83.—HADY-MERZA-AGHAZZI.
Manufactures do not seem to succeed in Persia. This country, formerly the centre of a large commerce, now imports almost everything, and only manufactures articles of primary necessity.
India, Russia, and Afghanistan supply the Persians with most of their manufactured goods.
Persia, having been often invaded and occupied by foreigners, has necessarily a very mixed population. This consists of four classes:
1. The nobility, who fill all public posts.
2. The citizens of the towns, comprising the clergy, and the scholastic profession, who are a mixture of Persians, Turks, Tartars, Georgians, Armenians, and Arabs.
3. The peasants, belonging to the old Persian stock.
4. The nomadic or pastoral tribes, composed of Persians, to whom must be added the remnant of the ancient conquering classes of this country. It is from this last class that spring the soldiers and all the military clique who constitute in Persia a real hereditary autocracy.