'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎103r] (210/610)

Barfarush, and within the Farsi and the Gxlakl and Mazandarani
areas settlements are found of* * TurkI, Kurdi, and Luri tribes
which are mentioned in Chapter VIII.
The character of all these races has in varying degrees been
moulded and perverted by the corrupt and despotic form of
government and landlordism to which they have been subjected
for centuries, and by the position and characters of women
under the Muhammadan religion.
All are generally ignorant, patient, 1 obedient and slow to
dispute any exercise of authority, servile and obsequious to a
superior, and arrogant to an' inferior, dishonest, self seeking
and consequently suspicious of each other’s motives, born
intriguers and 2 liars. Courage is an attribute of none of them,
but the degree of cowardice varies. In fact Herodotus’ des
cription of them is still applicable.
The landowning and official classes reproduced the features
of the government in theit dealings with the peasantry, and
these characteristics permeate every class of the people. The
Persian aristocracy itself was never an exclusive body but its
ranks have at all periods been constantly swelled by the ad
mission of “ noti homines ” of the humblest origin, so that no
distinction can be drawn between it and the masses.
To an Englishman, next to their corruption, the indolence
of the upper classes seems their most striking and hopeless
characteristic. They are parasites, enabled by the oppressive
system of feudal landlordism still prevailing to batten on the
work of others, and callous to the suffering and mortality caused
by cornering and hoarding grain in times of famine. The
majority of them have no occupation, indulge in no_ manly
pursuits, and kill time and amuse themselves by gossip, vice,
opium, and gambling. 3 Sexual immorality is freely practised by
both sexes in the towns, especially in Tehran, and in Mazan-
daran in town and country alike, and the people are emascul-
lated by venereal diseases which are said to infect 80 per cent,
of them. In other country districts, especially among the
Turk! population, it is rare and venereal diseases, although
imported from the towns, are less rife.
1 The Persians as Shi’ah Muhammadans uphold the divine right of the
Imamate, and formerly were “ Shahparast ”, (Shah worshippers) and upheld
^Th^boy 'disciplined to obedience in his own home, where he will not jit o|
smoke in the presence of his father and speaks of him respectfully as Aqa
* Only a clumsy lie, 'which can be detected, is considered disgraceful.
’ See also section (d) Religion para, re Marriage, page 186.
Description and
characteristics
of Races.