'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎101v] (207/610)

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Increase and
decrease.
168
Such is the general distribution of population as determined
by the natural features. It has however recently been modi
fied by artificial causes, viz., the operations of the Russians and
Turks during the War, the famine and sickness of 1918, and
internal disorders. The vicinity of the Kazvln-Hamadan
and Kazvin-Mianeh roads and more specially Khalkhal,
Khamseh and Garmarud are the districts chiefly affected, but
the dependencies of Tehran, Mazandaran, and in fact the whole
area, have suffered though not to the same extent.
The population of Khamseh was reduced probably by half
in 1918 and ruined houses in every village afford ocular evidence
of the decrease.
The Kaghuzkunan district of Khalkhal, South of the
Kizil Uzun, suffered equally with Khamseh from famine and
sickness, and in addition was looted by raiders from North of
the river. They still continue their raids and these villages are
now ruined, and almost deserted. Probably less than one-tenth
of the population remains, and the land is left uncultivated.
Khalkhal, North of the river, as the home of the raiders,
is better off than Kaghuzkunan, but owing to local feuds
and turbulent times it also is in a depressed condition.
Ruined houses in the villages of Khar and Varamin, the
most important of the dependencies of Tehran, testify to the
ravages of famine and influenza in 1918, and the population of
Mazandaran was decimated by sickness in the same year.
Infant mortality and periodical epidemics of sickness, due
to insanitary conditions and lack of doctors, militate at all
times against any considerable increase of population.
f per cent, per annum was suggested by Lord Curzon as
the normal annual increase for the whole of Persia. From
Mr. Rabino’s figures for the population of Gllan the average
annual increase however from 1850 to 1915 was less than |-
per cent. Owing to the extraordinary conditions of the last
few years the population in this area has without doubt greatly
decreased.
. The depopulation of some of the country districts has been
mentioned above. In the towns of Tehran, Ramadan, Kazvin
and Zinjan, the same famine conditions of course prevailed and
were aggravated by the influx of starving rustics. In Ramadan
in the spring of 1918 from 160 to 200 persons daily were reckoned
to be perishing from hunger, and in Tehran the mortality from
famine and disease, chiefly influenza, is said to have totalled
100 , 000 .
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