"ملخص لمراسلات، إلخ، تتعلق بشؤون آسيا الوسطى، بلوشستان، بلاد فارس، إلخ، ١٨٧٥-١٨٧٧. مع ملاحق." [و‎‎٢‎٥‎٧] (٥٦٢/٥١٨)

The Jighits may be described as mounted infantry, every man having a horse which oa
the march oarnes himself and all his belongs. They are able to° make lot Ind LiS
marches and can keep up an average of 35 m.les a day for a great distance. In action hev
dismount to fire a proportion being left in rear to hold the horses, but they have little drill or
system among them. J u ur
The Sirbazes have no horses; they are as a rule better armed than the Jiohits The two
or three infantry corps that get more drill than the generality are among the Sirbazes.
The Jighits and Sirbazes are distributed in small corps of from 200 to 500 men according
to the estimation in which the commanders are held. The command of the Jemadar above
mentioned was 500 men and four guns which he drilled all together, the guns beino placed in
the company intervals; the movements were performed very slowly and precisely, on the
pattern of thirty years ago; the words of command were apparently intended for English
Another corps is commanded by a Daghestani Effendi who drills it in Constantinople fashion'
A third corps is drilled by a Nogai Tartar on a Russian pattern. Besides these and the Chinese
corps of Taifoorchees, other corps get no drill whatever, with the exception of target practice.
The men are miserably armed, the greater number having only matchlocks fitted with a forked
rest, others being heterogeneously armed with Cashmere made guns, old English sporting guns
and rifles, mixed with a few Enfield rifles. Flint and steel guns are unknown. A few Enfield
rifles were brought from India in 1870 by the Kashgar Envoy, and are now being copied in the
AmeeCs workshops; the out-turn, however, is very small, not exceeding a hundred in the year,
as the Osbegs have no turn for mechanical arts, and the arsenal work is entirely dependent on
a few Hindostanees. Five hundred American repeating rifles were brought by the Ameer’s
Envoy from Constantinople last year.
Target shooting is much practised. Every town where there is a garrison has a number
of rifle butts outside the gates, and the whole time of our stay in Kashgar target practice
was going on four times a week : it is not, however, conducted on any system; matchlocks,
Enfield rifles, and double-barrelled guns, all being used at the same range together.
Lead, sulphur, and saltpetre are very plentiful, the powder made is good, and the dry
nature of the climate is favourable to its preserving its quality long; it is made by each corps
commander, who gets an allowances of pay for making it for practice: the Ameer’s work
shops making powder for use on service. Percussion caps which are in great demand are
imported from Hindostan.
The Ameer keeps the management of the army entirely in his own hands. Four officers
exercise authority under him, Jemadar Nubbee Bux, the Punjabee abovementioned, Dadkhwah
Hajji Beg, a native of Badakshan, and the Ameer’s sons, Beg Kuli Beg and Hukk Kuli Beg.
In time of peace two of them reside at Kashgar, one at Yarkund, and one at Aksu. The
other ranks are in succession as follows :—
Pansudbashee (Commander of 500.)
Omra.
Yawur (Artillery).
Lawur (Infantry).
Yuzbashee (Commander of 100.)
The Pansudbashees and Omras of the higher grade are employed on special duties in peace
time, the commands of corps being held by Lavvurs.
The ranks contain a great mixture of nationalities: natives of the count! y,Andijanees,
Caskmerees, Hindostanees, Afghans, Chinese, Toorganees, Calmaks, Wakhees and Kunjootee .
The Kashgarees are themselves much averse to military service,
but remarkably unwarlike; there is consequently much difficu ty oum in p 7, f, 1T ’
therefore all vagabonds and men unable to give a good account of
other countries that have fallen into poverty, prisoners taken in war, essed j ^ t | le
merchants and released by the Ameer on condition of military service, a,e piessed
ranks. Zemindars are exempt from giving military sei vice.
TheAndijaneesareof a more warlike nature than
tanees and Cabulees are all termed Afghans, and are muc ' ^ unruly and diffl-
Hindostanees for their superior intelligence; the Osbegs, however, hnd them urn- ^ ^ ^
cult to control, and therefore keep them scattered in lei p^ a it 0 o-ether in the army:
combination. There are about 200 Afghans anc o " q lore ",r less discontented
many of the latter have served in our Indian army They a,e all commands .
with their present service, though some of them a 6 * u i yjb ,, tonlr succee ded
I endeavoured to find ou y £ was called Soubadar Gugguu Sing's troop
in finding one man, Hmgun, Pay Havilclar o +Wp others.
in the Bengal artillery. I was told that ere .in, w ^ thousanl j ; n the army,
The Chinese and Toorganees, of whom there aren^mo^^ t^ ^ ^ rt .
are prisoners of war, who have been presse in 1 . | . | c depended on, but .they have
ed to Mahommedanism. Their fidelity to the Ameer s ^ be ™ P both 0 sbegs and Afghans
the reputation of being excellent soldiers especially the loor = anees
Orora.
Punjabashee (Commander of 50.)
Dabashee (Commander of 10.)
Jighitbashee.