‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎328r] (662/722)

609
mountains past Bustan to Sliahrud, and enables the inhabitants to force a
considerable quantity of produce from what would otherwise be a sterile
plain ; for water is not to be had here by digging 1 . There is an ill-con-
structed citadel here and two or three caravansarais, besides a large and com
modious post-house. Good fruits are grown, especially grapes and melons,
and much cultivation is carried on at villages in the vicinity, and care is
taken to have large supplies stored in Shahrud. For eight months in
every year, dating from the vernal equinox, this road to and from Mashhad
is travelled by 60,000 persons. The cold is said to be severer here than in
any other part of Persia; but the climate is very healthy. The principal
traffic of this district arises from the export of cotton, unwrought and in
thread, to Mazandaran; and the returns from thence are made in Russian
bar-iron and steel, a little broadcloth, chiefly Dutch manufacture, copper
and cutlery. Sugar, from its high price, being rarely used by the lower classes,
they have adapted to its purposes a syrup, called c shirab/ made of the
inspissated juice of grapes. An agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. of the Russian Caucasus and
Me rcuri Company has been established here for some time, and the trans
actions of the Company amount to about 50,000 tumans per annum. The
Russians have also a summer retreat at Ratrkar, 2H miles from Shahrud.
This town, being situated halfway on the road from Tihran to Mashhad,
and the point at which all those of Mazandaran and upper Khurasan meet,
is a place of great commercial and strategical importance. Its possession
secures the observation of the valleys lying between it and the Caspian;
and if held in force, and its communications with the Caspian Sea assured,
no force that Persia could bring into the field from the west could pass
eastward of Shahrud so as to reinforce her army in Khurasan. Persia
could virtually be cut in half; yet nothing has been done to protect it.
It has been for some years the entrepot of every kind of merchandise, and
specially for the rice of Mazandaran. Its manufacture of boots and shoes is
most celebrated in Persia, not only for the elegance of the workmanship, but
the quality of the leather. The population is a mixture of the natives of
Mazandaran, Khurasan, and Turkistan ; but the latter are the most numer
ous. From Shahrud there are two routes to Astarabad the first by Kuzluk
is 18 farsakhs,—the best road ; the second is by Ziarat, 16 farsakns, ■
very hilly and bad. The two roads join at a distance of about 30 miles from
Shahrud. Two miles on the Shahrud side of Ziarat there is a difficult pass
over the main range of the Alburz mountains. In wet weather, owing to
the soil, laden mules progress with difficulty; in dry, guns might be taken
over it with labour.
From Shahrud there are two roads to Mashhad—one by Jajarm, Ruj-
nurd, and Kuchan, 306 miles; and one direct by Sabzawar, dSo miles, -he
former would be preferable for a force, as water and supplies are plentiful
ou it, but scarce in the latter route.
The hills about Shahrud, which form the lower part of the Alburz range,
consist of red arid white sandstone and several varieties of lime A salt
desert runs along the south side of the road all the way from Tihran to
Shahrud; and salt is very abundant in the soil and in the hills to the
1)0 it'lies so near Ashurada, that it could be immediately seized by the
Russians. There is plenty of water in the height of summei tor a force of
60,000 men. The district is very productive; and it would be impossible to
invest it, if properly fortified.