'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME IV.' [‎175r] (354/652)

KIR—KIR
341
The minerals are sulphur, copper (found in the neighbourhood of
Minerals Kirman and on the road thence to Bam),
manganese earth (found near Kirman and
used for making glass), salt (from two salt lakes on the Kirman-Bandar
Abbas road, between Urzu and Ahmadi) , astetos at Darband, sal-
ammoniac in Sarhad, and some inferior coal.
Army. The military forces consist of—
3 infantry battalions of 800 men each .. 2,400 men.
1 infantry company . .
9 cavalry regiments or squadrons at various
strength
Artillery
60 „
U40 „
24 guns, of which
only 9 are
serviceable.
In addition there are several levies of horse and foot doing police work
along the main roads. The soldiers are practically untrained and are
armed with very obsolete weapons ; they seldom receive pay, and are of
little practical account. But in the nomad tribes there is a fine reserve
of raw material, which might be converted into excellent cavalry.
As in all other districts in Persia, the Government of the province is
farmed out to the Governor-General, who
makes himself responsible for the revenue.
In 1900 the revenue was 315,000 tumdns (£63,000), while the amount
collected was probably £90,000, of which £10,000 was the Shah’s pishkash,
the balance going into the pocket of the Governor-General.
The imports for the year 1893-94 were estimated at £97,900, and the
exports at £89,000. The Russian imports for
- Tra e ' the same year were £3,000. The principal trade
centres, besides the capital, are Saidabad, Bahramabad, Khabis and
Bam.
Since the British Commercial Mission to South-East Persia in 1904-05
the Russian efforts in organizing their trade in
Russian trading enterprise. j£} rm j| n an q its adjacent districts have been
more vigorous than they had hitherto been. In June, 1905, a Russian trader
from Isfahan visited Kirman, and having entered into an agreement with
the Kirman merchants (Parsis and local Persian merchants), obtained
certain orders for the purchase of Russian manufactured goods. This visit
of the Russian trader from Isfahan was followed by the Commercial Mission
of Prince Amatuni, who arrived in Kirman from Yazd in January, 1906.
While in Kirman and at Bam the Prince was engaged in investigations
regarding fhe trade of the country. From Bam Prince Amatuni went to
Bandar Abbas, thence visiting Bushire. The Russian Consul here also
established Russian trade agencies in Kirman, Bam, and Rafsinjan.