'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [‎17v] (35/1386)

PERSIA AS A FIELD OF ENTERPRISE.
The Empire of Persia possesses enormous natural wealth, almost wholly undeveloped, and abounds with the most valuable
vegetable and mineral productions. The recent establishment of a State Bank, among other acts of wise statesmanship, indicates a desire
on the part of the Shah of Persia to develop that wealth, and a wide field of enterprise awaits the operations of this Corporation.
Statistics concerning the commercial, industrial, and financial position of Persia are so difficult of authentication that the
calculations contained in this Prospectus, although supplied from the most trustworthy sources, must be accepted as only approximate.
WINES AND ALCOHOL CONCESSION.
Apart from the very great value of the several Concessions to be obtained, all of which may be expected to yield large returns, the
profit derivable from the Concession for Wines and Alcohols—the subject of the Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). below mentioned—is alone dealt with in this
Prospectus.
FIRST CONCESSION TO BE WORKED.
The Concession for Wines and Alcohols is granted by Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). under date 17/29 May, 1889, signed by H.I.M. the Shah of Persia*
A translation of the Firman A Persian word meaning a royal order or decree issued by a sovereign, used notably in the Ottoman Empire (sometimes written ‘phirmaund’). made from the Persian Text, and of the subsequent document, accompanies this Prospectus, and
extended by a dastemhat signed by H.I. Majesty on the September, 1890.
- - at. TERMS . OF CONCESSION.
The terms briefly are:—
1 .—The monopoly of the manufacture of Wines and Alcohols and of the establishment of manufactories for that purpose
throughout Persia under the protection of the Persian Government.
2 .—The right of pre-emption over the produce of the Vineyards of Persia and over the Cereal Crops required for the
manufacture of Wine and Spirits.
3 .— The duration of the Concession is fifty years. On the expiration of that period, all the property of the Concessionnaires
used in the business will become that of the State.
4 .—Special privileges are given for sites of Manufactories and Warehouses, land for cultivation, and timber required.
5 .—No local Taxes are to be charged, except the Octroi or town dues.
No Property Fax is to be levied.
Export duties are not to be imposed till three years of the Concession have expired and are then to be only at the
rate of 3 per cent, ad valorem.
All machinery, material, &c., required to be imported for the purposes of the Concession are to be free of Duty.
6 .—The only exception to the monopoly is to be the manufacture of Wine required for private consumption by
individuals. In Persia this right to private manufacture is confined to a few' of the great families.
7 .—The Concession is subject to an annual duty of 25,000 Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , equivalent to about 8,000.
WINES. • .
The Persian Empire has an area of 636,000 square miles, or about thrice that of France, with which as a Wine-growing country it
may be advantageously compared ; its climate is eminently favourable to the Vine, which there flourishes profusely on its native soil, and
it is estimated that the present produce in Grapes equals that of France, and could be easily increased threefold.
The Grapes produced in Persia are of the finest quality, and are excessively cheap.
The Wines of Shiraz and Hamadan would find a ready market in Europe as really high-class crAs. The Shiraz Wine is of great
natural alcoholic strength, possessing all the qualities of the very highest class Sherries: this, the most'expensive Wine to produce, costs
in ordinary seasons about fourpence a bottle, and is sold in the country at tenpence a bottle within the year. The Wine of Hamadan
resembles a delicious Hock : it costs twopence a bottle to produce, and finds a ready sale at Teheran at one shilling and eightpence
a bottle, while large quantities are exported both to Russia and Turkish Arabia A term used by the British officials to describe the territory roughly corresponding to, but not coextensive with, modern-day Iraq under the control of the Ottoman Empire. . The Wines of Teheran much resemble Burgundies,
and costing the same to produce as the Wine of Hamadan command about half its price. The entire vintage is absorbed by the city of
Teheran alone. The Wine of Ispahan is of two kinds—viz., a white wine with a Muscat flavour, and a strong red wine resembling Port,
both contain much natural alcohol, and these Wines could be exported to France easily and with advantage. The supply of Wines
suitable for conversion into bottled brandy is enormous, and.this brandy would find an unfailing market in India.
At all the places named and throughout the principal Wine-producing zones in Persia, very fine Wine is at present manufactured
with the rudest and most primitive appliances ; but the expert, with proper plant and the latest manufacturing improvements, would
be able to enhance very largely the commercial value in Europe of all Persian Wines. The primitive method of making Wine causes it to
be an exceedingly lengthy process. It is only the very wealthy who manufacture wine in their own houses. They do so in order to
avoid adulteration, and would purchase as soon as they can obtain it unadulterated. Wine-making in Persia for trade is at present
almost wholly in the hands of the Armenians and the Guebres, who adulterate freely, and invariably water the Wines and Spirits which
they retail.
The highest cost of any Wine in Persia is now about fourpence per quart, and an almost unlimited supply at this price could be
manufactured for export without the probability of any important rise in price. With little exception, Persian Wine is of much higher
quality, and much better adapted for the French market, both for direct consumption and for blending purposes, than any now imported
into France.
MARKETS.
The principal foreign markets for Persian Wine are France, Russia, and the East—China, India, and Japan ; for Ratni, Turkey,
and Central Asia ; and for Brandy, India.
FRANCE.
France imports about four times as much Wine as she exports, and offers an almost unlimited market for the disposal of the
produce of the Corporation. In 1889 she imported no less than 234,000,000 gallons, representing a gross declared value of nearly
615,000,000 sterling.
RUSSIA.
Russia in 1888 imported 1,738,000 gallons of Wine, at a declared value of 574,900, and with Russia a great trade may be
established, for the reason that by the recent treaty with Persia a duty of only 5 per cent, is payable upon Wines and Spirits imported
into Russia from Persia, as against 38 per cent, ad valorem levied on all Wines and Spirits imported from all other nations.
The Wines entering Russia from the North of Persia can reach the very heart of that country by water carriage through the Caspian
up the Volga, and therefore at small cost of transport
The Persian Wine imported into Russia does not at present command a high price, owing to its being carelessly manufactured
and passing through the hands of numerous middlemen before it reaches the consumer in carboys-, but if Persian Wine were sent
into Russia in wood and bottled, a very large trade could be done at once, as the heavy land carriage and the enormous duty of 38 per
cent, renders the price of the very inferior Wines brought from Hamburg almost prohibitive, and the better class Russian is only too
anxious to obtain good Wine at any price.