'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎121v] (247/610)

changed, and officials are often unaware whether a particular
■village is in their own oi’ in the adjacent province.
Provinces are sub-divided into districts under Deputy
Governors 2 (Naib-ul-Hukumeh), which consist of Buluks,
each Buluk comprising from 6 to 60 or more villages ( 3 Deh or
Mahal). In addition to the Deputy Governors, judicial officials
of the lowest grade (Sulhiyeh) with power to settle cases involv
ing not more than 250 tumans have lately been appointed
to some districts, especially in the dependencies of Tehran.
. r ^ lc Buffik is usually only a name, the administrative unit
being the village with its “ Kadkhuda,” who is appointed by the
landlord (Arbab), usually in consultation with the peasantry,
and is the former’s agent for the collection of his rent. If
ownership is divided between two or more landlords, a separate
“Kadkhuda” is appointed for each of the different properties,
and in villages divided into small holdings, the “Kadkhuda” is*
appointed by the Government as agent for the collection of
tne land tax (Maliat). In the former case he is supposed to
be paid by the landowner, in the latter by . the Government,
but he has besides considerable opportunities of Mudakhil!
He is also held responsible for providing supplies, lodging, etc."
required by government troops or officials, and in these respects
acts as “ Headman ”.
In addition to a “ Kadkhuda, many of the larger villages
appoint as their representatives a number of Elders, “ Rlsh
Safid,” grey beards, or “ Plr-i-Mardha ”, (old men), who take
the side of the villagers in the event of dispute between vil
lagers and “ Kadkhuda ” or landlord.
In country districts at a distance from towns, from governors
and deputy governors, and from the main routes where gen
darme posts have recently been established, permanent orga
nized government hardly exists. The provincial governor
represents government in his capital, and rarely, if ever, leaves
it, deputy governors seldom tour through their districts, and out
.. n ? name i n p ,7 sian to express these districts, and they are termed
the Buluks of so and so , e. g., Bulukat-i-Nur, the district of Nur. In some
provinces only the more important areas are grouped into deputy governorshins
the remaining areas possessing no representative of government 1
“ The y ar t e ‘.- Naib-ul-Hukumeh ” as deputies of the Governor General or
Governor but within their own districts are called “ hakim They used to be
t™* -V" 1 ' ’ I 161,8 ? 11 ln ^arge, or plural “ Umal,” but this term is becoming
obsolete. Zabit also is occasionally used. s
1 mu largc vi l lage whic ] 1 Just f ills short of being a town is called “ Qasabeh
Ihese gendarme posts besides keeping order, dispose of petty judicial cases,