'Report on the Persian Army' [‎31v] (62/170)

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Company’s ” lion ; but some are armed with Russian muskets, which are
longer, and smaller in the bore than ours. These arms, together with twelve
brass 18-pounders, were given to the Shah by the Emperor Nicholas in 1829.'
Syud (Said) Khan, a clever Armenian, once Ellis’s steward, and more recently
the self-constituted envoy of Abbas Mirza in England, has lately cast two
6-pounders with copper brought from Karadagh. A boring machine was
speedily constructed by the native artisans under the superintendence of
Mr. Armstrong, the Russians having destroyed the one formerly in use.
Materials for making gunpowder abound in Persia. Lead is plentiful and
cheap, iron very dear ; flints are brought from Europe (p. 142).
“ tierbaz, regular infantry. I went to look at the Serbaz, who were drawn up,
unarmed, in line on one side of the Maidan. The lieutenant-colonel (Serhang)
walked down the ranks with us, as if marching past, with pointed toes, and
elbows close to his sides. He told us that some of the men had served in the
last Russian war. Some among them are tall, soldier-like figures, but they
have no pretension to uniformity of dress (p. 162).
“I saw the Shegaughec regiment face outwards by wings, and file in slow
time into positions at right angles to the former one. The whole battalion
lost the step before they had completed ten paces of this scientific manoeuvre,
but no fault was found (p. 300). Half-an-hour at least elapsed before the
colonel of the Shegaughees could get his regiment into a line four deep
(p. 241).
“Review of 4,500 infantry and artillery by the Shah. The troops
marched past in slow time—a very long and tedious operation. The artillery
came first, without their guns, preceded by trumpeters, playing execrably out
of tune, lifting their left legs high in the air and coming down with a whack
on their heels. This style of marching seems to be the regulation of the
Persian army. Next came the Russian deserters. The Shah places great
dependence on them in cases of internal rebellion or religious tumult ; they
are consequently better and more regularly paid than the native troops.
They wear heavy schakos, with high green plumes, red coutees with wings
of blue cloth and white lace, loose white trousers, and high boots. They are
short men, but looked soldier-like and marched past tolerably well. The
guards followed, under the command of the Sertipof the guards, Kajji Kassim
Khan, who has been a good officer, but is now old and idle. This regiment
was formerly under the command of Major Hart, but its former state of
drill and discipline has long since vanished. Two skeleton battalions of
Afshars, just returned from Khorassan, were dressed in patched coats of all
colours, biit they marched well and looked like soldiers. The Shah
particularly pointed them out to Ellis. “ See ! see ! ” said his Majesty, “are
they not fine fellows ) They have not been paid these three years.” The
Shegaughees inarched past very loosely ; they are called light infantry, and
some of their companies had no bayonets. The remainder of the troops
were mere canaille, but all men of thews and sinews. They were dirty,
half accoutred, many of them unarmed, and had no idea of stepping together!
The rear was brought up by some squads of recruits from Kazvin, stout lads,
but neither armed nor clothed, and officered by men with sticks. The rest
of the army was prudently kept out of sight (p.‘ 186-188).
“ The Persian army is formed in two ranks, and the composition of the
cadres and the system of drill, supposed to be enforced, are copied from that
of our own infantry in 1812. Since the death of Major Hart, and the
retirement of other British officers, the drill and discipline of the Azerbaijan
army, which alone was regular, have fallen into complete decay. In the war
of 1826-1827 some regiments behaved with firmness, others with the most
ridiculous cowardice—the Hamadan regiment ran away at the sound of its
own signal gun—but, as far as I can learn, all were totally deficient in the
manoeuvring qualities of regular troops. The ordinary nominal pay of a
serbaz is seven tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. per annum. The guards have ten and the artillery
twelve : out of this sum, when paid, there is a deduction of 10 per cent, for
the regimental Mirza, who acts as paymaster, or rather as clerk, to the
colonel. The troops are likewise nominally allowed three pounds of bread
daily, but they do not in reality receive above one-third of their rations, the
colonel pocketing the price of the remainder ; while the mirza is entitled to
one days rations cut of thirty from each soldier. Ray is usually given in