‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎64v] (133/722)

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which the sand is irrigated, dates are produced in great abundance, and a few
other trees, such as mulberry and pomegranates, are to be seen. Tobacco and
grain are grown in small quantities, and dates in very large quantities
indeed, and exported to all parts of Persia. ^ The names of the four villages
from which the place takes its name are Jaukar, Targhinan, Tashkanan, and
Mahdiabad. J aukar, the largest of the four villages, contains an aggregate of
800 inhabitants. There are two caravan roads from here to Mashhad ordin
arily used by pilgrims—one by Bajistan, and the other by Nfshapur, both
passing by Tabbas, at a distance of 10 miles.— {MacGregor, Stewart.)
CHAHAR-DEH*— Lat. ,Long. ,* Elev. (1^00
A group of four villages in Astarabad, north of Damghan, 12 miles north of
Chasma Ali. They are situated in the midst of gardens at the foot of some
high rocky hills. Their names are Kala-lsh, Zerdamox, Varasam, Harab-i-
Deh. The revenue is about £25 in money and 40 kharwars in produce, and
they are bound to furnish 200 soldiers to the Government. Barley and wheat
form the chief cultivation, which crops, however, occasionally fail on account
of drought, when gram is imported from Astarabad. The inhabitants of this
village are exempted from all taxes on condition of furnishing 300 men to
the regiment of Damghan; and in consequence of this immunity they are
said to be very rich.
The village is now the property of Mustaufi-ul-Mamalik, and is a great
depot for mules trading with Khurasan. The style of the houses and dress
of the inhabitants are on the Irak model. A fine stream, coming from the
snows of the Shah-Kuh range, rushes through the villages, and is suh-divided
and distributed by numerous side channels, conveying the water to the fields.
The four villages are disposed in a cluster, their distinctive names being
according to Lovett, Kfshash, Warzen, Surdawan, and Kala. They all have
numerous walled gardens, with rows of poplar and willow trees and stunted
mulberries, and the inevitable imamzadahs. There are a few mosques and
a bath and a public bakery—a great economiser of time,—in which excellent
bread resembling biscuits is made, by which means each peasant is not em
ployed, as in India, in passing most of his time baking his own bread. Situ
ated as this village is on one of the main trade routes with Persia, a number
of mules are always kept up, and can be readily obtained at short notice.
N.B. —Lovett says that the Tang-i-Sar and Chasmah-i-Ali valleys can be
best observed from Chahar Deh. These converge on Eulhad Mahala. Cavalry
stationed at Chahar-Deh could easily ride to Fulhad Mahalla for supplies
in twelve hours, as also to villages in the Tan-i-Sar valley.-— {Lovett, Napier)
CHAHAR-DEH— Lat. , Long. ; Elev.
A village in the Atak, 28 miles from Ja-i-Gambas, in Kalat-i-Nadfri, from
whence there is a road, a fair bridle path, but impassable for guns. Chahar-
Deh has 50 to 60 houses settled by Turkmans under the protection of the
Khan of Kalat.— {Napier.)
CHAHAR-DEH— Lat. 37° 15' 0", Long. 60° 2' 0" ; Elev. ' {Napier).
A village in Khurasan in the northern boundary of the district of Kalat-i-
Nadfri. It only contains some 100 houses.— {MacGregor.)
CHAHAR FARSAKH— Lat. 31° 4P 27", Long. 59° 47' IS"; Elev.
{Lentz).
A village in Khurasan, situated, as implied by its name, at 4 farsakhs, 18
miles from Nib, the chief place of the subdivisionof Nihbadon.— {Khanikoff.)
# The “ Four Villages.”