'Report on Sistan and the Country Between It and Mashad' [‎43v] (91/118)

The population therefore amounts to 10,400. I estimate the grain
crop at 9,640 kharwars, which gives a deficit of 360 kharwars(104 tons).
The district round Tabas is very fertile, but at Gazik fruit trees are more
cultivated than wheat, and they buy wheat and barley from Tabas and from
Zirkuh.
At Gazik there is a garrison of 100 soldiers and 40 sowars. It is a flour
ishing place, and pays a maliyat of 750 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. .
Tabas is an old polygonal shaped fort, with bastions at close intervals,
and surrounded by a deep ditch 45 feet broad. Though now crumbling to
pieces, it has been a strong place.
There is a naib of Tabas who usually resides in Darmiyan, a large
village on the road to Birjand, up a fertile ravine, which produces excellent
fruit, and is remarkable for its magnificent walnut trees. At the entrance to this
ravine is a very picturesque and well-built fort that looks like a castle called
Furg. The hills behind, however, command it, and it has been captured by a
former Amir of Kain. It is the only fort I have seen in Persia built of
solid masonry. They are generally made of mud or sun-dried bricks.
The inhabitants of this buluk are all Sunnis. It is peculiar that the
Sunni religion should have survived here, while the people of Zirkuh, who are
more in touch with Afghanistan, are Shiahs.
In 1747 all this country was taken from Persia by the Afghans.
The people of Sunikhana seem to keep pretty much to themselves.
A guide who accompanied me from Furg to Gask refused to stay the night in
the latter village because they were Shiahs, dhey, however, furnish some of
the best recruits for the two regiments of the Amir of Birjand.
* Marked on the map.
f Bellew.
Khusfj including Kaisabad.
8 . Contains the following villages:—Khusf* (600 houses), Shazileh* (100
Khusf. houses), Fidishk* (70 houses), Mahsumabad (LOO
bouses), Naoghab (50 bouses), Siaojan* (50 houses),
Taghab* (50 houses), Dehgia (30 houses), \ Khur* (200
ho uses), Kusha (Gosha), Nasirabad, Chahak* (60
houses), Mahalla,f Yaomiyan,f Gulhris,t Shakun,t
Haman* (60 houses).
The numbers of houses in these villages are rather uncertain, but accept
ing them, and taking an average of 50 houses for those not specified, gives a
total of 1,670 houses.
Kaisabad is said to lie to the south of Khusf, between it and Arabkhana,
and to contain the following hamlets, consisting of 3 to
xv £L1 S cL L) fid • i
Id houses each :—
Kaisabad, Kalata-i-Arab, Busaid, Shah Mahmud, Afzalabad, Guishe,
Huseinabad-i-Sarhang, Akbarabad, Wa ? adaabad, Kah,*Gulun, Majun, Gurgu,
Muhammadabad, Karimabad, Aliabad; 16 villages, at an average of 9 houses
each, added to the former, makes a total of 1,814 houses or 7,256 inhabitants,
consisting of Nakhis, Zanguis, and Persians, of which the Nakhi tribe pre
dominate.
Khusf is the head-quarters of the Nakhi tribe, which used to be governed
Nakbi tribe# by its hereditary chief. Mailzar Khan was the last one.
He was murdered by his nephew, who was in turn killed
by Mailzar Khan’s son. The son now lives in Mahsumabad, but has no
official position.