The ''Nezam-e Jadid'' ("The new ilitaryorder") was a project started by the

Qajar The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic origin,Cyrus Ghani. ''Iran an ...

crown prince

Abbas Mirza Abbas Mirza (; 26 August 1789 – 25 October 1833) was the Qajar dynasty, Qajar crown prince of Qajar Iran, Iran during the reign of his father Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (). As governor of the vulnerable Azerbaijan (Iran), Azerbaijan province, he played ...

to build an up-to-date

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

army capable of fighting in a modern environment. Its name and military reforms resembled that of the Ottoman Nizam-I Cedid reforms made by the Ottoman Sultan

Selim III Selim III (; ; was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. Regarded as an enlightened ruler, he was eventually deposed and imprisoned by the Janissaries, who placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV (). A group of a ...

(). Abbas Mirza first employed Russian prisoners of war and deserters who provided practical instruction.

Samson Makintsev Samson Yakovlevich Makintsev (), more commonly known as Samson Khan or Sam Khan (سامسون‌خان); (1849 – 1780), was a general of Russian origin in the service of Qajar Iran. Originally a sergeant of the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment i ...

, a commander in Abbas Mirza's army who rose to the rank of general, was the most well-known of these Russian troops. This approach of recruiting foreign instructors was strengthened when untrustworthy forces that had fought in France were sent to the Caucasian front during the

War of the Sixth Coalition In the War of the Sixth Coalition () (December 1812 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation (), a coalition of Austrian Empire, Austria, Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia, Russian Empire, Russia, History of Spain (1808– ...

in Europe. In 1819, a regiment of 800 men was made up entirely of Russian deserters. French instructors began working at Tabriz in 1807, but after Iran severed ties with France, British officers made up the majority of the training staff. New ideas and administrative procedures were introduced with the ''Nezam'' reforms. ''Nezam'' troops started donning uniforms, initially in a color resembling Russian green and then French blue. Since the new uniform resembled non-Muslim clothing and went against Islamic clothing, the traditionalist clergy at first opposed it. However, the state leaders were able to convince them that it was required for the defense of Muslim areas. The title ''sarbaz'' ("one who is willing to sacrifice his head"), which is still used in the Iranian military today, was given to the soldiers. Abbas Mirza's jealous brothers, especially Mohammad Ali Mirza Dowlatshah, as well as conservative court members criticized Abbas Mirza and

Mirza Bozorg Qa'em-Maqam Mirza Isa Farahani ( Persian: میرزا عیسی فراهانی), commonly known as Mirza Bozorg Qa'em-Maqam (میرزابزرگ قائم‌مقام) (also spelled Qa'em-Maqam I; died 1822/23), was an Iranian official, who played a leading role i ...

for their ideas of military reform being based on a European model. Accusations of professing Christianity was even made towards Mirza Bozorg, who was the main driving force behind the reforms.

References

Sources

* * * {{Encyclopaedia Iranica , volume=1 , fascicle=1 , title = ʿAbbās Mīrzā Qajar , last = Busse , first = H. , url = https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/abbas-mirza-qajar , pages = 79–84 Military history of Qajar Iran Reform in Iran