'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎121r] (246/610)

207
if they happen to possess influence at Tehran, with the result
that lack of co-operation and control ensues. This tendency
is fostered by the lack of confidence m their officials exhibited
by the Persian Government, who, for instance, require the
‘Chief of Telegraphs’ in each province to wire to Tehran
confidential situation reports on the state of the province,
behaviour of the Governor, etc.
The spread of education and democratic and Western ideas
in the towns, the institution of post and telegraph services,
which enable provincials to make themselves heard at Tehran
and the Government to be kept informed of events m the
provinces, the multiplication of officials with fixed salaries
and the limitation of their powers have reduced arbitrary
misgovernment and official rapacity in the provinces during
recent years.
The same defects, however, of ignorance, incompetence,
inertia, and corruption which pervade the central government
extend of course also to the provinces.
Energetic measures to develop and improve a province
to combat disease and famine are unknown, the absence
of disorder and regular transmission of the revenue still con
titute the standard of successful provincial administration
a standard frequently unattainable at the present time.
The country is divided into provinces as under the despotism, Provincial^
the four great provinces of Azarbaijan, Ears, Khoiasan, and indetail .
Kirman being called l£ Ayalat,’ under governors General, and
tffis smaller provinces being called - Vilayat,’ under governors
and divided into three or four classes according to then siz
and importance.
These provinces vary greatly in extent and grouping. v o
or more of them are sometimes grouped together to form a sing e
governorship under some powerful personage for instance
Ramadan and Kirmanshah, which were united m 1920 under
8arim-ud-Dauleh. Similarly the ‘vilayat’ of Khamseh was
temporarily attached to the ‘ayalat’ of Azarbaijan ^ 191 .9
fol the gratification of Sipah Salar, and Am-ud-Dauleh, his
successor. Provincial boundaries are ill defined and fiequently
i plur Ayalat and Vilayat. Gilan is sometimes given the complimentary
“ Farman Farma, Governors o__ » ^.^^1 „ (pi llr . Hukam). “Hukumat”
mfans™ Government 'of dther ‘ Ayalat ’ or ‘ Vilayat/ but sometimes is restrict*
ed to the letters