Iranian Gendarmerie

The Iranian Gendarmerie (Persian: ژاندارمری ایران), also called the Government Gendarmerie (Persian: ژاندارمری دولتی, romanized: Žāndārmirī-ye Daulatī), was the first rural police force, and subsequent modern highway patrol, in Iran. A paramilitary force, it also played a significant part in politics from its establishment in 1910 during the Qajar era until the advent of the Pahlavi era in 1925. It continued to serve until the end of the Pahlavi era and was modernized into the Imperial Iranian Gendarmerie. Originally established as a constitutional army, the force employed Swedish officers in command of Iranian personnel to perform both traditional police duties and conduct military campaigns against tribal forces. In 1991 the Iranian Gendarmerie was merged with other police forces to form the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran.