591 



ASIA. 



ASIA. 



582 



the fruit-trees and grain-fields of Europe, flax-plantations, and rich 

 meadows. It is easy to comprehend that these numerous and great 

 advantages, rarely if ever BO closely united, determined at an early 

 period the civilisation of its inhabitants, and impressed on it a peculiar 

 character. Among the three peninsulas with which Asia terminates 

 on the south, and which remind us of the three peninsulas of Europe 

 Greece, Italy, and Spain, on which civilisation made such rapid 

 progress the peninsula of Deccan has doubtless contributed most to 

 the progress of social improvement. 



The Highland of Western Asia, which is named the Table-Land of 

 Iran, in opposition to the deep plains which are adjacent to it on the 

 north-east called Turan, has the figure of a rectangular oblong, 

 extending from the Upper Indus through all Western Asia to the 

 shores of the Grecian Archipelago. Its centre is occupied by Persia ; 

 over its western parts extends the dominion of the Turks, and its 

 eastern division contains Afghanistan. It is materially distinguished 

 from the highland of Eastern Asia by its surface being more generally 

 ible, and exhibiting extensive tracts which actually are culti- 

 vated, or were so formerly. The latter circumstance is abundantly 

 proved by the numerous ruins of large towns and other monuments 

 of architecture which exist even in those districts which at present 

 are without cultivation ; as on the north-east in Khorasan, the ancient 

 kingdom of Bactria, towards the south in Karmania and Persia, and 

 even hi the western districts, as in Kurdistan, which formed a part of 

 ancient Media. This observation however is not applicable to the 

 south-eastern corner of the highland, comprehending the ancient 

 provinces of Gedrosia and Arachosia, which at present forms a part 

 of Beloochistan, and attains its greatest elevation in the table-land of 

 Kelat, which rises to about 7000 feet above the level of the sea. 

 Towards the valley of the river Indus its extremely rapid slope 

 (which is formed by steep rocks and feeds no rivers) is without culti- 

 vation and even without roads except one, and only inhabited by 

 fierce Afghan tribes. The road alluded to is that from Candahar to 

 Shikarpoor by the Bolan Pass. [AFGHANISTAN.] 



The northern edge of the highland, which extends along the 

 southern shores of the Caspian Sea and the deep plains of Bokhara 

 is historically famous for containing the Bactrian, Parthian, Hyrcanian, 

 and Caspian mountain passes, which are narrow defiles, offering a 

 passage for the armies of the conquerors descending from Iran to 

 Turan. This country has for many centuries been the abode of 

 warlike mountain tribes, whose chiefs by holding possession of the 

 mountain passes on the north have extended their dominion over the 

 extensive plains of the table land. This was the policy of Nadir Shah 

 and of Fet'h All Shah, who, sensible of this peculiar circumstance, 

 fixed their residence at Teheran, a town built near one of the passes, 

 on the high table-land. The caravans which travel eastward to India 

 and Bokhara, and westward by Tabriz to Armenia and Asia Minor, 

 are obliged to pass along the southern side of this mountainous 

 boundary-girdle and near the openings of the passes. Along the 

 great road, which is invariably fixed to this tract by the nature of the 

 surface on the northern boundary of the table-land, there rose nume- 

 rous great emporiums. Here wo find the towns of Cabul, Candahar, 

 Herat, Meshed, Nishapoor, Teheran, Rai (the ancient Rhagse), Casbin, 

 and Tauris or Tabriz. 



The southern border of the table-land of Iran is still more 

 distinctly marked by nature. It is separated from the low coast and 

 from the wide plains watered by the Tigris and Euphrates by a broad 

 mountain tract, which beginning at the mouth of the Indus extends to 

 the place where the rivers of Mesopotamia, breaking through the 

 rocky masses of the high table-land, enter the low plains. This 

 mountain tract consists of from three to seven ridges, running 

 parallel to one another and separated by as many narrow longitudinal 

 valleys, which sometimes extend many days' journey in length. The 

 ridges themselves are like the Jura Mountains in France composed of 

 limestone, and rise like terraces from the low coast higher and higher. 

 Beyond them extend the wide table-lands. There are but few moun- 

 tain passes leading through this natural intrenchment of Persia, 

 a country which on this account may be considered as a fortress 

 erected by nature for the defence of the nations which inhabit it. 

 Among these narrow mountain passes, which lead from the sultry low 

 coast called the Gurmsir (warm region) through the mountain 

 terraces to the cool table-land in the interior called Sirhud, three 

 roadu have acquired some celebrity in history. 



The eastern road begins at the harbour of Bender Abbas, or 

 Gombroon, near the entrance of the Persian Gulf, and leads north- 

 ward to Kirrnan, the ancient Karmania, situated on the table-land. 

 From Good ><1 also leads past Lar to Shiraz. 



Th" middle mountain road begins at the town of Aboushehr or 

 Bushire, on the shore of the Persian Gulf, and leads first over a lower 

 ridge to Kazrun, near Hhahpoor, the residence of the Sassanidse (of 

 king Sapor I., A.r>. 240), which is situated in the first valley. From 

 this p'.int it p.vw.-s over a rocky mountain to Shiraz, once the 

 residence of the Arabian cnliphs, which is built in a wider and richer 

 Talley; farther, through winding mountain roads and narrow ravines 

 to the valley in which the ruins of Persepolis still excite our admi- 

 ration. From these ruins the road in a northern direction again 

 traverses some narrow passes through high rocks, which are full of 

 *- of the early ages of Persia, till at last it issues out of the 



mountain region and enters the extensive table-land on which Ispahan, 

 the residence of the Sufi dynasty, is built. The residence-towns of 

 these different dynasties have been built on the fields of battle where 

 signal victories were obtained, and are placed at the openings c if the 

 most difficult mountain passes, full of narrow defiles. The Arabs 

 were obliged to pass through this difficult road on their way to 

 Persepolis, and this has likewise been the route of modern travellers 

 who have entered the inland provinces of Persia from the Persian 

 Gulf. The Macedonians, under Alexander, and after them Timur, 

 made their way from the banks of the Karoon to Persepolis up the 

 valley of the Jerahi and by the pass of Kalat-i-Sefid. 



The western mountain road which lies to the north-west of the 

 former may be called the Median, in opposition to the Persian, which 

 passes through Persepolis. Beginning at or near the modem Baghdad, 

 it passes through tne Mediae Pylse of the Zagros range, runs by 

 Kermanshaw, Besittoon, and the remains of the temple at Kungavur, 

 and terminates at Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, in Media. This 

 road like the preceding presents many historical monuments, and it 

 crosses the upper course of the rivers which flow through the low- 

 lands of Susiaua. 



Thus a series of towns, the seats of ancient kings, and now the sites 

 of historical monuments, beginning with Kerman and comprehending 

 Persepolis, Parsagadte (or Parsagarda), Ispahan, and Hamadan, and 

 terminating again at Tauris, lies along the internal slope of mountain 

 ridges which border the table-land of Iran on the south, analogous to 

 that series which we have observed along the northern girdle of the 

 mountain range. By these towns the boundary is marked which 

 separates the region of the natural fastnesses, of the mountain passes, 

 of the battle-fields, of the pastures, and of the country adapted to the 

 chase, which is formed by the mountain terraces, from the interior 

 table-land, which is more level and uniform in its aspect. The table- 

 land itself is traversed by some ridges of hills, which extend mostly 

 in a general direction east and west, and attain only a moderate 

 height above the plain ; it is also furrowed by a few valleys, or rather 

 depressions of the surface, which more or less are covered with green 

 meadows, or scanty pastures, and in a few places there are sandy 

 deserts and a soil impregnated with salt. 



Eraser on his route through Persia from Aboushehr to Teheran 

 determined the elevation of many points above the level of the eea, 

 and his statements give a very instructive view of the continually 

 changing surface of Iran. Aboushehr is built on the shore of the sea 

 in the sultry Gurmsir, and has a climate favourable to the growth of 

 palms. Kazrun, lying on the first mountain terrace, is 2772 feet 

 above the level of the sea. The highest point of the pass Desht-i- 

 Arjun, above Shiraz, rises to 7200 feet. The town of Shiraz itself, 

 which is built on the second mountain terrace, is 4284 feet above the 

 sea ; its climate is favourable to the vine : the roses grow to the size 

 of trees, but the palm does not succeed. The highest point of the 

 pass over the third mountain ridge above Persepolis rises to 6666 feet. 

 Ispahan, lying in the plain which forms the third terrace, is 4140 feet 

 above the sea. From this level the mountain passes lying farther 

 north near Kohrood rise nearly 2000 feet higher. Towards Koom we find 

 the greatest depression in the table-land : here the surface sinks to 

 2046 feet. It rises again in the plain on which Teheran is built, which 

 has an elevation of 3786 feet. The mountain pass which leads to the 

 Caspian Sea past Kishlac, rises to 4572 feet ; and the entrance of the 

 Hyrcanian Pass at Shahrood to 3414 feet. The Demavend, the highest 

 mountain peak in this country, attains an elevation of 14,800 feet; 

 but most of the adjacent summits do not rise above 7000 feet. The 

 northern slope of this range towards the Caspian Sea is extremely 

 steep and rapid. 



The most remarkable and characteristic feature in the surface of 

 Persia is the absence of any considerable river, though this country 

 occupies a space at least equal to that of all Germany. This does 

 not arise from a want of spring-water, which is found at no great 

 depth under the surface almost everywhere, and renders this country 

 cultivable in most districts ; but it is owing to the want of extensive 

 valleys traversed by running waters. This want has deprived it of 

 an extensive river system, and consequently of the most powerful 

 means provided by nature for a continual progress in civilisation. To 

 this circumstance it must be attributed that the nations inhabiting 

 Iran never got entirely rid of the character peculiar to a pastoral life 

 and the continual change of abode, though it must be admitted that 

 from time to time they have exhibited a considerable degree of mental 

 culture. 



At the western extremity of Iran, between the innermost comers 

 of the Persian Gulf and of the Caspian Sea, about the 50th meridian, 

 the table-land narrows to nearly half its former extent, but it increases 

 In elevation. To the east of this line extensive plains form the 

 prevalent characteristic ; but to the west mountain masses rise higher 

 and higher. Here begins the alpine region of Persia with Kurdistan ; 

 here are the lakes of Urumiyeh and Van, and the sources of the rivers 

 Zab, Tigris, Aras, and Euphrates. The table-land is replaced by 

 mountains, which rise to a great height, aud by elevated valleys 

 between them. On the north-west both the mountain ranges and the 

 table-lands are again united in the compact mountain region and high 

 table-land of Armenia, of which the Persian province of Azerbijan 

 forms only a lower terrace. The countries of Asia which extend west 



