'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎110] (145/714)

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PERSIA
of his visit to Kuchan in 1822 ; because I should have liked to as
certain the whereabouts of the fragments, described by him, of a
magnificent Koran which had been brought by some of the Kuchan
soldiers of Nadir Shah from the grave of Timur at Samarkand.
Seventy years ago about sixty of these pages, ten to twelve feet long
by seven to eight feet broad, and covered with beautiful calligraphy,
were seen by Fraser lying upon a shelf in an imamzadeh, or saint's
tomb.
While at Kuchan I also visited the native bazaars. They are
of the usual Oriental character—long alleys roofed over with
timbers meeting above in an arch, and covered with mud and faggots
Native to keep out the glare. I stopped in the cotton bazaar,
bazaars where I saw a number of shops stocked with what were
evidently European printed calicoes and cottons, and asked where
they came from. ' Ilussia, was the reply. Every piece bore the
name of a Russian firm. I asked if there were any English goods
sold in the bazaar. In reply some Turkey red was produced, and
also some striped cotton-stuff. Neither, however, bore any English
mark, and the vendor could not say where they came from. At
length was produced some calico bearing the stamp of a Bombay
manufacturer, and doubtless made of Indian cotton. I asked how
it was that it was worth while to import goods from such a distance.
The answer was that, though the price was high, yet the quality,
which was not equalled in other wares, created a demand. All the
glass, hardware, and crockery in the bazaar were Russian. So was
the sugar. I was told that most of the tea came from India via
Bunder Abbas and Meshed, but that some also came from Russia.
Russian interests, political as well as commercial, are indeed well
looked after at Kuchan, for the Russians keep a paid agent in the
town. The export trade, which is principally in cotton and skins, is
in the hands of Armenians, whose commercial aptitudes place much
of the trade of Persia in their control. The proximity of Kuchan
to Ashkabad, and the easy and secure communication between the
two places, are alone sufficient to account for the Russian prepon
derance. The town is connected by a single (Persian) telegraphic
wire with Meshed on the one hand, and Bujnurd, thirty miles lower
down the Atrek valley, on the other. There connection is esta
blished with the Russian wires at Kizil Arvat. Kuchan is also
served by a weekly Russian post from Ashkabad, carried by
mounted Turkomans, who ride via Kuchan to Meshed.