War and Peace in Qajar Persia: Implications Past and ... - Oguzlar.az

90 Graham WilliamsonThe resultant war revealed both the Ottoman’s weakness and strength visà-visPersia.Internal dissent was greater than in Persia and resulted in more bloodyconflicts in the Ottoman Empire. Consequently, much of their standing armywas engaged in suppressing revolts and whatever the Janissaries’ (the coreof the standing army) faults, they were less than those of the Ottoman’s provincialand secondary forces. It was to these latter forces that the defence ofthe frontier fell and they were little match for an aggressive commander, suchas Mohammad Ali Mirza, or the “regular Sarbaz”, i.e. European-trained unitsAbbas Mirza been developing. The Ottoman command and control was alsomore decentralized (often the result of political jealousy) and on the battlefieldthis proved disastrous.On the other hand, Ottoman provincial commanders, usually the governors,were quite resilient in raising or recalling men to their banner even after aheavy defeat. Ironically it was the same strength the Russians had previouslyascribed to the Persians. They also had a numerical advantage, which thoughusually of little consequence on the battlefield, did provide a constant supplyof fresh recruits. At this time the respective Ottoman and Persian populationswere thought to be 23 million compared to 6 million respectively.Ultimately we shall never know that if the bulk of the Ottoman’s standingarmy or Sultan Mahmud II’s fledgling nezam (similar to Abbas Mirza’s “regularSarbaz”) had been available whether they would have nullified the Persiantactical superiority.For two years the conflict ebbed and flowed, but despite Persian victories andstrategic opportunities, the war was concluded by the Treaty of Erzerum on23 July 1823. This maintained the territorial status quo and was a poor rewardfor the heavy expenditure of Persian lives and money; it was to prove thehigh watermark of any ambitions they may have harboured on this frontier.Ottoman vulnerabilityThe timing of the war for the Ottomans was not propitious and the conflictbrought out the tensions and instability that were rife throughout theEmpire at this time. The Empire was also in the middle of a centralizing processwhich naturally encountered resistance. Further, loyalties had not yetbeen cemented to the regime as local loyalties had been allowed to developin the previous century.Fighting internal rebellionThe year 1820 marked the beginning of a series of revolts within theOttoman Empire. In Montenegro the Turks were driven from the valley ofZeta and Ali Pasha, the powerful but rebellious Governor of Janina, was inrevolt and holding out against the Empire. In the following year, whilst Tudor