabad and Ghumish Tappeh.
The first party of Government troops to arrive in Mazanda
ran in pursuit of them has been nicknamed the 4 Urdu-i-Barg 5
(the “lightning force”) and consisted of a motley collection of
about 4,000 “ Mujahidin,” Armenians and others, under the
leadership of Zohrab, an Ar menian, with Salar Fatih (No. 61)
as second in command. They travelled via Nur and Kujur
to Am5l, Barfarush and Sari and the name of the 4 Urdu-i-
Barg ' is still a by-word in those regions for rapacity. At Sari it
was joined and dismissed by Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Muhi who had advanced
from Firuzkuh via Savad Kuh (route No. I).
Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Muhi dallied in Mazandaran, whence some Bakhtiaris
were diverted from his force to go against Salar-ud-Dauleh in
c T1 ! e government was dependent on Bathtiarl support. Samsam-us
Sultanen, Bakhtiari succeeded Sipah Salar as Premier and 3,000 Bakhtiaris were
summoned to Tehran.