‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎234r] (474/722)

It would neither be amusing 1 nor useful to follow out the progress of
Russian commei’ce with Persia and the Uzbak states from its first com
mencement. The little information that has been obtained relates to its
present state, which is all that is now interesting.
The internal navigation afforded by the mighty river Volga, which
penetrates from the Caspian into the very heart of Russia, and serves to
convey its produce and manufactures to Astrakhan, enables them to supply
all the countries on the borders of that sea, particularly with heavy
artieles, and to take returns on their produce at rates with which no other
nation can ever compete ; and it can only be owing to the inferiority of
their own manufactures, and the necessity which they are under of
supplying themselves from England or France with goods for the
Persian market, that the trade in general has hitherto continued so
limited. V hile, however, the Russians continue thus the carriers of
British goods upon the Caspian, the latter, by being placed in a situation
uf easy access (the manner of which will hereafter be pointed out), will
receive all the benefit they ever can enjoy.
The shipping employed in the trade between Astrakhan and Persia
does not, as far as I could learn, exceed twelve vessels of from fifty to one
hundred tons, six or seven of which, being old, are exclusively confined to
the fishing trade, carrying to Astrakhan the sturgeon cured on the coasts
of Gilan and Mazandaran. The rest convey the Russian commodities
to Rasht, Lahijan, Barfarush, and Astarabad ; and carry back the returns
in Persian produce. The owners of these vessels are chiefly Russians
or Muhammadan merchants settled at Astrakhan, who have agents at
the Persian towns. But few of the Persian merchants are shipowners.
I found it quite inpossible to arrive at any rational estimate of the
value either of exports or imports. One or two respectable merchants at
Barfarush stated it as their opinion that the former was equal to 200,000
tumans annually, while the latter did not amount in goods to more than
the half. But if any credit was to be given to the particulars which they
gave me of the trade, this must be underrating both exceedingly; for, if
the exports be as I was informed, they would amount to at least 400,000
tumans (nearly £214,000 sterling) as follows :—-
£
Silk, 18,000 mans Shahj, say, at 80 reals a man ... ... 180,000
Cotton, 8,000 puds, at about 7 reals a pud ... ... 7,000
Karbaz (coarse cotton), 200,000 pieces, at 1|- reals ... ... 40,000
Kaduk, chintz, and Isfahan stripe, a large quantity of each ... 90,000
Silk-manufactured goods of Isfahan and Yazd and embroideries,
say ... ... ... ... ... 40,000
Rice, 12,000 kharwars, at 10 reals ... ... 15,000
Grain, say ... ... ... ... ... 10,000
Sundries ... ... ... ... 18,000
Total ... 400,000
In this sketch-estimate all but the silk applies to Mazandaran alone;
but let it include the exports of both that and Gilan, even then we
have a large value of goods.
That the imports are not less underrated may appear from this circum
stance alone, that upwards of 200,000 puds* of iron and at least 3,000