A new and compleat Defcription Book HI. 
ed thofe that Former Shah’s, had granted to the People 
of Ifpahan. This young Prince was not contented with 
barely attending to the Civil Goverment of the Empire, 
he was defirous of difplaying alfo his Military Capacity, 
which induced him to attack the Khan of Balkh^ the 
Sovereign of the Southern Part of Great Bucharia \ 
which Country, together with its Capital, he reduced, 
and thereby gained not only an Acceffion of Territory, 
but one of the greateft and bell Cities in thofe Parts, 
Balkh having been, for feveral Ages, the Center of the 
Commerce carried on by Land to and from the Indies. 
By this Eftablifhment, and thefe Conquefts, the Face 
of Affairs in Perjia is abfolutely changed, and this is a 
Thing that has not hitherto been fufficiently confidered. 
It is poffible, and indeed it is probable, that the Sou-^ 
them Provinces of the Perfian Empire will fuffer ex- 
extremely by this Alteration j and it is not altogether 
unlikely, that if a civil War arifes from the Death of 
the late Shah, a new Principality may be erefted in the 
Southern Parts, of which Spahawn^ or fome other great 
City, may become the Capital ; but ftill Mefched will, 
in all Probability, remain the Seat of the Perfian Em- 
pire, and the Monarchs who govern there will extend 
their Conquefts Northwards, through Countries for- 
merly indeed dependent upon the Perfians., but which 
have been for many Ages in the Hands of the Tar- 
tars *, and if this fliould be the Cafe, we muft confider 
ourfelves extremely happy in having fet on Foot a Trade 
through Rujfia into Perfia by the Cafpian Sea, by which 
the mofl lucrative Part of the Commerce of that Em- 
pire will fall into our Hands, and may be juftly efteem- 
ed the Fruits of our great Naval Power, and the Ef- 
fedls of fending our Squadrons into the Ballick^ which 
gave the Court of Peter slourg fuchan Impreffion of our 
Power to affift or difirefs them, as it is our Intereft to 
take Care that Time fball never efface. 
2o. We promifed to fay fomewhat of the ancient 
and prefent State of the Country and People of Perfia, 
confidered in a comparative Light, and we will endea- 
vour to execute this as fuecinftly as poffible. The learn- 
ed Dr. Hyde wrote an admirable Treatife in Batin, of 
the Religion of the ancient Perfians, a Work equally 
curious and ufeful, and which, notwithftanding, was lb 
ill received by the Publick, that the Do6lor boiled his 
Tea-kettle with the greateft Part of the Impreffion, 
Which has made it fo fcarce, that from its natural Price 
of Ten Shillings, or lefs, it is now fold for two Guineas, 
and even at that Price will not be efteemed dear by fuch 
as can judge of its real Value. It is from this learned 
Book that we are informed of what we fhould otherwife 
never have known, that the ancient Perfians, on whom 
the Greeks beftowed the Name of Barbarians, were in 
Reality the beft governed, the politeft, and the 
moft civilized Nation upon the Face of the Earth. Their 
Religion was far more incorrupt than thofe of A- 
gypt^ Greece, or Rome, for they worfhipped only one 
God j and though they were over-run with Superftition, 
they never degenerated into Atheifm or Idolatry. The 
common People were, from Principle, extremely in- 
duftrioLis ; they cultivated their Country with the utmoft 
Care, infomuch that thofe Diftridts that are now fandy 
Deferts, were then perfedl Gardens ; and many rich 
and populous Cities were feated in Places that at this Day 
are wafte and howling Wilderneffes. Yet there even 
flill remain clear and indifputable Proofs of the Truth 
of what this learned Gentleman has afierted, and. thefe 
are of two Kinds, Firft, The Ruins and Remains of 
this ancient Magnificence, which even the Iron Teeth 
of Time have not been able to deftroy, as appears from 
what the Reader has been told of Perfepolis j and next 
from the Temper and Difpofition of that Remnant of 
the ancient Perfees, Gubers, Gaurs, or Fire-worffiippers, 
that are ftill left in this Country and in India, who 
are, beyond all Controverfy, the moft quiet, induf- 
trious, and moft inoffenfive Nation, if we may yet 
ftile them fo, on the Face of the Globe. The 
Seat of their prefent Habitations is the wildeft and worft 
Part of the Province of Kerman, and yet even there 
the fmall Diftrids they poffefs, appear a IGnd of Para- 
dife in Comparifon of the Country round about ; and 
by them thofe Wollen Stuffs are wrought, which the 
modern Perfians, from a true Principle of Luxury, 
think too good for any Bodies Wear but their own, 
and therefore never fuffer them to be carried out of 
their Dominions. 
As for thefe People, it is no Wonder that they have 
brought the fame Difcredit upon the large and fruitful 
Provinces they inhabit, that the Purks have done upon 
the Land of Canaan \ and indeed it is the Genius of the 
Mahometan Religion to deface all Marks of former 
Improvements, as well as to receive no Benefit from 
fuch Examples. The Wars, by which this Empire has 
been continually wafted fince it fell into the Flands of 
its prefent PoffelTcrs, has contributed not a little to thin 
it of People ; fb that now there are not above a twen- 
tieth Part of the People in Perfia that there were at the 
Time that Alexander invaded it. Befides this, there are 
feveral Nations fcatter’d up and down it, that are ra- 
ther Vaftals than Subjects to the Shahs, and live after 
the Manner of the Partars in their Tents. The Wane 
of a fettled Nobility, and the little Security that the 
People in general have for their Fortunes, is another 
great Obftacle to the cultivating their Lands, ^nd the 
Improvement of their Cities. We may add to this, the 
Revolutions and Civil Wars which have been fo frequent 
in Perfia ; as alfo the Incurfions of the Partars and other 
barbarous Nations, from which they are hardly ever 
free. As to the Lazinefs and Luxury of the Perfians, 
though it is in one Senfe a Caufe of the wide Difference 
between the paft and prefent State of their Empire, yet 
confidered in another Light, it is the Source of what 
little Commerce they have \ tor as they are not willing 
to work themfelves, they are very ready to let other 
Nations dwell amongft them ; and provided they reap 
the Fruits of their Induftry, treat them fairly and civilly 
enough, without any Mixture of that haughty, infolent, 
and unbridled Temper, which is fo hateful and fo in- 
tolerable amongft the Purks. Befides, as they fpend 
without the leaft Conftderation, all they get, this oc- 
cafions a quick Circulation of Money, fo that the Ar- 
menians, Indians, and other Foteigners that live amongft 
them, pick up a tolerable Livelihood, and are not im- 
pofed upon and opprefled as in the Territories of the 
Grand Signior. 
It is the Want of People that makes a great Part of 
Perjia lie wafte and barren ; and the natural Fertility of 
the Country is another Caufe of this, for even the few 
Parts that are now cultivated, produce much more than 
is necefiary for the Subfiftance of its Inhabitants •, and 
it is from thence that their Trade and their Riches arife 
for fince there are no Mines now wrought in Perfia, 
what Gold and Silver they have comes into that Coun- 
try by the Purchafe of their Silks, and other rich Com- 
modities ; whence the Reader will eafily difeern, how 
powerful and how happy the People might be under a 
fettled Government, that paid fome tolerable Refped 
to the Welfare of its Subjedls *, but after all, this is 
hardly to be hoped for while in the Hands of the Ma- 
hometans, who, on the one Hand, are very litile incli- 
ned to any Kind of Induftry themfelves, and, on the 
other, are very apt to be jealous of their Chriftian Sub- 
jedls thriving,, tho’ they are the better for it. While 
the Rujfans were Mafters of Gilan, which was. but for a 
very ftiort Space, the Inhabitants were fo fenfible of the 
Change, that there was Nothing they dreaded fo much 
as returning again under the Dominion of their old 
Mafters ; and when this adtually happened, great Num- 
bers of them quitted their Habitations, and retired into 
the neighbouring Parts of Georgia, Dagejkm, and Ar-^ 
menia, that they might avoid falling under the Yoke of 
Phamas Kuli Kan, notwithftanding that was as light, at 
leaft in Time of Peace, as any of the former Shahs. 
21 . It is to very little Purpofe that we increafe the 
Stock of our Knowledge j by reading, unlefs we enable 
ourfelves to make fome Ufe of it byRefledion ; as a 
Trader does not thrive by having his W^arehoufes 
ftocked with Goods, but by his knowing where and how 
and to carry them to Market, We fee plainly from 
