202 
ERIVAN. 
The Sardar’s government differs from most others in the 
empire, inasmuch as that he pays no revenue to the king: 
holding his station by a kind of military tenure; being obliged, 
in times of war or disturbance, to furnish the royal army with a 
certain number of troops. To him is also entrusted the defence 
and security of the whole of the frontier within the limits of the 
province of Erivan, to be maintained solely at his own expense. 
In short, he might rather be styled the Prince of Erivan, than its 
mere delegated governor; for he is looked up to by the natives, 
with the homage of subjects; and in his domestic arrangements 
he has assumed appendages which belong to royalty alone. His 
wives travel clothed in scarlet; a superb sort of raiment, not 
permitted in Persia to any women but those of the family of the 
King, or of his sons. He has, also, the privilege of covering 
the baggage carried by his mules, with highly-ornamented cloths 
of blue or red, which are badges of royal equipage. His col¬ 
lected riches are immense ; and he possesses landed property in 
many provinces, but particularly in that of Ghilan, where he 
owns several villages. The districts of the province of Erivan, 
over which he has unlimited sway, are, Gookchah, Sevan, 
Gurney, Aberan, Kerpay, Zirzadill, Sharagill, Sherroor, Ma- 
koo, Saut. Its length embraces a distance of nearly 200 miles ; 
its breadth, 100. In 1814, a general census was taken of 
the people capable of bearing arms, which amounted to 
18,000. The revenue of the province is about 150,000 tomauns, 
and that does not include the receipts from the district of Makoo. 
A tomaun, which is the current gold coin of Persia, is of very 
pure metal, and in value may be equal to our half-guinea. 
I had hardly returned to my quarters, when the mehmandar 
arrived, who was to be the comptroller of my travelling household, 
