'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎368] (421/714)

SOS PERSIA
Restricting our observations to Gilan alone, in the absence of
sufficient data upon whicli to base any more general conclusions
History of notice tlie lamentable falling off in production bo-
decline tween the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries, conse
quent upon the anarchy that succeeded the overthrow of the
Sefavean kings. In Hanway s time Gilan only furnished one-
eighth of the total output in the days of Chardin. At the close
of the century, the firm hold of the Kajar family upon the
northern provinces re-established security and brought with it
a revival of trade. During the first half of the present century
the progress continued without intermission. Sir J. Sheil, when
British Minister, wrote in about the year 1850, ' Silk is the great
staple of Persian commerce, particularly of foreign traffic, which
enables it to pay for a portion of its imports from abroad.' He
spoke of attempts that had been made by English merchants to
introduce improvements in the preparation of the silk, but whicli
the normal supineness of the Persians and their reluctance to
abate one jot or tittle of archaic routine, had rendered unavailing. 1
In 18G4, the very year in which, as the above figures show, the
climacteric of production was touched, disease appeared for the
first time. By the year 1869, its ravages had made such serious
inroad that the value of the annual output had sunk to one-fifth
of the figure at which it stood five years before. From this attack
the silk trade of Gilan has never recovered. Eggs from Khorasan
and eggs from Khanikin in Turkey were tried, but with no success.
Kggs were brought all the way from Japan, but without much better
results. In despair at bad season succeeding bad season, the
peasants have turned their attention to other crops. Tobacco was
started as an experiment in 1875. An impulse was given to the
olive cultivation of Rudbar near Resht. In the central silk-
growing districts of Persia, opium has been largely adopted as an
alternative, and has produced most gratifying results. But in the
northern provinces rice has proved the most popular and remunera
tive substitute ; and in a country where new ideas and improved
methods penetrate so slowly as in Persia, it is doubtful whether, at
least in Persian hands, the silk industry will ever permanently
p. 21) that they cannot be accepted as absolutely reliable, and are sometimes totally
at variance with the contemporaneous estimates to be found in the Consular
reports from Tabriz. 1 kilogramme = approximately 21 lbs.
1 Note H. to Lady Shell's Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia.