'Report on the Persian Army' [‎29r] (57/170)

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advantage of by a number of needy and unscrupulous adven
turers and representatives of alien nationalities. Also, the
British Government having hospitably entertained and pen
sioned the three rebel princes who had fled from Shiraz in
1834 and found their way to England caused much mistiust at
court and ill-feeling-.* These were the causes that the officers
were not well received from the start and were frequently
subjected to humiliation from the spite and jealousy of their
Persian colleagues, which the Persian authorities only rarely
attempted to check. When Sir John Campbell, the British
Minister, who had done so much for Persia, left Teheran on his
return home and was accompanied by all his countrymen half
way to Kend, the first village on the way to Tabriz, -‘not one
of the many Persian nobles whom he had obliged came out ”
except Habbib Ullah Khan, the commander of the artillery.
(Colonel Stuart, ‘‘Journal of a Residence, etc.,” p. 182.) Tar
rant's lancers, a very serviceable body of about ICO men, “after
having been nearly starved to death, were sent back to their
homes, because their keep would cost four pounds daily.” To
pay them “would have made the rest of the army jealous.
Poor Farrant is indignant and despairing—the Shah wishes
him to drill and discipline 100 Gholams, but all sorts of diffi
culties are thrown in his way, and the Ameer in spite of his
professions gives no support” (ib., p. 213). These Gholams
fared no better; we read: “Poor fellows, they complain to
Farrant every morning, for that villain Nusr Oollah Khan, a
relation of the royal family, has hitherto deprived them of their
pay and frequently of their food.” Colonel Pasmore had the
same difficulties with his infantry in Irak: “ He gives a pretty
good account of the corps which lie is employed in forming,
but, like all other officers, is indignant at the manner with
which they are neglected by the authorities ” (ib., p. 238).
Here we also read that when Pasmore came to Teheran on
leave of absence, and Ellis, the British Minister, accompanied by
his staff and a good many officers, rode out to meet him, “not
a single colonel made his appearance, although the Hajee (the
Prime Minister) had ordered out all the army, which shows the
sort of feeling existing in the upper ranks of the army towards
British officers.” And again : “ The British officers are now
never informed when a review is to take place ” (p. 3C0). The
* The princes took their departure from England 3rd July, 1836,
and proceeded to Baghdad, keeping in communication with the British
authorities and regularly receiving their pensions, £200 each per annum.
In 1840, when Layard and Mitford came to Persia, intending to travel to
India, they were suspected by the Persian authorities of being agents of the
British Government and intriguing with the princes at Baghdad for aiding
them to raise revolts in Southern Persia, and were detained for a whole
month (7th July to 8th August, 1840) in the Shah’s camp between
Kermanshah and Hamadan. Layard gave up his plan of travelling through
Persia (but was soon afterwards in the Bakhtiari country), and Mitford
was finally allowed to proceed, thanks to the intervention of Baron de Bode,
Secretary to the Russian Legation. (Mitford, “Land March from England
to Ceylon,” London, 1884.)