‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎178r] (360/722)

- regular armed forces at the disposal of the governor weneral of
Khmasan aie not^ at least at present, such as to occasion any suspicion of
aggressive designs on the part of his government; for they are, even for
defence, below the point of the most moderate efficiency in numbers
and organisation, lie has, however, for defensive purposes a powerful
instrument in the aimed population, which should, in time of need be
ready for his hand. 7
About one-third of the estimated rural population, or 17,000, may be
reckoned as the number of able-bodied males; the proportion of adults
having been much raised by the famine, which in many places swept off the
entire infant population. It is estimated that the district suffered the loss
of half of its people, chiefly of the nomadic portion—its best fightin^
The Kalat range, on the north of the district, is peopled by tribes for the
most part of Turk origin—portions of the old Geraili tribe of Jagatai Turks,
which is said to have come after the Tartar conquest from the'"’neighbour
hood of Karshi on the Oxus, and occupied the whole range east of Astarabad.
Different tribes and sections are known as Jellayah, Baiyat, Chulai, Muzda-
rani, &c. The upper part of the valley or plain and the mountains bordering
it north and south are held by Kurds of the Zaffaranlu and Kaiwanlu tribes—
a portion of 100,000 families said to have been transported from Kurdistan
by Shah Abbas Saffavi. They are politically fractions of the larger tribes
of Kuchan and Bujnurd.
The mountaineers of the Mirabad range on the south are chiefly A jams.
In the plain about Mashhad to the north-east and south the village popula
tion is much mixed, but the Ajam element predominates. There are also
Kurds and Turks of various tribes, and some Aimaks, Hazaras, and
Jamshfdis. The nomads are chiefly of the latter tribes.
The village population, though not contented subjects, being connected by
ties of religion and association with their government, and also having
much to fear from the presence in their country of an invading army, may
be assumed to be at the disposal of the government for purposes of defence;
and the same ma}?- be said of the nomads of Turk origin. The 2,000 or
3,000 Aimaks, Hazaras, Jamshfdis, and Taimuris are chiefly Sunnis. This
adherence to the Persians in times of trouble would be very precarious;
many of them, and those of the leading men, are in constant communication
with Herat.
There were up to a late date three regiments of infantry stationed at
Mashhad. They had suffered somewhat in discipline and equipments from
a lengthened absence from headquarters; but were, nevertheless, not an
unfair example of the Persian army. The men, ragged, ill-disciplined,
discontented, clamouring vainly for heavy arrears of pay. The officers,
generally illiterate and ignorant of their profession. The arm of the infan
try is a heavy percussion musket with a bayonet. By virtue of the
prestige of their European organisation and of a certain amount of dis
cipline, they may be reckoned as superior to untrained levies of Afghans or
Turkumans.
A wing of one of the regiments, relieved once every three months,
garrisons the fortress of Kalat-i-Nadirf, 80 miles north of Mashhad by road.
This station is an important one, but from its extreme unhealthiness costs
yearly the lives of several hundred men. The regular garrison is necessary
to prevent the capture of the place by the Turkumans; for the Turk peasantry