‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎231v] (469/722)

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o£ flowers or pines, and corner ornaments, all rich with red, green, aad
yellow colours upon various grounds. Such handkerchiefs would sell at
21 to 30 reals (£ L 1 Is. to £2) a piece. All goods of this sort, except these
handkerchiefs, should he glazed. The Fsench and German goods are not
glazed.
It is impossible to say what the consumption of these goods in Persia
may at present be. The custom-house records are too loose and false to be
trusted to, even if access could be had to them; and private opinions
varied so greatly, that I do not venture to give any. It may be observed
that in the year ending 31st May 1821 there were 734 chests of English
and 1,650 of Masulipatam chintzes imported from India via Bushahr alone,
which must be trilling in proportion to the quantity received via Constan
tinople, Aleppo, Baghdad, Tiflis, and the various ports of the Caspian Sea,
besides what comes overland from India by the way of Kabul, &c. It
has already been observed that the quantity thus imported had alarmed
the manufacturers so much, that they had petitioned the king to put a
stop to the importation. This circumstance alone proves the great increase
of the trade. I may add, that though the patterns of the French and
German goods were often preferred, that preference was always transferred
to the English manufactures, whenever they equally suited the taste of
purchasers; and there is little doubt that, if this were more attended to,
they would drive the goods of other nations from the market.
White cotton cloths are not as yet in so much request, nor is it prob
able that in Persia they ever will be, because white linen is not used by its
inhabitants. There is, however, a considerable quantity of longcloth
cambric and the muslin called jamdanees, required for the female estab
lishments; and the Uzbaks of Bukhara and Khiva use various sorts
of white cottons. Tolerably fine yard-wine shirting sold at 2 reals
(2.?. 8(7.) a Persian yard ; and for 10-yard pieces of moderately fine
jamdanees I could not obtain more than 20 reals (1/. 6s. 8nb) a piece.
Silk goods .—There is a considerable demand for the finer sorts of these ;
but it is chiefly supplied by French goods of Lyons manufacture, of which
I have seen beautiful samples. I am not prepared to give much informa
tion on this branch of the trade, but it appears well worth the atten
tion of government, as well as of speculators; for though it may be
impossible, under present circumstances, to supply the coarser fabrics
so cheap as they can be made in the country, I think their finer stuffs,
as daryais, kussabs, alijahs, taftas, and handkerchiefs, might even now
be imitated, and sent to Persia for sale with advantage. We have seen
the muslins and cottons of India surpassed in beauty and cheapness by
British manufactures wrought from her own raw material; and it can
hardly be deemed chimerical or even sanguine to anticipate that the same
triumph of science and skill over mere untutored industry may again be
displayed ; and that when the silk trade shall have been freed from the
heavy duties that now fetter it, the raw silk of Persia may be returned
to that country in a fabricated state, with great advantage to our manufac
turers and our trade.
Brocades and embroidery .—These are also supplied by the French. They
are, of course, entirely articles of high luxury ; and consequently the demand
for them in a poor nation cannot be great. I saw magnificent invoices of