‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎187v] (379/722)

Mulk. w The new fort or tower of Nasirabad, called by the natives Shahr-i-
Nau (new city), in contradistinction to the Shahr-i-Kadim (old city), which
now forms the citadel, encloses the sites of the old village of Nasirabad and
of the villao-e of Hasanabad. It is surrounded by a mud wall and ditch,
which was incomplete in 1872, and encloses an area of nearly half a square
mile. The Shahr-i-Kadim adjoins the north-east corner of the new city, and
comprises the citadel, a strongly built mud structure with eight turret bas
tions on each face, surrounded on all sides by a deep wet ditch of considerable
breadth, between which and the walls a covered way, some 12 feet broad,
leads all round the fort. The curtains between the bastions are high, loop-
holed, and crenelated. The fort is quadrangular in plan, having sides of
500 and 100 yards. Excellent melons, grapes, mulberries, and pomegranates
are crown; and men have been sent for to Tihran to instruct the inhabit-
ants^in the cultivation of the potato, orange, date-palm, tobacco, and other
plants, as the soil is considered particularly productive. During the hot
weather the Hies are deadly, and venomous insects and reptiles abound; but
the fatal effects of the climate on horses would seem to have been exag
gerated, as the Amir keeps a force of 400 cavalry, and stated that they only
required careful looking after,—to be always covered up from head to tail
when out of the stable, and to be kept in regular work. The Persian gar
rison, besides the abovementioned cavalry, is stated at eight hundred infan
try and four light brass fieldpieces mounted, and one unmounted.
The population is mixed, being mostly Kaini,—of whom the Saiyids are
distinguished by their black turbans; men of letters, the mullahs, by their
white*; and the Baluchi and Kaini by their check turbans, tied in an oval
form from front backwards. The Afghans and Herati form the minority,
while the Persians, with their characteristic sugar-loafed hat with tops
cut off, are seen here and there. Few real Sistanis are noticed in the
new town. The old town, however, consists wholly of the natives, who,
being poor, present peculiarities of dress, being obliged to adapt themselves
to circumstances.
The new townspeople are exceedingly fanatical. On the plain here to the
north-west angle of the citadel ditch is a large windmill, of a sort peculiar
to Sistan, of which travellers give a description.— [Goldsmid, Bellew, Euan-
Smilh, liozario.)
NASIRABAD— Lat. 31° 40' 30", Long. 59° 4F 0"; Elev. ' [Napier).
A village in Khurasan, 23 miles from Khaf, on the road to Turshiz. It is
a strongly fortified little place, with wall, double ditch, and citadel, contain-
ino> 300 houses, and one of the chief villages of the Taimuri chiefship of
Khaf.— [Clerk, Taylor, MacGregor.)
NASIRABAD— Lit. , Long. ; Elev.
A village in the Khusp subdivision of the Kain district of Khurasan.—
[Bellew.)
NASRABAD— Lat. , Long. ; Elev.
A village in Khurasan, 11 miles from Sultanabad (Turshiz), on the road to
Shahrud.— ( lay lor.)
NASRABAD— Lat. , Long. ; Elev.
A village near Salami in Khurasan, about 20 miles from Ruikhaf, on the
road to Bushruyah.— [Stewarl.)