"بلاد فارس والشأن الفارسي من إعداد السيد المحترم جورج ناثانييل كورزون، عضو البرلمان." [‎٣‎٥‎٦] (٧١٤/٤٠٩)

PERSIA
When discussing the political and strategical aspects of the
Astrabad-Shahrud 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 Teherap, that
some mention of its features seems to be appropriate in this
connection.
Astrabad city ' (i.e. the town of either astra star, or aster mule),
sometimes called by the Persians Dar-el-Muminin or Gate of the
History of Faithful, from the number of Seyids living there, is said
the City Fraser, who is incomparably the best authority upon
the Northern provinces, to have been founded by Yezid ibn Meklub,
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
(ISBl), Journal of the B.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), ibid., vol. x. p. 1; A. Chodzko (1839), Nourelles Annales des
Voyages, 5me serle, vols, xx., xxi.; W. R. Holmes (1843), Sketches on the Caspian
Shores-, F. A, Buhse (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. 1>. Eastwick (1860), Journal of a Diplomate, vol. ii.; M. Guilliny
(1866), Essai snr le Ghilan {Bull, de la Soc. de Orogr.) ; G, Melgunof (1868), Da*
Sudliche TJfer des Kaspischen Meeres, oder die Nordprovinzen Persiens ; Colonel
Val. Baker (1873), Clouds in the East-, Dr. Tietze (1875), Zeitsehrift der Ges. filr
Erdkunde, Vienna, 1875; B. Dorn, Caspia (Russian), 1875; Captain Puschin
(1877), The Caspian Sea (Russian); Colonel B. Lovett (1881-18S2), Proceedivys
of the R.G.S. (new series), vol. v. (1883) and Consular Report, No. 36, 1882.
1 For accounts of Astrabad city vide Jonas Han way (1743-1744), Historical
Account, vol. i. p. 165, &c.; J. B. Eraser (1822), Travels on the South of the
Caspian, cap. i. ; W. R. Holmes (1844), Sketches on the Caspian Shores, caps, xiv.,
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 Encyclopedia Britannica antedates the reign of Suleiman by one
hundred years, and turns his general's name into Yezzen -ibn-Messlub,
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