Annotated Copy of Persia and the Persian Question by George Curzon, with Inserted Papers [‎289v] (581/1814)

356 PERSIA
When discussing the political and strategical aspects of the
Astrabad-Shahrnd position in Chapter VIII., I undertook to say
Astrabad something more upon a future occasion of the former city
Province and of the province of which it is the capital. Politically,
Astrabad looks in the main towards Khorasan and the East. Physi
cally, it must be classified with the Caspian provinces, to which in
climate, vegetation, and character of inhabitants, it bears the closest
resemblance. Furthermore, any visitor to Mazanderan is so likely
either to start from Astrabad, if he be coming from the East, or
to end his journey there if he have started from Teheran, that
some mention of its features seems to be appropriate in this
connection.
Astrabad city 1 (i.e. the town of either astra star, or aster mule),
sometimes called by the Persians Far-el-jVfuminm or Gate of the
TT . , , Faithful, from the number of Seyids living there, is said
the City Ry Fraser, who is incomparably the best authority upon
the Northern provinces, to have been founded by YezidibnMeklub,
or Muhallab, an Arab chief of great celebrity, and general of the
armies of the Omeyah Khalif Suleiman about 720 a.d . 2 Its
subsequent history is somewhat obscure. Of course it was levelled
in the universal cyclone of Timuride destruction in 1384 a.d. In
later history it became famous as the headquarters of the Kajar
(1831), Journal of the R.G.S., vol. iii.; Colonel W. K. Stuart (1836), Journal of a
Residence in Persia, cap. x. xi.; Major D’ArcyTodd (1836), Journal of the R.G.S.,
vol. viii. pp. 102-108; A. Eloy (1836), Relations de Voyages, pp. 416-451; Sir H.
Rawlinson (1838), Hid., vol. x. p. 1; A. Chodzko (1839), Nouvelles Annales des
Voyages, 5 me serie, vols. xx., xxi.; W. R. Holmes (1843), Sketches on the Caspian
Shores', F. A. BuhsT(1848), Annales des Voyages, 1851, part iv.; N. de Khanikoff
(1859), Journal Asiatique (1862) ; Keith Abbott (1859), Proceedings of the R.G.S.,
vol. iii. p. 390 ; E. B. Eastwick (1860), Journal of a Diplomate, vol. ii.; M. Guilliny
(1866), JEssai sur le Ghila.n {Bull, de la Soc. de Geogr.) ; G. Melgunof (1868), Pas
Sudliehe TJfer des Kaspisehen Meeres, oder die Nordprovinzen Persiens ; Colonel
Val. Baker (1873), Clouds in the East', Dr. Tietze (1875), Zeitschrift der Ges. fur
Erdhunde, Vienna, 1875; B. Dorn, Caspia (Russian), 1875; Captain Puschin
(1877), The Caspian Sea (Russian); Colonel B. Lovett (1881-1882),
of the R.G.S. (new series), vol. v. (1883) and Consular Report, No. 36, 1882.
1 For accounts of Astrabad city vide Jonas Hanway (1743-1744), Historical
Account, vol. i. p. 165, &c.; J. B. Fraser (1822), Travels on the South of the
Caspian, cap. i. ; W. R. Holmes (1844), Sketches on the Caspian Shores, caps, xiv.,
xv. E. B. Eastwick (1860), Journal of a Diplomate, vol. ii. pp. 50-59; (Sir) C.
MacGregor (1875), Journey through Khorasan, vol. ii. pp. 161-163; E. O Donovan
(1880), The Merv Oasis, vol. i, cap. x.; Colonel B. Lovett (1881), Consular
Report, No. 36, 1882.
2 The Encyclopcedia Britannica antedates the reign of Suleiman b} one
hundred years, and turns his general’s name into Yezzen-ibn-Messlub,
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