‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎237r] (480/722)

distant future, heavy traffic, which travels more cheaply by sea, will, as
soon as there is a Herat-Mashhad-Grhaz railway, be shipped at that port
for Baku and Astrakhan. Commercially, this fourth route will probably
undergo many tiuctuations; but, strategically, its importance will always be
of the very first rank.
Route 5—via Mashhad to the cities of Afghanistan, Mary, and Bukhara.
—The fifth great centre of traffic may be said to be Mashhad. Here concen
trate by Marv, Balkh, and Herat, the Bukhara, Kabul, and Indian trades.
I he intercourse along all these lines is much affected by the turbulence of the
various communities that border them {see “ Races”). Where officials and
chiefs are both violent and corrupt, trading communities should possess
visible representatives. Russia is aware of this; and Armenian merchants, in
connection with Russian agents at Shahrud and accredited Consuls on
the Caspian, extend the Russian influence in Khurasan and Kandahar. By
the occupation of Marv, Russia would entirely dominate the Bukhara
traffic, and threaten that through Balkh.*
The distance as the crow flies is from Astarabad to Mashhad 350 miles ;
Importance of the line from Kandahar to Mashhad, 4o0 ; and from Sakkar
from Sakkar on the on the Indus to Mashhad, 800 miles—so that, taking
Indus to Kandahar. distances into account, the quality of the roads being
equal, we are not at present in a position to compete on equal terms with
Russia. Nor shall we be, even were the railway to Kandahar completed, for
the trade of north Khurasan. The construction of a good carriage road from
Kandahar to Herat, which should be one of the results of our newly-
assumed position in Kabul, will give us some portion of the trade of south
Khurasan.f
If we loot still further forward, leaving out political and military ques
tions, the trade of Khurasan will fall to that nation which is most favourably
situated as regards its railway connections on the line Shahrud, Herat,
Kandahar, Quetta.
Route 6 '—via Baghdad, Karmanshah, Tihran.—This is exceedingly
Prospects of a railway important. Baghdad is already the depot of foreign
connecting these points. g’oods r6C[iiir6d. by x orsicin JKxirciist&nj ivarmaD shallj
Drawbacks us regards Hamadan, and Burujird. Moreover, the route is
English trade. much frequented by pilgrims, and is, if any Persian
road can be called so, good and one of the best in Persia. A line of railway
from Baghdad, following this old and well-known route to any point, the
further the better, would, in the words of a high authority, cause a bouleverse-
ment in the trade of Central Asia.
Routes, however, which pass through a portion of Turkish territory are,
as regards Persia, open to the objection of possible transit duties, which the
Turks might at any time impose. They also throw obstacles in the way of
the development of any but their own lines of steamers. These drawbacks
are liable at any time to be aggravated by political influences. In acountry
where so much depends upon intrigue and bribery, the nation possessing
and exercising the most active political influence would have considerable
power of driving rivals out of the market. English merchants, as it is,
complain that they cannot stoop to the means employed by native traders,
and suffer in proportion.
* This has now occurred {1885).
f Written during Afghan War.