_fursungs_; we were five hours on the road, and, as we walked a good
pace, I should place the whole at sixteen miles. Of these twelve are
on a bearing of N. 40 W. to a pass (called _Teng Ali Acbar_) through a
small rising of the plain; and the remainder to _Sultaniéh_, N. 80 W.
On the height of the pass are the ruins of buildings, which are said to
be those of the gate. From this pass _Sultaniéh_ is immediately seen;
it lies near the Southern hills, and spreads itself N. and S. over the
plain to a considerable extent, containing the present village among
the ruins of the ancient city. I went to a _tapé_ on the South, before
we entered the place, and took a general view of the whole.
The principal object among the remains of the ancient town is an
immense structure, which is called the tomb of _Sultan Mohamed
Khodabendeh_, and is said to be six hundred years old. A cupola rests
on an octagonal base, on each angle of which arose a minaret; one
only of which is now entire. At each angle also was a staircase, and
in each of the sides was a door; and, as there is one wing which
projects from the base, the whole probably, in its original plan,
was similarly surrounded by additional buildings. The principal gate
fronted the East: it is now in part remaining, but in a short time will
be entirely demolished; as during our visit there were many workmen
employed in pulling it down, to use the materials in some of the King’s
pleasure-houses. The whole structure is of a fine brick admirably put
together. The cupola and minarets were covered with a green-lacquered
tile, most of which is now pealed off. The great architrave was of
Moresque work of a dark-blue-lacquered tile. The arches of the gates
were all enriched with curious ornaments in plaster. The interior is
still admirable, though it is now converted into a magazine of straw.
Nothing however intersects the beautiful symmetry of the dome. The
interior diameter is thirty-five paces, and on a rough calculation, the
height of the dome must be about one hundred feet. In the centre of the
floor among the straw is a pillar of white marble, probably belonging
to the tomb of the King, which is said indeed to be immediately in that
position below the surface. The people told me that there were many
fine marbles under the straw; and I saw (without being able to find any
descent to them) several arches under ground, which perhaps, support
the whole floor. Over each gate is a gallery, which extends along the
base of the dome, and leads into smaller galleries within, and into
others also on the exterior of the building. These are beautifully
adorned with the neatest work that I had ever seen; all the cornices
of the doors, the segments of the arches and the various niches are
covered with Arabic sentences; which in some places are surmounted in
a smaller character by _Cufic_ inscriptions, all either painted in
fresco, or raised in plaster. The whole structure looks more like a
mosque than a tomb, compared at least with those at _Constantinople_;
but of any description, and in any place, I do not recollect a building
which could have surpassed this in its original state. I ascended
to the top of one of the shattered minarets, and took the following
bearings; road to _Hamadan_ S. 50 W.; _Teng Ali Acbar_, S. 70. E.
This monument appears to stand in the _Ark_ or citadel of the ancient
_Sultaniéh_. Its area is a square (a side of which, on a rough
calculation, might be three hundred yards) and is marked out by a ditch
still full of water. Part also of the ancient wall is yet standing, and
bears N. 40 E. from the tomb; it is about fifty feet high: the exterior
surface is fine, and the stones, which however are soft and crumbling,
are well fitted together. At the angle of the ditch, there is the
segment of a round tower still remaining; on one of the stones of which
is an Arabic inscription, stating that it was built by SULTAN MAHOMED
KHODABENDEH; and there is likewise a small rude sculpture of a combat
between two horsemen. At the summit of the wall also, there appears to
be some representation of lions or sphinxes’ heads. MIRZA ABUL HASSAN
told me that he remembered, when twenty years ago the greater part
of this wall was standing. The Persians, to illustrate the original
splendour of the city, say, that when the army of JENGHIZ KHAN took and
plundered _Sultaniéh_, they found in it six hundred thousand golden
cradles.
Here are the remains of several mosques without the enclosure of the
ditch, one of which seems to have been a fine edifice; they are all
built of the same materials as the tomb. Few monuments in Persia can
hope to survive many ages; for the Kings, who succeed the founders, are
anxious only to be founders themselves, and instead of taking a pride
to preserve the works of their predecessors, as records of the genius
or greatness of their monarchy, they take pains only to destroy them,
that they may build new structures with the materials, and attach their
own names also to great buildings; never considering how short-lived,
by their own example, will be their reputation after their decease. The
principle extends to private life, and to a certain degree accounts for
the numbers of ruined houses which swell the circumference of Persian
cities. Every son is unwilling to repair and inhabit the house of his
father, and is eager to impose his own name on some new work. The
present King has undertaken to found at _Sultaniéh_ a new city, which
is to be called _Sultanabad_. The inhabitants are to be supplied from
the neighbouring villages, and from the population of _Aderbigian_. The
_Ark_ or citadel is already built: it is situated close to the King’s
pleasure-houses, N. 50 W. from the tomb. The King and all his troops
encamp about June in the plains for many miles around.
There are an immense number of a peculiar species of rats in the plain,
which dig themselves holes in the ground. Our people caught several:
they have the squeaking of a musk rat, and sit on their hind legs; I
caught one and took a drawing of it; it was big with young, and had
four teats on each side; in colour it was an ugly dun, and in length
measured fifteen inches from the head to the tail: it had five claws on
both fore and hind feet, and long nails at the end. Its head was flat
with a black nose, large black eyes, and an orifice for the ear without
any skin to cover it; its tail was bushy, and spreading at the end.[39]
15th. On quitting _Sultaniéh_ we stopped at the King’s pleasure-house,
which is built on the _tapé_ or hillock, about three quarters of a mile
from the present village. It consists of four divisions, all enclosed
within walls, and raised with materials from the demolished structures
of the ancient city. The first contained a suit of apartments for
women; the second was a polyangular building, as yet unfurnished
(crowned at the top by a small dome) surrounded by a railing, and
called like so many others, _Koola-frangee_. This, as we are told,
was built after a drawing given to the King by one of the Gentlemen
of the French Embassy. From this we went through a long arched and
gloomy passage to the King’s _Khalwet_ or private room. Here there is a
picture of his Majesty killing a stag in the chase, and a portrait of
each of his principal sons, painted in fresco on the walls. From this
we went to the fourth, which is the _Dewan Khonéh_, and opens upon the
whole of the plain. Here the King sits in state; and, on a terraced
platform below stand his sons and nobles: the whole is on a small and
trifling scale, and displays no great ingenuity in the builder or
wealth in the possessor.
We proceeded to _Zengan_: the distance is called six _fursungs_, and we
performed it in six hours; but from the quick pace at which our horses
walked, I may reckon it at twenty-four miles. Till the last four miles
our route bore N. 30 W.; we then turned to N. 80 W.
The mountains on the left diminished very much, and were green to their
summits. They terminated at a bearing of W. and behind them commenced
another chain, which, when the immense clouds on their summits
occasionally rolled off, appeared very high.
The plain ground over which we had travelled from _Casvin_, now became
hilly and broken; and in some places the soil, which before had been
universally hard, was soft; and the road, from the rain which had
fallen, was rendered swampy and muddy. In the course of the day indeed
we had much rain, though only in showers; and in the morning there was
a rainbow. All this part of the country is well watered by a variety
of small streams, but by no one of any note. We saw the plough at work
in many parts of the country on a fine rich soil. The plough here is
a rude instrument indeed; it is a large piece of wood making an angle
with another, which being sharpened at the end, and frequently tipt
with iron, forms the plough-share. It is drawn by two oxen or sometimes
by one, and sometimes only by an ass. About six miles before we reached
_Zengan_, on the left of the road there is a well-built village with
walls and towers all around, and a small _Ark_ in the centre, called
_Dehsis_. The vegetation all over the country is extremely rich, and
certainly the most luxuriant which we had seen.
_Zengan_ is a large town, and is the capital of the _Mahalé_ of
_Hamzé_, which contains one hundred villages. The whole district, by
the gift of the King, is the property and government of FERRAJOULA
KHAN, the _Nasakchee Bashee_. The _Mahalé_ pays no revenue, but it
furnishes the King five thousand horsemen complete, who are paid, fed,
and clothed from its own produce. On entering the town there is an
immense enclosed garden full of every species of trees.
16th. From _Zengan_ we went to _Armaghanéh_, and were six hours on the
road; on a general bearing of N. I call this also twenty-four miles,
as we walked a good pace. On the left, in a valley, I saw several
villages; the two principal of which are _Koushek_ and _Barri_. Others
are also situated on the declivity of the hills; the road all the way
is full of ascents and descents; and at about five miles from _Zengan_
we came to a valley, perhaps a bend and a continuation of that which
we had already noticed. At the bottom flowed from E. to W. a stream
of beautiful water, which came from the mountains to the N. E. of
our route, and which was formed indeed principally by the melting of
their snows and the rains. In its vicinity was much cultivated ground;
and the peasants had raised its waters in many places to carry the
fertility still further into the fields. At the interval of about six
miles there is a similar valley and a similar stream, the waters of
which equally assist the cultivation of the country, and redeem it from
the waste of the intermediate tract. We saw many tents of _Elauts_ of
the tribe _Choisevend_, whose cattle were grazing in the line between
the two streams. They were represented to me as very warlike and brave,
on which account the King enrolled many of them in his _Goolams_ and
troops; and I was told, that they had been the principal heroes in the
war with the Russians. Their tribe consists of six thousand families.
Their chief is at _Teheran_, and is a _Khan_ of much consequence.
They live always in tents, changing their situation with the seasons,
and are very rich in camels. After having crossed the second stream
we rested, and fed our horses on the new barley, which was there
about a knee high. As we proceeded we met a caravan of pilgrims, from
_Derbend_ on the _Caspian_, going to the _Zeeauret_ of _Mesched_. Not
one could speak a word of Persian; indeed Turkish, from this point and
henceforward, is the vernacular language spoken by the people of the
villages; and it is rather rare to find any one of the inhabitants who
can talk Persian fluently. These pilgrims wore a white band about their
sheep-skin caps as a mark of their holy destination; and preceded by a
_Chaoush_ bearing a green flag, joined all in loud cries as he excited
them.
About four miles before we reached our stage we came to a third stream,
which run with great velocity through different artificial channels,
and the borders of which were richly cultivated with rice and barley.
On the right, just before _Armaghanéh_, is a little village called
_Houlouléh_.
The whole region from _Zengan_ is intersected at almost regular
distances by vallies; in one of which lies _Armaghanéh_, so concealed
by its situation, that it is scarcely seen till it is entered. To the
Westward appears a long range of mountains; but the hills which we had
passed in the day’s march, though sometimes of rock and flint, were
generally green to their very summits; and the soil was mostly rich
earth, which, in some places, was spread with the hues of a thousand
flowers. Throughout the whole tract, indeed, every thing was in life
and spring. The animals felt the influence of the season; and our
horses in passing the herds around were scarcely manageable. One threw
his rider; and after having given him a bite on the shoulder, attacked
his fellows, and fought with some fury. The singing of the larks in the
morning, and the whole tribes that swept along the air, gave a zest
to the freshness of the dawn that was beyond description. The whole
creation seemed to give praise to its great Creator.
_Armaghanéh_ also is included in the _Bolouk_ of _Hamzé_. In the town
there is a square fort. In the room, into which we were introduced,
there were several European inscriptions, mostly in Russian, but one in
Latin, written I suspect by a Frenchman’s pencil, and worthy therefore
to be transcribed, as displaying the spirit and temper with which they
left the country:
“VENIMUS, VIDIMUS, ET MALEDIXIMUS PERSIDI;
“REGIQUE, AULÆQ; MAGNATIBUSQ; POPULOQ;--
“SCRIBEBANT IDIBUS APRILIS, 1809 * * *.”
M. JOUANNIN and his companion indeed, by all the accounts which I
received in following the line of their route, had no greater reason
to be satisfied with their accommodations on the road, than with the
mode of their leaving _Teheran_. We were told at _Sultaniéh_, that no
one there would furnish them with mules to transport their baggage, and
they were obliged to be content with asses.
The night was so cold at _Armaghanéh_ that we had a fire, and our
people wore their sheep-skins. _Armaghanéh_ indeed, and our next stage,
_Auk-kend_, are very high.
17th. We quitted _Armaghanéh_ at four o’clock (an hour before sun-rise,
and enjoyed the freshness, not to say cold) of the twilight, and the
beauty of the breaking morning. We were seven hours on the road to
_Auk-kend_, which I shall reckon a distance of twenty-eight miles, on
a general bearing of N. 15 W. Our road was over a succession of hills,
the vallies of which were mostly cultivated. The whole surface indeed
was generally green, and displayed an appearance of more prosperity
than any part which we had seen on the other side of _Teheran_. The
soil, though in many places broken by rocks and slate, was fine, and
watered by many small streams. At about twelve miles from _Armaghanéh_
on the left of the road, is the village of _Dasht-Bolagh_, situated
nearly between two conical hills; on the tops of which are collections
of rocks, appearing at a distance like the ruins of towers.
After this we reached an eminence, from which an immense range of high
mountains covered with snow, extended itself before us. The highest
peaks bore on a general line of North; and, from all that I could
learn, are not far distant from _Resht_. The general chain approaches
the shores of the _Caspian_; but on all geographical subjects it is
difficult to trust the class of persons, from whom alone on the spot
the information can be obtained. They very generally exaggerate, and
are at any rate very ignorant.
The whole region (between these mountains and those to the S. and W.
indeed on every side) is undulatory, without a single clump of trees
to enliven the sameness of the prospect; if therefore I had seen this
part of the country in winter, I might perhaps have felt it still
more inhospitable than any that we had crossed in the South. But now
cultivation was seen in patches; here the corn was green, there lands
were just under the ploughman’s hands.
As we were eating our breakfast we were overtaken by a man from
_Teheran_, who was carrying to the Prince of _Tabriz_ the intelligence
that (after a siege of twelve successive years) the King’s troops had
taken the strong place of _Tourchiz_, on the confines of _Khorassan_
and _Usbec Tartary_, together with MUSTAPHA ALI KHAN ARAB, the
Governor, his troops, and the treasures that it contained. It is six
days journey, as far as I could learn, South from _Mesched_, and is a
fortress on the summit of a mountain, rendered strong by its natural
situation. It gives its name to a very warlike tribe in _Khorassan_, of
which the Governor, MUSTAPHA ALI KHAN ARAB, was the chief. A great part
of the treasures of NADIR SHAH is said to have been preserved unbroken
in _Toorchiz_, which would thus further swell the King’s collection
of jewels and gold. I asked a Persian what the King would do with the
Governor? he said, “Kill him to be sure;” and when I suggested, that
it might be better to retain in his own service a man so bold and
determined, he answered, “No: such sort of things may be very well with
you; but the Persians are not so; the better you treat them, the worse
they will treat you. The King, if he were not to kill him, would never
be sure of him, for he would certainly rebel against him.”
On approaching _Auk-kend_, one of our attendants, who had dismounted
for the purpose of letting his horse walk easily up the hill, by some
chance suffered him to escape: all attempts to catch him were vain,
until a _chatter_ or walking footman, belonging to MIRZA ABUL HASSAN,
seized him by the bridle, when the horse retired some steps, and then
open-mouthed made a bound at the _chatter_, caught him by the neck, and
placing one of his fore-knees upon him, kept him thus with his head on
the ground, until he was beat off. He was then seized by his master, to
whom he meditated the same fate, and whom in fact he threw down most
violently with his fore feet, though the final and furious gripe was
prevented.
_Auk-kend_ is now the frontier place in _Aderbigian_; the original
boundary was the river _Kizzil Ozan_, but it has been thus extended
through the King’s favour to his son ABBAS MIRZA, the Governor of the
province. _Auk-kend_ indeed is in the district of _Khalcal_, which,
though certainly under the jurisdiction of the Prince, is immediately
administered by two Khans, and contains two hundred villages, extending
between _Resht_ and _Ardebil_. Formerly it was a very flourishing
region; but the war with Russia, in which it has been obliged to supply
troops, and at its own expence pay, feed, and clothe them, has much
impoverished it, and, as the Persians say, “_Kharrab Shoud_, it is
ruined.”
18th. We proceeded from _Auk-kend_, at twenty minutes before five, and
arrived at _Miaunéh_ at one o’clock. We stopped on the road to feed
our horses, which detained us one hour and an half, so that we had six
hours and forty minutes riding, which, at three miles and a quarter in
the hour, gives a total of twenty-two miles: I reckon thus little to
the hour, because the whole of our march was over mountainous country.
Our road was much to the Westward. The mountain _Coflan Kou_, which
rose above us, bore S. 80 W. but, as we went somewhat more to the W. I
shall place the general bearing at W.
The whole country here (and particularly that to the W. and N.) seems
to have been just formed by a great convulsion of nature; there are
lands of every soil, of every colour, and of every form. At the
distance of six miles from _Auk-kend_ we came to a small village
called _Kultepé_; we should have stopped here to have fed our horses,
but there was nothing but wheat-corn growing around the place; from
this our suite always abstained most religiously, though they never
scrupled to enter any barley field that might border on the road,
and turning their cattle into the very middle without their bridles
suffered them to eat their fill unlimited, nor was there any one that
dared oppose such an inroad, which is indeed the privilege of every
officer of government. I was quite vexed one day (when a poor man came
and intreated the Persians to take their horses out of his field, for
that its produce was his sole subsistence) to see the inhumanity with
which they treated him; and, after having administered a few blows to
his shoulders, compelled him to hold their horses as they were eating
his own property before his face.
[Illustration: _Bridge over the Kizzil Ozzan._
_Drawn by James Morier Esq^r._
_Published by Mess^{rs}. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown,
Paternoster Row, May 1, 1811._]
At about half past nine o’clock, and about fifteen miles from
_Auk-kend_, we came to the banks of the _Kizzil Ozan_. The stream runs
from West to East, in a bed of about two hundred yards in breadth,
which was then in a great measure dry. It rises in the mountains of
_Gerustan_, about five days journey from _Miaunéh_, and flows into the
_Caspian_ near _Resht_. We crossed it on a bridge, which appeared a
very ancient structure, and is now falling fast to decay.
It has three principal arches, the one to the W. is modern compared
with the other part of the structure, having been restored by AGA
MAHOMED KHAN; as a small inscription on the new buttress intimates. The
original bridge is attributed to SHAH ABBAS; but, from its structure,
which does not resemble that of the _Seffis_, and from an inscription
in the _Cufick_ character (which is worked in brick all around the
principal arch) and another in a square on one of the old buttresses,
I should suspect that it is much more ancient, and must be referred
indeed to the earliest ages of Mahomedanism. When on the borders of the
stream I was too distant to see the characters distinctly enough to
copy them.
We commenced the ascent of the _Coflan Kou_ immediately on quitting the
river, and were just one hour in gaining its greatest height, and half
an hour in descending into the plain on the opposite side. The chain
of mountains, of which this forms a part, is the proper boundary of
_Aderbigian_. Near the bridge on the right, in ascending the mountain,
there is a singular rock which has been fortified with walls and
turrets, probably coeval with the bridge. This also, however, appears
to have been restored in some parts by a modern hand, as in front
there is a structure of fresh brick, which does not correspond with
the turrets of the main building. All is now in ruins: indeed it could
have been of value as a military hold, only in times when artillery
was not used, as it is commanded by every hill around. I took a sketch
of it from the ascent of the mountains. The old bridge below adds a
very picturesque object to the surrounding heights and the scenery of
the stream. On the ascent of the mountain, (over that part which in
winter must be of more difficult passage,) there are the remains of a
causeway, attributed in like manner, to a SHAH ABBAS, and extending for
several miles.
In descending to the plain on the Western side of the _Coflan Kou_,
we saw another river called _Rood Khonéh Miaunéh_, which also flows
from West to East, having combined before we crossed it, three several
streams (the _Ceransou_, the _Sheher Cheyee_, and the _Aye Dogmoush_,)
and about one _fursung_ to the Eastward, carrying their united waters
into the _Kizzil Ozan_. The sources, according to my informer, an
old mountaineer at _Miaunéh_, were about two day’s journey from his
town; in a direction, by the pointing of his hand, of N. 70 W. among
the mountains of _Sahat Dun_. We passed the river over a bridge of
twenty-one arches, in appearance indeed as old as that just described,
but in style of structure resembling so much the bridge of _Aliverdy
Khan_ at _Ispahan_, a work of the age of the _Seffis_, that it may be
ascribed to a Prince of the same race with much less improbability,
than that over the _Kizzil Ozan_ can be attributed to SHAH ABBAS. If
there are not immediate repairs, the whole in a few years will fall
into the water.