'Military report on Tehran and adjacent Provinces of North-West Persia (including the Caspian Littoral)' [‎172r] (348/610)

309
Persia depends entirely on animal transport and local General
transport is consequently good, plentiful and reliable. Carts
and mules are the quickest means of transport. Camels
march at night to enable them to feed by day and are slower
and inclined to wander and graze. Transport,. excepting
camels, which go out into the plains to shed their winter coats
and graze during April, May and June until the end of the
rutting season, can always be found in the main towns.
Camel transport is always on the move and attracted to
and employed in different areas at different seasons, wheeled
transport also fluctuates but to a less extent, so, apart from
lack of statistics, estimates of numbers available are im
possible.
Transport however can always be attracted where required
by the prospect of good pay and fair treatment, through the
agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of contractors or of brokers (dallal) and despatch of
reliable advertising agents into the country districts. Owners
of transport have a wholesome dislike and distrust of Persian
officialdom, and Persian soldiers are the worst possible agents
for collection of transport, as, apart from their unpopularity,
their practice of requisitioning of transport (malgiri) is to seize
animals, and then release them on receipt of a present (pishkash)
from the owner.
In normal times the principal centres on which transport
converges are :—
(а) Camels
}>Tehran. (See also p. 114.)
(б) Carts. J
—
No. of carts.
Ro. of camels.
Qum-Tehran (Lynch Road).
150 (fourgons)
I'
(1,500)
Enzali-Rasht-Kazvin-Tehran
300 (fourgons)
1 5,000 in normalj times,
500 (1 horse)r
» About 500 camels are
usually obtainable in
Hamadan-Kazvin-Tehran .
1,000 (1 horse)
any of these towns at 48
hours’ notice except in
Tabriz-Zinjan-Kazvin.
(very few) .
J
early summer (see
above).
1 Owing to the severe pull for draught horses from Manjil up to the Kazvln
plain camel transport was more popular than carts and also considered more
economical, 10 camels being the equivalent in carrying power of 1 fourgon, and
the initial cost and their maintenance being rather cheaper. Carts can only be
used along a few main routes, see Chapter 3 0, pp. 415-6, 420, and elsewhere
pack animals are the sole means of transport. The type of transport employed
in different localities is indicated in the table on page 308.