File 5257/1919 'Persia: the Military Commission' [‎37r] (78/534)

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and (7) Bandai Gaz Astrabad-Shahrud. Other routes also important, but in a
esser degree than the above, are the direct routes leading from Tehran to Hamadan
and to Sultanabad, and the route from Demavend to Amur.
18. Tribes. A tabular statement of the tribes of Persia and their principal
sections, with approximate numbers of fighting men that can be furnished by each is
r given m Appendix I. J
Chapter II.
REVIEW OF PERSIA’S EXISTING ARMED FORCES.
19. General. The existing armed forces in Persia, excluding troops of foreign
Powers composed of foreigners, consist of a motley collection of variously organised,
variously administered, and variously trained bodies of men which have grown up
^ F i-yp aS result of work of different military missions composed of foreigners
° i .querent nationalities, and partly duo to the direct action of foreign Powers
which have at various times exercised influence in Persia.
Por the purposes of review, these bodies may be divided into three groups,
The military forces proper, administered either by the War Office or direetlv
by foreign Powers.
The gendarmerie, a military force, administered by the Ministry of the Interior,
and whose functions are partly those of an army and partly those of # a
police force.
The police forces proper, under the Ministry of the Interior.
Each of the above requires to be again snb-divided as follows—
Military forces prosper.
(i.) The South Persia Rifles.
(ii.) The Cossack Division.
(iii.) The Central Brigade.
(iv.) The Nizam in the provinces.
(v.) The Levy Corps in East Persia.
Gendarmerie.
(vi.) The regular (Swedish) gendarmerie.
(vii.) The Amnia and similar bodies administered by local governors.
Police proper.
(viii.) The regular police.
(ix.) The provincial police.
Each of the above will be reviewed in turn.
*
Military Forces Proper.
(i.) The South Persia Rifles.
20. General .—The South Persia Rifles were raised by the British Government
during the great war in order to assist the Persian Government in maintaining
order and protecting trade routes in South Persia, disorder having been fomented
largely by German and other agents. The strength of the force has varied and after
the war was considerably reduced, only cadres of the different regiments being left
pending the Persian Government wholly taking over the force. The present
strength of the force is approximately—
47 British officers. 190 Persian officers. 1,187 horses.
256 British and Indian n.c.os. 5,400 Persian ranks. 868 mules.
1,000 donkeys.
303 5,590
3,055
21 . Organisation .—The force is under the command of a British officer termed
the Inspector-General, who has his headquarters in Shiraz and is assisted by a staff
consisting of eight British and three Persian officers.