224 Tfa Persian Travels Book V. 



The Corfcbis are defcended from a forreign race, which have ftill a great repute 

 for their Valour. Thefe people live in Tents, like the Turcomans j and they fend 

 their Youth betimes to the King. They furnifh their Youth alfo with all necef- 

 faries, and maintain them till they come to be taken notice of by the King. They 

 are all Horfe-men, well paid, and well look'd to, and are many times advanc'd to 

 the Supreme Dignities of the Kingdom. They are generally call'd Kefel-Bajhi, 

 or Red-heads, becaufe that formerly they wore red Bonnets. It is faid that the 

 King has about 22000 of thefe Corcbis in pay, all good Souldiers, that do won- 

 ders in Battel. Sha- Abbas the firft did what he could to abolifh this Militia, and 

 to fet up the Goulams in their ftead. His hatred againft them was only becaufe 

 he thought them too powerful ; for he was wont to fay to his Favourites, that 

 nothing but the Puiffance of the Corcbis, could oppofe the Royal Power. There- 

 upon he took away fome of their Priviledges, and gave them to the Doulams j 

 but he could not bring about his defign any farther. 



The General of the Corcbis is call'd Corfcbi-Bafoi, and ought to be one of their 

 Body ; nor can the King impofe another upon them. The Mim-Bajhi commands 

 a thoufand Men, the Yux-Bajhi commands a hundred, and the Om-Bajhi com- 

 mands ten. The Corfibi-Ba/hi has 15-0 Tomans a year; the Mim-Bajhi fixty-two j 

 the r*z~-Bafhi thirty, and the Om-Bajloi fifteen. The pay of every Horfc-min is 

 from nine to fifteen Tomans a year. Eefides, every year the Kin^ makes a gene- 

 ral Mufter, and then he gives to the Corfcbis a third part more than their ufual 

 pay j however, to fbme more, to others lefs, either according to favour or merit. 

 When the King has refolv'd to put a great Man to death, he commits the execu- 

 tion of his command to a Corfcbi. 



The Gouler-Agafi is General of the Goulams, or Slaves. For indeed they are 

 either Slaves, or the Sons of Slaves of all forts of Nations, who do the King ve- 

 ry good Service They are for the moft part runnegade Gtorgians j and there are 

 about 18000 of thefe Goulams, being all Horfe-men; whofe pay is from five to 

 eight Tomans a year. The Corfcbis are very good Husbands j but the GouUms, as 

 foon as they have receiv'd their pay, fall a drinking and 1 waggering ; whereas rhe 

 other, if he has a Piaftsr to fpare, will buy a Sheep with it : For in regard they 

 live in Tents, their Riches confifts in Flocks. The greater!: pan of the Court of 

 Fer fia is made up of thefe two Bodies. The Goulams have this peculiar to them- 

 felves, that they are very rarely known to revolt. For being all Slaves, and of 

 different Nations, there are no ties of Affeclion or Kindred between them : And 

 if the King has an occafion to punifh any of them, the chief of their Body is to 

 execute his orders. The Goulams carry no other Arms befides a Bow and Ar- 

 rows, with a Skain. Though fome wear Coats of Mail, and Head-pieces : others 

 Vambraces and Battel-Axes. Thefe Horfe-men never entrench in the Field like 

 ours in Europe, nor have they any Field- Marfhals to affign them quarters. For 

 after the chief have taken up the beft places, the reft fer up their Tents as neer 

 as they can to the Pavillion of the General. 



The Tufenkgiler-Agafi is the General of the Tufenkgis, who compofe the third 

 Body of the Militia. This part of the Souldiery was but lately inftituted, being 

 compos'd of men taken from the Plough, as being moft fit for labour. They are 

 Foot- men with only a Scimiter and a Musket. But when they march, they have 

 a Horfc or a Mule between three or four, to carry their Baggage and Provifions. 

 Their pay is not above four or five Tomans a year. And for their Officers, their 

 pay is more or lefs according to their Quality and Command. They are in no 

 great reputation, being laugh'd at by the old Souldiers, as being a company of 

 poor Çountrey- men, that dare not look an enemy in the face. Not but that the 

 Infantry of Perfia is able to do good fèrvice ; though, as numerous as they are, 

 the King never makes ufe of them, but in cafe of neceffity. When he marches in 

 perfon, he fends for eight or ten thoufand, which he fends for out of what Province 

 beft pleafes him, and they prove very ufeful to the Army, as Sutlers. This Infan- 

 try is compos'd of the Countrey-men that live in Tents, abiding in the Mountains 

 all the Summer, and betaking themfelves in the Winter to the hot Countrreys. 

 Every Tribe or Family knows how many men it ought to fet out. And there is 

 not a Foot-man that has not his new-Suit in his Cheft, and his Musket and Scimi- 

 ter in very good order. They are well train'd, and well difciplin d ; for every 



three 



