▁century ▁before ", ▁i . e . ▁the ▁British ▁bl amed ▁Pers ians ▁while ▁suggesting ▁that ▁building ▁roads ▁for ▁their ▁military ▁was ▁a ▁‘ rel ief ▁measure ’ ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁bene vol ence . ▁ ▁Rob ▁Johnson ▁bl ames ▁bad ▁govern ance ▁and ▁w art ime ▁short ages ▁for ▁the ▁fam ine , ▁re buff ing ▁what ▁Maj d ▁has ▁suggested . ▁ ▁Death ▁to ll ▁Sch ol ars ▁such ▁as ▁Er v and ▁Abraham ian , ▁H oma ▁Kat ou z ian ▁and ▁Barry ▁Rub in ▁maintain ▁that ▁the ▁total ▁death ▁to ll ▁due ▁to ▁star v ation ▁and ▁disease ▁was ▁around ▁ 2 ▁million . ▁Central ▁Int elligence ▁Agency ▁anal yst s ▁Steven ▁R . ▁Ward ▁and ▁Kenneth ▁M . ▁Pol lack ▁state ▁a ▁similar ▁number . ▁Nik ki ▁K ed die ▁and ▁Y ann ▁Richard ▁state ▁that ▁about ▁one - qu arter ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁northern ▁Iran ▁were ▁killed . ▁ ▁Moh amm ad ▁Gh oli ▁Maj d ' s ▁book , ▁The ▁Great ▁Fam ine ▁and ▁Gen o cide ▁in ▁Pers ia , ▁ 1 9 1 7 – 1 9 1 9 , ▁ident ifies ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁al lied ▁sources ▁that ▁detail ▁the ▁proportion ▁and ▁scale ▁of ▁the ▁death s , ▁and ▁alleg es ▁that ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 8 – 1 0 ▁million ▁died , ▁across ▁the ▁whole ▁nation , ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁alternate ▁pre - f am ine ▁Pers ian ▁population ▁estimate ▁of ▁ 1 9 ▁million . ▁Tim othy ▁C . ▁Win