'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎376] (429/714)

376
PERSIA
throne, lie left Hidayet Khan in charge of Gilan, exacting only
an annual tribute. r l he chief kept a large army, and observed
great state. It was during his rule that the Russian traveller
Gmelin visited Resht r and travelled in the Caspian provinces.
Meanwhile, in Mazanderan and Astrabad, the wily Kajar eunuch
was organising the strength and the following that were shortly to
place him upon the Persian throne. Sheikh Vais, the son of AH
Murad Khan Zend, who held the throne for four years, from 1781-85
was despatched by his father to crush these pretensions, and to re
cover Mazanderan. Though at first successful he was deserted bv
his followers and compelled to retire. When Agha Mohammed
had finally triumphed, Hidayet Khan of Gilan was foolish enough
to resist the successful usurper, and paid the penalty with his life.
Since then Gilan and Mazanderan have remained in secure and
undisputed possession of the Kajar reigning family, and have
commonly provided governing billets for the sons or relatives of
the sovereign.
I have already spoken of the partiality displayed by Shah
Abbas for Mazanderan, and have alluded to the royal residences
AbbaTthe Wllicl1 116 tliere constructed - L et me say a few words
Great. more about them before passing on. The monarch was
Ashmf ^ llere visited and seen ^ the garrulous Italian p . etro
della Yalle, and by the ingenious Englishman, Sir Thomas Her
bert, and their contemporaneous narratives are still extant. A
century later, Hanway described the ravages of a hundred years'
decay. In the present century, the tale has been carried down to
modern times. These palaces were several in number. The
principal were located in a situation of great natural beauty at
Ashraf, about five miles south of Astrabad Bay, and with an
exquisite outlook over the sea. Shah Abbas' causeway, running
in a westerly direction from Astrabad city, passed the village of
Gez, and conducted thence, a distance of twenty-six miles, to Ashraf,
whose title signified the Most Noble. Here "the Great Abbas set
about building himself a sort of northern Isfahan, whose palaces
and gardens should rival those of the southern capital. Pietro
della Valle was there in 1618, while the king's palace was the
only completed structure, and the town was still in the brick
layers' hands. Nine years later, on May 25, 1627, in the same
palace, which Herbert described as ' pretty large and but newly
finished,' the King received in public audience Sir Dodmore