▁poor ▁har v ests . ▁▁ ▁Nik ki ▁K ed die ▁and ▁Y ann ▁Richard ▁related ▁the ▁fam ine ▁to ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁factors ▁mentioned ▁above . ▁ ▁Charles ▁P . ▁Mel ville ▁maintain s ▁that ▁the ▁main ▁reason ▁of ▁the ▁fam ine ▁were ▁the ▁conditions ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁War . ▁ ▁Moh amm ad ▁Gh oli ▁Maj d , ▁holds ▁the ▁British ▁occupation ▁and ▁its ▁custom ▁and ▁fin ance ▁reg ulations ▁account able ▁for ▁w ors ening ▁the ▁fam ine , ▁and ▁Wille m ▁F loor ▁suggests ▁James ▁L . ▁Bart on ' s ▁account ▁( occupation ▁by ▁arm ies , ▁exception ally ▁light ▁snow fall ▁and ▁disease ), ▁joint ▁with ▁ho arding ▁by ▁land own ers ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁purch asing ▁power ▁as ▁other ▁cru cial ▁causes ▁of ▁fam ine . ▁According ▁to ▁him , ▁two ▁major ▁gra in ▁producing ▁areas , ▁namely ▁K erm ans h ah – H am ad an ▁and ▁Az ar ba ij an ▁were ▁the ▁battle field ▁between ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁and ▁the ▁Rus si ans . ▁ ▁Pat ▁Wal sh ▁in ▁a ▁review ▁of ▁Maj d ' s ▁book ▁written ▁in ▁Irish ▁Foreign ▁Affairs , ▁a ▁quarter ly ▁publication ▁by ▁Irish ▁Political ▁Review ▁bl ames ▁the ▁British ▁occupation ▁and ▁comments ▁on ▁claims ▁of ▁ho arding ▁as ▁causes ▁of ▁fam ine , ▁writing ▁" B rit ish ▁att itudes ▁towards ▁the ▁star ving ▁Pers ians ▁were ▁un c ann ily ▁similar ▁to ▁those ▁expressed ▁against ▁the ▁Irish ▁in ▁a ▁similar ▁position ▁half ▁a