Nasser-e-din Shah (Qajar) established a Cossack force in the late 1880's . This was commanded by the Russian officers and even got it's orders from the Russian Military Ministry. Google qajar cossack etc for more details.
This was the origin of the shashkas (mainly 1891 pattern). They are not rare at all.
The Iranian Cossack, Reza overthrew the Qajars and became the first Pahlavi Shah (father of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi).
Ottoman Turks also established a Hamidie Cossack brigade (mainly Kurdish).
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