"دليل بلاد فارس. مجلد II" [و‎‎١‎٨‎٠] (٧٠٦/٣٦٤)

KIRMANSHAH
347
There is an arsenal built on an eminence in the middle of the town,
by Tmad-ud-Dauleh, a former governor. It is not defensible as it is behind
the palace, and surrounded by shops. , . f
Road Guards .—A few road guards are furnished by some of the villages
on the road to Baghdad and that to Hamadan. They are armed with
Martini-Henry rifles.
Tribal .—In 1902 the following list was given of the forces the respective
tribes could turn out in case of need :—
Zanganeh
Kalhur
Karind!
Sinjab!
Ahmadavand Bebtui
Bajlan
Bajlan
Sharafbaiui ..
Nanekali
Kuliai
200
4,000
50
200
50
100
50
200
50
700
Most of these sowars are armed with imitation Peabody-Martini and
Martini-Henry rifles belonging to their chiefs.
At Sar-i-Pul-i-Zuhab there are three old muzzle-loaders, with a few
rounds of ammunition.
The state of the whole country is absolutely defenceless, and a very small
Turkish force could make its way to Kirmanshah in a few days without
any difficulty. It is very doubtful if the Government would get any
assistance from the Kurds, who would be more likely to employ them
selves in trying to put their families, flocks and tents in a place of safety.
All the Chiefs of these various tribes on the slightest provocation im
mediately retire into Turkish territory. The Persian officials and Gov
ernment dislike this above anything, and use every endeavour, short of
force to prevent their crossing the border.
Arms .—The arsenal is said to have 700 Werndl rifles. All the guns are
now on the artillery square and number 16, of which two are Austrian
breech-loaders, 9 centimetres ; two Austrian breech-loading mule guns, 7
centimetres; and four Austrian 6 -pounders, muzzle-loading, made in
Tehran, all with full accessories ; also 10 old muzzle-loaders of Various sizes
mounted; 20 old muzzle-loaders of various sizes in the arsenal ; two mortars'
one of which is mounted on a gun carriage.
The whole of these Kurds are very badly armed. The Kalhur tribe
have some 1,500 rifles, the Guran about 700, mostly of the Martini-Henry
type. In the other tribes it is only the chiefs and their immediate follow
ers who are armed with breech-loading rifles. The people, as a rule, are
too poor to be able to buy for themselves. In Kirmanshah there are
two men who make Martini-Henry rifles ; they turn out one a week and
very fairly turned out they are.
The apparatus for boring the barrels has been got out from England
For the best class of rifle, from £8 to £10 is obtained ; for less well
finished £5. It is said that at Karind there is a gunsmith who turned out
guns superior to either of the Kirmanshah men. Karind has long been
celebrated in Persia for the excellence of its steel work.