'General information on Persia for any future edition, 1895' [‎56v] (103/211)

16
Inclosure 2 in No. 12.
Acting Consul Hampson to Sir W. White.
Erzeroum, January 30, 1891.
Sir ’ otj +K. Ofith November 1890, while the late Consul Lloyd was at Constantinople,
.» P ^d, .m to
61110 THs has in many cases already been done, many of the Chiefs having visited this
town and also Erzin°ian (the military centre) in person.
IhraMm Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. Commander-in-chief of the cavalry of this army corps passed
through here earlv in December from Erzingian on his way to Alashgerd and Hayazid.
IlL mission tos connected with the proposed Kurdish cavalry. After visitmg the
districts above named he returned to Erzingian.
2 The tribes will be called out for drill two months in each year.
Durum this period they will provide their own horses, but clothes, arms, food, and
forage wilfbe supplied by Government, and, it is said, they will receive pay.
S^Barracks'wiU be built by Government at the centre of each tribe; and, after
the ye^rnUhe clothes and'arms will be stored in these barracks, for which the
flliipf* nf the resnective tribes will he held responsible.
4 Each tribe will be under the command of its own Chiefs, many of whom have
already received military ranks up to and including that of Colonel. Officers ^love
the rank of Colonel will be appointed from the higher officers of the Turkish re 0 ula
cavalrv.
Such I believe to be the main outline of the plan in question. . ,
It is verv difficult to ascertain the number of the cavalry which may be raised.
The Turkish authorities are sanguine, and state that they expect ^y these means to
have a force of 30,000 efficient horsemen. General opinion seems, however, to con
sider that from 10,000 to 12,000 will be about the number actually available.
As to the efficiency of this force, it must, of course, largely depend on ^6 control
which the superior officers may be able to exercise over it, and on the consequcn
discipline, or want of discipline, which may exist.
During the last two wars, the Kurds unfortunately proved themselves to be ar
more harmful than useful, being utterly useless in battle, pillaging and
helpless, friends or foes alike, and ravaging and laying waste the country wker
they passed. ^ ^ ^ be without interest to quote the opinion of Consul
Zohrab, written during the last war.
In his despatch of the 1st July, 1877, he states: » -rr A , • v +v ._
“ It is impossible to give an accurate estimate of the number of Kurs w 11
suicidal policy of the Porte in calling any to arms has brought into the held, incre
cannot,Jhowever, be loss than 30,000 spread over the districts of Bayazid, Van, JJitiis,
and Moosh.” ... 4 - u i
The horrors and atrocities committed by the Kurds at that time were terrible.
I have, &c.
niTATM/ES HAMPSOK
Inclosure 3 in No. 12.
Memorandum.
(Translation.) . ^
THE Kurds and Arabs of the nomadic tribes of the Ottoman Empir
exempted from the ordinary military service, on condition of holding themselves a
disposal of the Government for twenty-three years, and of keeping at their ow
expense a riding-horse and clothing made on a prescribed model. ,
The men subjected to this service of twenty-three years are divided into t ire
classes