'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎582] (649/714)

58^
PERSIA
Then ensued a long period of apathy, until, in August 1826, Russia
having for some time assumed an attitude of studied provocation, war
again broke out on the N.W. frontier. The effects of the preceding
lethargy were soon visible. Persia cut a verv sorry figure on the
battle-field, and, after the war had lasted for a year and a half, and
had resulted in sufficient Persian discomfiture, it was closed by the
Treaty of Turkomanchai in February 1828. After the death of
Hart in 1830, Colonel Shee was the only remaining English officer
of any rank in the Persian service. 1 He and some English drill-
sergeants, among whom was Sergeant Gibbons, whom I have before
now quoted, accompanied Abbas Mirza on his campaign in Khorasan
in 1831-2 ; but the successes of the Prince in that expedition, in
which he successively reduced Kerman, Kuchan, and Sarakhs, had
a most unfortunate effect upon the temper of the Persians, who
became inflated with unreasonable pride, and thought themselves
good enough to conquer any enemy without European assistance.
One of the most curious elements in the Persian army at this time
was a corps known as the Russian Deserters, being the half of a
battalion who had been taken prisoners by the Persians on the march
to Sh is hell m 182b, and had enlisted in the service of their captors.
They were commanded by a Colonel Samson Khan, a Russian
serjeant-major who deserted his countrymen, married the daughter
of the \ ali of Georgia, and betook himself to Persia. These
Bahaderan (or grenadiers) were well paid, and fought well for their
new masters, until finally disbanded about 1840. Colonel Stuart
described them in 1835 as ' wearing heavy shakos with high green
plumes, red coutees with wings of blue cloth and white lace, loose
white trousers and high boots.' 2
Hie expedition of Abbas Mirza into Khorasan and against
Herat, the siege of which place was only raised because of his death
4. Eng- autumn of ] 833, had re-aroused the languishing
officers solicitude or alarms of the Indian Government, and a
more decisive step in support of British interests was
now taken by the Governor-General, Lord W. Bentinck. A con
siderable supply of arms and accoutrements was despatched to
! Stocqueler {Fifteen Months' 1 Pilgrimage, tyc., vol. i., p. 170) says that in 1831
the only European commissioned officers still in the service of Abbas Mirza were
Captains Shee, Burgess, Littlejohn, and Borowski (a Pole). Captain Mignan in
1830 {Winter's Journey} had mentioned Colonel Shee, Lieutenants Burgess and
Christian, and eight sergeants.
2 Journal of a Residence, Jjv., p. 187.