‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎199v] (405/722)

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and south of that range on Dizful. The whole of this Pers..(-Turkish
frontier is, however, inhabited by practically independent tribes, whose good
will or hostility would greatly affect the course of operations. On the east,
Persia is exposed to an Afghan invasion from Herat on Mashhad, or on
Sfstan by the valley of the Helmand; but the distracted state of Afghan
istan would in itself appear sufficient to protect her against such an enter
prise. South of this, the country as far as the sea is not suitable for the
movements of a large force.
The barren nature of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and the consequent impossibility
of a foreign power making any permanent impression there, limits the shore
requiring defence to that between Muhammarah and Bushahr, both of which
were occupied by the English in their last war with Persia.
Military Geography of Persia.
[Extract from St. John’s.)
From a military point of view, the country is roughly divisible into two
parts.
In the first, water, forage, and fuel are present for the necessities of
an army; but the heavy rain, which has bestowed these advantages, has
hollowed the valleys and scarped the rocks in such a manner as to
render the passage of anything more cumbrous than a laden mule an
impossibility.
This, with the exceptions afterwards noticed, is the case throughout the
north and west, following the frontier from the Bushahr-Shiraz road to the
sources of the Gurgan, 150 miles east of the Caspian.
Throughout the greater part of the south-east and centre of Persia, on
the other hand, the scanty rainfall, while leaving easy slopes and conse
quent facilities for locomotion, has left the country more or less destitute of
water, timber, and grass. In outward aspect, the first division differs little
from other mountainous countries in the same latitudes. The southern and
western shores of the Caspian may, however, be noticed as covered with
forests of almost tropical luxuriance.
The second section is divided by parallel ranges of mountains rising from
one to six thousand feet above the general level into long valleys of a width,
gradually increasing in Central Persia, where that level is lowest, and dimi
nishing in extent both in the east and west, as their altitude above the
sea increases.
These valleys* form so many natural highways. Though by no means
level, their slopes are everywhere easy. Immense glacis of gravel inter
vene between their alluvial bottoms and the bases of the bounding hills, and
furnish naturally macadamised roads, which the traffic of ages has been
unable to wear down below the surface.
In spite, therefore, of the slender aid which man has given in improving
facilities for locomotion, the greater part of Persia is, as far as the nature
of the ground is concerned, easily traversable by armies, which have once
surmounted the external barrier.
The scarcity of water, and its consequent precarious supplies of food and
forage, are the only obstacles to the march of troops.
Mode of carriage. Modern Persia possesses next to no wheeled
carriages.
* Two, however, forming the deserts of Khurasan and Karman, are absolutely impassable by
any troops, save small bodies of cavalry.