File 5257/1919 'Persia: the Military Commission' [‎43r] (90/534)

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3 and Laij
Ckpter II^u 1
overnment
^ Central orgai
ttganised as fot
stant Director ot
^al Services, andi
Staff of anj J
? or drafting all r.
ty:-
6 / The Military School has been in existance for about a year. It is housed in
a small, unsuitable house in Tehran. There are eighty-two cadets, of whom twenty
are boarders, and the remainder live out. The school is divided into five classes, for
wiiom there is an elaborate programme of instruction, embracing most subjects. There
is, owever, little instruction in reality, except as regards fencing and physical
training. As a school for the education of the future officer the value is nil.
the total cost is about 279,000 krans annually.
. C 8 . The Arsenal is at Tehran in charge of a French engineer who has been
m lehran tor thirty-eight years.
There are forty-two employees at the present time.
There is a large amount of heavy machinery in store, of mixed types English
Irencli and Austrian : only a few hand-lathes have been set up.
The machinery is for the most part in good condition, but examination by an
expert is necessary. J
The arsenal is not put to practical use at present, except for the manufacture of
fireworks.
69. Medical College and Organisation.—Tehran Medical School. There is a
so-called medical school in the Dar U1 Fanun or Ecole Poly technique, Tehran
Students undergo a five years’ course of purely theoretical instruction. There is no
dissection, histology, bacteriology, or regular courses of clinical surgery or clinical
medicine. In short, at the end of his five years’ study the student has no practical
knowledge or experience.
70. A Zhmd strength of 145 all ranks, housed in the same barracks as the Royal
Guard is maintained at a total cost of 268,984 krans per annum.
id down in Enrol
the various mil
army/’ “ apP 0Hi:
ttached to h
clerical office b
n three sections, 1
Ron. Thepef
tants. Tte (Jf
form, combine
ljutant-Genera >
Laws.
71. The following are the laws and customs in force relating to the armv in
general:— ,7
Recruiting Laics.
. . 72. Bonitcheh Law and Law of 2Zrd Ziqaadeh, 1335.—The basis of
military service in Persia is the “ Bonitcheh ” law, passed by Mirza Taqi Khan
Prime Minister to Nasr ud Din Shah in 1260 H. (a.d. 1842). Under the above law
each province and district of Persia was assessed at so many Bonitcheh/* and for
each “ Bonitcheh ” unit the Government were authorised to demand one soldier.
The provinces are sub-divided into districts (“ fauj ”), each of which is supposed
to furnish one regiment.
The method of culculnting men available is to carry out a survey of the number
of ploughs required to keep an area under cultivation, and to take one man per
plough as available for military service. As no resurvey has been made since the
law was passed, the laid down quotas per district are not fairly distributed at the
present date. The quotas of infantry, cavalry and artillery which can b© demanded
under the “ Bonitcheh ” law from each province are shown in Appendix II.
73. Law of Ziqaadeh, 1335.—This law lays down that when the embodying of
the “ Bonitcheh ” quota of a military district is ordered, a Recruiting Cbmmission
shgjl be formed by the Minister of War to carry out this duty. The chairman of the
Commission is usually the officer nominated to command the regiment. The law also
lays down the standards required for a recruit.
hapf er
2 .
Laws Concerning the Formation of Armed Forces.
74. Cossack Division. —The formation of this division is based on a Royal Decree
of 1879, modified from time to time by the Ministry of War. In practice, the
commandant makes his own disciplinary laws and regulations.
75. Gendarmerie. —The gendarmerie was raised under a law of 1911. Regu
lations for its administration have been issued from time to time by the Ministry of
the Interior. Generally speaking, the gendarmerie are administered on the same
lines as the army.
76. Central Brigade. —The formation of the Central Brigade was authorised in
a law of 1336 H.
77. Law Regarding Pay. —The law of 23rd Ziqaadeh 1335 H. also lays down
the rates of pay for the army. These have been laid down in detail for each force in
Chapter IT. In the case of the Central Brigade the pay is included in the law of
1336 H. mentioned in para. 76 above.
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