Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/727

 REVENUE AND ARMY. 69 1

conductor of rites. The Armenians are under two bishops, one of them Roman Catholic, and both residing at Ispahan. There is wide tolerance exercised towards Armenians and Nestorians, but the Jews and Guebres suffer under great oppression.

Education is in a comparatively advanced state, at least as far as the upper classes are concerned. There are a great number of colleges, supported by public funds, in which, students are instructed in religion and Persian and Arabian literature, as well as in a certain amount of scientific knowledge, while private tutors are very com- mon, being employed by all families who have the means. A larger portion of the population of Persia are possessed of the rudiments of education than of any other country in Asia, except China.

Revenue and Army.

During the reign of the present Shah, the revenue of Persia has been increased by nearly 8-5- crores of tomans, or 094,000/. The receipts,, in 1S68, were calculated to, amount to 4,361,600 tomans, or 1,744,664/. in money, besides payments in kind, consisting of barley, wheat, rice, and silk, valued at 550,840 tomans, or 220,336/., making the total revenue equal to 4,012,500 tomans, or 1,965,000/.

The following return shows the revenue demanded from each pro- vince during the year 1866 : —

Tomans

Ispahan 420,000

Fars 380,000

Kerman 210,000

Yezd 170,000

M;tzanderan 110,000

Ghilau ........ 440,000

Gazveen. . . ... . . 70,000

Khemseh 180,000

Azerbijan 020,000

Koordistan and Gerroos .... 50,000

Khorassan, with Shahrood aud Bestam. . 220,000

Asterabad. . 25,000

Kt-rinanshah, with Looristan and Nehavend. 200,000

Arabistan 215,000

Bboroojird 60,000

Gulpaigan 60,000

Cashan 70,000

Kooni 15,000

Tehran and adjacent districts. . . 210,000

Hamadan 30,000

£ 3,825,000 = 1,530,000

Customs receipts 536,660= 214,664

Total revemie in money. . 4,361,060 = 1,744,064

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