Notes Prepared for Reference during Curzon’s Tour of the Persian Gulf, and Other Papers on Persia and the Persian Gulf [‎183r] (365/678)

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Geo.—S^kes—Second Revise.
agreed to embark on the enterprise (which I partly financed), brought up
bales ot carpets, all of which were carefully examined by me before
being passed. Two Baluch levies came across to act as guard, and with
samples of Yezd silks, saffron, homespun, and pistachio, the little caravan,
the pioneer of greater things, started. Fortune smiled on it, as His
Excellency the Viceroy happened to visit Quetta at the period of its
arrival, and the purchases he made were so considerable and drew such
attention to the caravan that the carpets were all sold at a handsome
profit. In 1900 the second and much more important caravan was
equally successful, and I now consider the trade established, to the
mutual benefit of Indo-Persian relations. Looking ahead, I venture to
forecast that this trade route will, if fostered, be increasing in im
portance when the other is a thing of the past.
At the beginning of 1900 some weeks were spent by me at Yezd, where
I enjoyed the hopitality of Mr. Fothergiil, of the Imperial Bank of
Persia, and, happening to come across two manuscript histories, I was
enabled to study the history of the “ City of the Sands.”
The foundation of Yezd is universally ascribed to Alexander the
Great, who built a fort to serve as a prison for his captors, these un
fortunates being confined in a deep well. In reference to this, Hafiz
says, “I was afraid of Alexander’s prison, sc. Yezd, and prepared to
start for the country of Suliman, sc. Ears.” Apparently the city was
known by some other appellation, as the name of Yezd was given it by
Yezdigird, the father of Bahram Gur, who reigned during the fifth
century. After the Mohammedan conquest, the district became the
headquarters of the followers of the old religion, who still number six
thousand.
In the thirteenth century, Marco Polo speaks well of Yasdi, and not
long afterwards the Friar Odoricus visits Geth, as he terms it; but the best
description of all is given by Josafa Barbaro in the fifteenth century.
He says, “ We came to Jex, a towne of artificers, as makers of sylkes,
fustians, chamletts, an 1 other like . . . they all arr wevers and makers
of divers kindes of sylkes which came from Straua,* * * § from Azzi, and from
the cities towards Zagatai; towards the sea of Bachu,f the best whereof
come from Jex, w ch , w th their workes, do afterwards furnishe a great
parte of India, Persia, Zagatai, Cim and Macim J parte of Catay, of
Bursia § and of Turchie; wherefore left him that woll bie good silkes of
Soria,|| faire and well wrought, take of these.” If
Approached from the east in a sandstorm, the effect is extremely
weird. Rolling sand-dunes are passed through, and nothing can be
seen of the city, except a forest of wind-towers, dominated by two of
the lofty gateways with minars which are peculiar to Yezd, the whole
giving a marvellous sense of unreality. Travellers generally point to
the fact that the sand touches the walls of Yezd as a proof that it is
slowly being engulfed. This is, however, not the case, as it is the
town that is encroaching on the dunes, which are steadily being enclosed
and cultivated.
During my stay, after a considerable amount of inquiry, two manu
script histories were produced, one of which, known as the Tarikh-i-
Jadid, or ‘Modern History,’ and written some six hundred years ago,
gives a good account of the chief buildings. The Yezd of that date lay,
in pait, a little to the north-west of the present city, and its oldest
building is the Masjid-i-Jama. This was originally constimcted in
a.h. 513 (1119), by Sultan Ala-u-Dola, Gurshasib, of the Kanjar tribe.
It is related that Yezd was given to him, at his request, by Malik
Shah, as a place to pray in, and that its designation of Dar-ul-Ibada,
or “ Place of Prayer,” dates from this period. The mosque, which the
son-in-law of the governor showed us over, is entered through one of
the high gateways referred to above by two doors which are magnificent
specimens of wood carving, but will in a few years disappear, no attempt
being made to keep them in repair. The mosque itself lies at right
* Astrabad.
t The sea of Bachu or Baku is the Caspian.
J Chin and Machin, sc. China.
§ Bursia is apparently Basra.
H Syria, I presume.
Tf ‘ Travels of Early Venetians,’ p. 73.