Page 81 - Russo-Persian Postal Relations

II. 1914 - 18 Cossack Brigades Regular troops as
WWI. Entente against well as the Shah's
Central Powers personal guard
Russian censor used in Zendjan 1916 used by a "Russian" Cossack unit
Only eight letters are recorded related to any of two types of Cossack units in Persia. Two covers of 1916 have the Zendjan
censor as described below. The others are from 1921-22 )see later
The only Russian censor attributed to any of the Cossack units. Two recorded of this type

.,. /

,.

Large black Russian censor with both Russian and Persian text. Signed by Cossack officer Ahmed Khan
Letter cancelled Zendjan 27 XI 1916 and addressed to Teheran arriving beginning of December 1916
Akhmad Khan is a Persian Cossack, a sotnik, a rank in the Cossack troops equal to leutenant. There was probably no
Russian censorship office in Zendjan, but the letter could be examined in Kazvin at the FPO No. 162 .attached to
the 1st Caucasian Cavalry Corps under General Baratov
History: It's official duty was to protect the Shah and his family. It had been created by Russia more as a political than military weapon. Had
30 Russian officers and 3500 Persian soldiers about 1915 and was the most disciplined trained force in Persia. However, the Cossack
Brigade did become more involved in real battles at the 1920s. Reza Khan, later to become Reza Shah Pahlavi, was its leader then in spite of
not being Russian.
It should further be noted that the Russian troops under Baratoff and others had Cossack units under their command.