'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎584] (651/714)

584
PERSIA
met by an istikhal, consisting of ' twenty regular lancers com
manded, in English words, by a sergeant of our 4th Light
Dragoons, and forming part of a body of 100 men raised in the
Khamseh district, drilled and disciplined by Mr. Farrant. They
wore red jackets, loose blue trousers, and Persian caps; and were
armed with swords, holster pistols, and lances with red and blue
pennons/ The Khamseh Lancers, however, were soon voted too
expensive a luxury by the king, who found that their keep cost 41.
daily; and, accordingly, they were disbanded, and Colonel Farrant
was told off to instruct the Royal Bodyguard, or gholams.
This second English experiment was even less successful than
the first. Persia was not at the time face to face with an over-
Failure whelming national danger; and the new sovereign,
drawai of Moha mmed Shah, was inflamed with preposterous ideas
the English of personal military renown. The British officers were
contingent not we]] received from t ] ie ^ sub j ected to
constant humiliation from the spite and jealousy of their Persian
colleagues. They were not even informed beforehand when re
views were going to take place. Among the regiments whom
they were expected to lick into shape, they found it difficult to
contend with the turbulence and rascality, the thieving and
drunken propensities, of the recruits. After three months' hard
work, Sheil wrote, ' I begin to think it hopeless to endeavour to
establish a nizam (regular army).' And again :
With no power except that of the lash and such authority as from
personal character they could acquire for themselves—no control over
the pay or rations, which were always embezzled, or over promotion,
w ich was always bestowed from corrupt motives—it is not surprising
that the English officers did not effect more than was done. If they
could not enable the Persian troops to contend successfully with the
regular troops of other nations, they at all events gave the Persian
artillery and infantry the means of beating an unlimited number of
rghans, Ivoords, and Toorkomans, or irregular Persian troops. 1
It was owing, however, to political and diplomatic rupture in
the first place that the experiment broke down. In the second
year of his reign, Mohammed Shah commenced the execution of a
c esign long cherished by himself, but avowedly repugnant to
ng an . y marching against Herat. The growing ascendency of
vussia, and the strained relations with Great Britain, were illustrated
Note C to Lady Shell's Glimpses of Life, Ac.