'General information on Persia for any future edition, 1895' [‎57r] (104/211)

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1. The Preparatory Class .—Young men from 17 to 20 years of age subjected each
year to three months’ drill at a place to he determined hy the Government.
2. The Active Class .—Men from 20 to 32 years of age, doing regimental drill every
two years, for one month at the depot of the reserve (Itedif) battalion, where their
arms will he stored, and obliged to assemble, both in time of peace and in time of war,
within twenty-four hours of the promulgation of an Imperial Irade to that effect, in
order to perform any military duty which may he required of them.
3. Reserve Class .—Men from 32 to 40 years of age, forming a reserve, destined to
make good the losses sustained in time of war.
At the time of the assemblies in time of war and of peace, and during the
performance of drill, the tribal cavalry will he paid and fed in the same way as that of
the regular army.
The Colonels in command of regiments and the Captains in command of
squadrons v r ill he chosen from the regular cavalry, and will have a fixed residence
among the tribes, in order to maintain order and discipline, to facilitate their relations
with the civil authorities, to assist in the collection of taxes, and help in the drills
together with the officers detached specially as instructors at the times fixed for such
operations.
The men of the tribal cavalry being considered as being always w r ith the colours,
w r ill he subjected to courts-martial in case of crimes or misdemeanours.
Each regiment should number at least 7 50 men, and each squadron 150 horsemen
belonging to the second class.
The officers of the regiments w T ill he chosen from among the Notables of the tribes;
those who, after having passed a fixed time in the military colleges or in the regular
cavalry, return to their homes, will always continue to receive the fifth of the salary of
officers of their rank.
A regiment composed of detachments from all the other regiments will reside in
the capital, attached to the person of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan.
The officers and men of this regiment will be changed every year.
Inclosure 4 in No. 12.
Extract from the “ Tank" of February 8 , 1891.
(Translation.) . i -a a
WE learn that the enlisting of the cavalry regiments which it has been decided
to raise in Arabia, Kurdistan, and Asia Minor ( Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. ) has been already
menced; that one or two companies of these regiments, which are to form part of the
4th Army Corps, are to be sent to Constantinople, where they are to be the objects ot
special favours; that tw T o companies from Erzeroum, A an, and Bitlis have been
dispatched for Constantinople, where they will be reviewed by His Imperial Majesty
the Sultan at the Selamlik and then permitted to return to their native country.
Inclosure 5 in No. 12.
Extract from the (( Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Herald" of February 24, 1891.
The Imperial Army. —It was stated lately that the Sultan had ordered that a
detachment from the new Ertoghroul cavalry regiments, which are being formed in
Asia Minor from contingents furnished by the Arab Kurdish tribes, should be sent to
Constantinople to be presented to His Imperial Majesty at the ceremony of the
Selamlik. The Turkish papers state that, in pursuance of this order, seventeen
Chieftains of the tribes camped around Moush have left for the head-quarters ot the
4th Army Corps, whence they will come to Constantinople. They will be accompanied
by a detachment of eighty-five horsemen. *
No. 13.
Sir W. White to the Marquis of Salisbury.—(Received March 9.)
My Lord, Constantinople, March 2, 1891.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a despatch from. Her
Majesty’s Vice-Consul at Van, which has been fonvarded to me from Her Majesty s
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