‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎285r] (576/722)

The pay of private soldiers is 7 tumans a year; besides which, each man
receives a subsistence allowance of about 3 shilling's a month in cash, with
3 2 bread daily, or its equivalent in money. Persian soldiers, while
on active service, also receive an annual allowance from the villages or
districts to which they belong, varying, according to the wealth of the
locality, from 80 to 100 krans. When this is not paid in money, the
villagers either support the man’s family, or cultivate his plot of ground
or orchard, if he has these. A soldier or labourer can exist upon about 8
shams, or 4 pence, a day; but this is only just sufficient to procure enough to
sustain life. With 12 or 14 shahis, however, that is, with 6 or 7 pence,
a day, he would consider himself uncommonly well off, and could provide
himself, not only with food, but with tobacco as well, and with fire and
light in the winter. Each sarbaz receives two uniforms every year when
on service one'for winter, made of a thick, coarse material of native maim-
facture, which costs about 14 krans, and the other for summer, of
lighter texture, also of native manufacture, which costs only 9 krans. A
cloth uniform costs 35 krans ; but these are usually kept in store, and
only used for special parades, though exceptions to this rule are made in
the case of a few of the best regiments, commanded by influential persons.
There are about 10,000 uniforms made of cloth,—worth 8 krans a yard in
the Tihran bazar, but of very inferior quality,—in the government stores.
These are given out for special occasions only—when, for instance, the
troops have to muster at the palace, or when the Shah himself is present
on the parade-ground ; and they are returned to the depot as soon as the
muster for which they have been issued is over. Soldiers’ shoes and
hats (sheepskins) cost about 3 krans each. The cross-belts formerly used
cost 8 krans ; but the waist-belt now in use only costs 3| krans.
All Persian officers below the rank of colonel receive 35 krans (28s.)
a year, and have to provide their own uniforms.
The inhabitants of all villages belonging to the Shah, as well as peasants
employed in cultivating crown lands, are exempt from military service.
The Persian soldier is engaged for life ; and he is seldom able to obtain
his release, unless he or his friends can afford to pay something to his
general, or to the chief of his tribe, for exemption. Nearly all the officers
are selected from the tribe from which the regiment is recruited ; and they,
therefore, possess great power over their men. No difficulty is found in
arranging amongst themselves, when the soldiers can afford to pay for it, for
allowing one man to go and a friend or relative to take his place;—or for his
being exempted from further service, and a fresh recruit being called out in
his stead, even when the regiment is on active service. Persian soldiers,
in the event of their being allowed to quit the service owing to ill-health
or age, or from any other cause, have no pension or claim whatsoever
upon the Shah’s government. They may thus at any time after years
of hard service find themselves destitute, when unfitted for work and unable
otherwise to earn a livelihood.
Infantry regiments are usually allowed to return to their homes for
three years after four years’ active service. They are nominally placed
on half-pay while on leave, but they seldom receive any pay; while, on the
other hand, they are required to attend district parades for drill during
that period, and they scarcely ever do so. They are allowed to take their
muskets with them and the uniforms in their possession when the regi
ment goes on leave.