'Report on Sistan and the Country Between It and Mashad' [‎19v] (43/118)

■ *
18
* This seems to be
excessive.
H. D. N.
In Birjand and other parts of Persia it is usual to see a stream, Iiowe
small, planted with trees on both sides. •
Here there is nothing better than the tamarisk, when all these canals
might have a regular fringe of good timber. ,
The revenue is collected by the Governor, and
Revenue. CO nsists of nominally one-third of the total land-produce.
Besides this, there is a tax on laden camels of one kran, on every yoke of
oxen of one kran, cattle at one kran per head, and sheep and goats at lo to
0116 Last year the tax on sheep was said to amount to
15,000 krans, on camels 13,000 krans, and on cattle
4U,000 krans,* making a total of 6,800 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. .
The Governor of Sistan pays in to the Governor of Khorasan 2,600
tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. in cash and 21,000 kharwars of grain annually. .
Thp standard weight is the maund, or sang-i-sistan. I procure a
The standard weig and found it to be hterally a stone
Weights and prices. Q £ s ” me kind of shale cut down to the proper weight.
I weighed it and found it was a little over 12 lbs.
"Nearlv everv district in Persia has its own maund, which, though always
,. - A Jers varies greatly in actual weight; so that when eompar-
£ •***> r** *" •*‘
thus m i s kals =1 Sistan seer.
16 „ =1 Tabriz „
9 }> Birjand „
One miskal is 71’1 grains, so that a Sistan maund is just over 12 lbs. i
oz., audVrabriz maund about lbs. Tbe latter .. used m Tehrau. A
Birjand maund is 3 lbs. 10! oz.
The following is a comparison of the prices in different years
. _ .. 18S9 fColonel Bell)
Wheat,
1871 (Colonel Goldsmid).
4 Tabriz maunds (26 lbs.) for l kran
Barley, 5
Chaff, 10
Ghee, £
a
5 >
(32£ lbs) „
,, (65 lbs) „
maunds (2 lbs. 3 oz.) „
a
>>
1
1
1
1890 (Ahmed AH Khan, Sub-Surveyor).
♦Wheat, 6 Sistan maunds (72 lbs.) for 1 kran
♦Barley, 10 „ „ ( 120 lbs -) »
Chaff, . '■* .
Ghee, £ Sistan maund (Ilf lbs.) „
Milk ...
Fowls, 4 or 5 ••• ••• tor
Eggs, 120 ••• * J
f Firewood, 1 Sistan maund (12 lbs.)
1
1
1 kran
1 „
12 krans
1889 (Colonel Bell).
Bread, 3 Birjand maunds for 1 kran (11 lbs.
nearly).
Ghee, £ Birjand maund for 1 kran
(1 lb. 13 oz,)
1892 (Lieutenant Napier.)
2 Sistan mannds (24 lbs.) for
(36 lbs.)
„ (60 lbs.)
maund ( 1 £ lbs.)
„ (12 lbs.)
3
5
£
»
>»
jj
»>
>»
>»
»»
1 kran.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
>»
»
»»
if
•f
9»
Towns and villages.
1
3
80
JS . ; „ ... 1 donkey-load
Sistan boasts of one “ shahr.” This is the term ap
plied to Nasirabad, and the name it is always known by.
As a town, though the seat of government, it is insignificant, consisting
of 200 houses and a few shops within the walls of a fort. But as a foit it is
one of the best I have seen in Persia. It is rectangular, the sides being 550
* This must he a mistake.—H. D. N. . TT xr
f Probably “ wood " is a misprint for " wool’ in Ahmed All’s report.— H. D. .