'Report on the Persian Army' [‎61r] (121/170)

Ill
of the service ; those of the artillery up to the grade of Sarhang
are somewhat higher than for the infantry.
All officers’ pay is liable to the following deductions:—
10 shahis per toman 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. on the pay of all officers junior to the
rank of Sarhang.
2 krans per toman 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. for Sarhang and senior grades.
Whilst unemployed the soldier receives half pay, the whole
of the Khanewareh, no rations.
Regimental officers receive half pay, no rations or alikh.
As a rule, however, officers senior to the rank of major often
succeed in securing the whole of their pay. A number of
officers, whose name is legion, are attached to the departments.
They receive full pay and allowances on the scales mentioned.
Resides the foregoing, the military budget is burdened by
an immense list of officers, who bear military rank, but other
wise have no connection with the army. On this list will
be found merchants, doctors, bankers, and servants—samples,
in fact, of all classes. The sale of rank and pay by successive
commanders-in-chief, the grant of rank to the sons of deceased
officers, the patronage afforded to various individuals by the
governors of provinces, is responsible for this heavy charge.
The rates of pay of this army of unemployed vary from 100
to 2,000 tumans, whilst their grades vary from Amir i Tuman
to subaltern. Payments are in their case's, however, irregular,
arrears of two or three years being of common occurrence.
This fact has given rise to a systematic traffic in the sale
and purchase of arrear accounts, which are bought up at
from 50 to 80 per cent, discount by the officers of the treasury,
native bankers, and others, to bo presented for full payment as
opportunity offers. Large sums of money are also made in this
way by the officials and governors.
The Werndell is the regulation arm of the Persian infantry.
About 70,000 of these weapons have from time to time been
purchased by the diplomatic representative of Persia in Austria.
Luring the reign of Nasr-ed-Din Shah the troops in garrison at
Tehran and elsewhere were almost invariably armed with the
old percussion gun. The Werndell were stored in the
magazines and were only issued to specially selected regiments
preparatory to a review by His Majesty. Of late, since the
accession of Muzaffer-ed-Din Shah they have been served out to
all troops in garrison at Tehran, and as a rule whilst in garrison
in the provinces. Perhaps 20,000 Werndell may be taken as the
total number of weapons outside the capital, of which Tabriz is
said to account for 7,000. The balance of 50,000 should be in
Tehran.
General Wagner, who was detailed as a member of a board
assembled in the summer of 1800 to report on the reserve
stores, informed the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. that many of the Werndell had
disappeared and were believed to have been sold out of the
stores by the officers in charge. The board of inquiry was,
however, unable to arrive at anything definite on this point, and
failed altogether in its efforts to verify the stock in hand.
Pay of
officers ?>nd
men not
under arms.
Arm a.
t
f