‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎273v] (553/722)

500
and drilled. The official account mentions 5 batteries and 1,500 men,—
300 men each; General Upton, 20 battalions, of 250 men each; but such
numbers appear to have no practical meaning.
Zamburakchis.—There did exist, and probably still exists, a small camel
corps provided with swivel guns, which were fired from the camel-saddle.
Such an organisation in the age of rifles and steel mountain guns may be
‘entirely disregarded.
Engineers.—Unless quite recently formed, Persia has for a long time
possessed no corps of engineers.- One regiment was assigned some time ago
for the purpose ; but the plan appears never to have been carried out.
Theoretically, the army of Persia is territorial. The kingdom is divided
Military district. i n ^° provinces, which are divided into districts, each one
Theoretically,terri- of which is supposed to furnish a regiment, or fauj. No
torial recruiting army minally, the army consists of 10 divisions of two bri-
not adhered to. gades each ; but in reality no such brigades exist.
Practically, the conscription is very unequal, taxation replacing military
service, and military service taxation,—Both being heavy or light, accord
ing to the powers of the government. The northern and western prov
inces, settled by tribes of Turkish origin, furnish nearly all the regiments.
Azarbaijan has furnished half of the artillery and one-third of the infantry
of the army. Of the 76 regiments, a few only are composed of mixed troops;
only four are purely Persian. There is no stated distribution obtainable.
The regiments are scattered over many provinces ; and even their own
colonels seldom know what their battalions are doing. A large portion
are collected at Tihran. Camps are mentioned at Karmanshah and K hoi.
A large proportion are in Tabriz and Azarbaijan. There are regular troops
at Mashhad and Sarakhs; and small bodies in Sistan.
Old accounts say that, in the war of 1826, this province had an army
Azarbaijan 20,000 cavalry, 6,000 regular infantry, and 10,000
irregular infantry. By the exertions of Sir H. Jones,
the regular infantry were raised to 12,000. These, he says, were superior
to anything the Russians could bring against them, except in the one par
ticular of not having an efficient commander-in-chief.
Shiel remarks that the flower of the Persian army is from Azarbaijan,
less compulsion being necessary to obtain recruits here than in any other
part of the kingdom ; and thinks that a force of 20,000 cavalry (a match
for any Cossacks), 3,000 artillery, and 35,000 infantry could he raised.
Total, 60,000 men. Other accounts would lead to the belief, that this is
more like the force possible for the whole of Persia.
Recent accounts mention 15 infantry regiments as being present at
Mazandaran. Tihran, most of which were probably local.
We hear of about two batteries and 3,000 enrolled men.
Two regiments at Mashhad and detachments.
Astnrabad; Shahrud.
Khurasan.
Sistan. Force said to be small.
Old accounts state the army of this province to consist of 11 regi-
Irak. ments, viz., — 1, Kurga; 2, Fanhan ; 3, Sunband and
Nahavand ; 4, Gulpaigan and Mahalal ? ; 5, Kala-i-
Sava ? ; 6, Kalijkum ? ; Birjohala ? ; 8, Faridun and Chaharmahal; 9,
Isfahan ; 10, Malair ; 11, Kamara and Chaplah. There were militia in 1836 ;
but probably they are now the bases of regular regiments.