Chap. VII. of Monfieur Tavernier. 225 



three months the Governor of the Province takes a review of all the Souldiers 

 in his Province, and caufes them to be exercis'd in his own pretence. They are 

 order'd to (hoot at a mark, and they that hit it, are fure to have fome reward 

 from the Governor. When the King fends for any part of his Infantry, they pre- 

 fently know who is to lead 'em ; and they are all lufty, and well clad, never put- 

 ting on their beft Clothes but when they mufter, or march into the Field. They 

 pay to the King little or nothing : for of all their Cattel great and fmall, they pay 

 but one in the hundred to him, and one Abajfi, or 18 Sous of our Money. 



The EJhekz Jlgtfh or chief of the Kejheksbfs, who are the King's Guards, and 

 carry a Musket with a very wide bore. They were but lately inltituted by the 

 uithemat-doulet, when he intended to deftroy the Divan-begui. This Officer has 

 about 2000 men under him, of which he difpofes every night a certain number, 

 round about the Palace. When the King fits in Council, he ftands there with a 

 Battoon in his hand, and throws himielf to the ground when the King beckons to 

 him to come and receive any command from his mouth. The Topigi-Bajhi is the 

 Mafter of the Ordnance, and chief of the Sea-affairs, but he has little to do in 

 either employment. For, as for the Cannon, there are only fome two or three 

 pittiful Guns in fome of the Frontier-towns : And for Ships,, there are none in 

 Perjia but what come from Europe or the Indies to Ormns or Balfara. The Per- 

 Jians themfelves have no other Ships than fome few large Barks in the Perfian- 

 Gulph, and in fome parts of the Cafpian-Sea, where they keep a Fleet againft the 

 Usbeck^ Tartars, the Kalmonkes, and other people. 



As for the Kans or Governors of Provinces, they are generally chofèn out of 

 the body of Çarfck'ës and Goulams -, who are handfom perfons, and generally much 

 more Valiant than the natural Perfians. For the natural complexion of the Per- 

 sians is not good, as may be leen by, the Gaures, the original Inhabitants of the 

 Countrey, who are for the moft part tann'd, and ill-lhap'd. So that there is hardly 

 a Perfian, from the King to the meaneft of his Subjects, who is not a Georgian^ or 

 (prung from the loins of Georgians. For they fetch a great number of Slaves 

 out of Georgia ; by the frequent Marriages of whichwomen, the Georgian Valour 

 and Beauty are become Natives of Perfa. 



The Kans or Governors of Provinces are as fo many petty Kings, fear'd and re- 

 fpeded by all the people. And when they are fettl'd, they are never depos'd, but 

 upon repeated complaints of their exceffive Tyranny. There are fome of thefe 

 Governments that yield the Kan feven or eight thoufand Tomans. But they are 

 bound to prefent the King every year at Nourons, or New-years- tide. 



Under the Kans there are alfo Governors of leffer quality, who are alfo im- 

 mediately preferr'd by the King, and cannot be depos'd by any perfon but him- 

 felf If they abufe their Authority, the complaints brought againft him are firft 

 carri'd to the Kan, ; which, if they concern the Government of the Kingdom, 

 the Kan is bound to inform the King thereof. But if the complaints are not 

 confiderable, then the Kan may do Juftice himfelf, and make the Snltans know 

 their duty. 



There" is yet a third fort of Governors, call'd Afphs, who are the King's Lieu- 

 tenants in places where he had Kans in former times ; or where he ought to have 

 them ftill, but only to lave charges. For in the Provinces where Kans Govern, 

 they and their Officers, almoft equalling in name and number the Officers of the 

 King's Houfhold, devour all the profits of the Province, but what the Kan is ob- 

 lig'd annually to pay. 



By what I have wrote as well concerning the King's Houfhold, the Governors 

 of his Provinces, and the Officers of his Army, it may be eafily concluded that 

 the King of Perfia's Court is the moft magnificent and glorious of all the Courts 

 of Afia j and befides, that it is the moft Polite and Civil of all the Orient, 



CHAP, 



