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A Sixth Journey in Persia Author(S): P A Sixth Journey in Persia Author(s): P. M. Sykes Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Jan., 1911), pp. 1-19 Published by: geographicalj Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1777574 Accessed: 17-06-2016 13:51 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), Wiley are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Geographical Journal This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Fri, 17 Jun 2016 13:51:43 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms The Geographical Journal. No. 1. JANUARY, 1911. VOL. XXXVII A SIXTH JOURNEY IN PERSIA.* (a) A TOUR IN ANCIENT PARTHIA. (b) NISHAPUR AND TURSHIZ. By Major P. M. SYKES, C.M.G., Gold Medallist of the Royal Geographical Society. PARTHIA and the problems connected with it have strongly attracted me since I first travelled up the river Atrak in 1893. Consequently, when, in the autumn of 1908, I was permitted to tour down the Gurgan valley, I was able to carry out a long-cherished plan of acquainting myself more thoroughly with a part of Persia which yields to none in interest. Before, however, describing my journey it seems desirable to outline briefly where the province of Parthia lay, before it rose from obscurity to become an empire powerful enough to challenge with success the might of Rome. Taking Canon Rawlinson as our guide, we learn that the eastern boundary of Parthia was that of modern Khorasan, namely the Tajand river; and that thence it ran west on both sides of the great range known as Elburz to the ancient world, until it reached the province of Hyrcania, which was the belt of country on the eastern shore of the Caspian sea, at its southern end. The exact boundary between Hyrcania and Parthia does not appear to be known with any exactitude; and, indeed, in the earliest notice of the Parthians as a people in the great inscription of Darius at Behistun, the Parthwa and Varkana are coupled together, Varkana and Hyrcania being the same word, which is preserved in the modern Gurgan. Our route ran from Meshed north-west to the famous turquoise mines and so north to Bujnurd. From that Kurdish district we travelled west down the Gurgan valley to Astrabad, which was undoubtedly in ancient Hyrcania. The return journey lay across the Elburz to Shahrud and * Read at the Royal Geographical Society, November 7, 1910. Map, p. 128. No. I.- JANUARY, 1911.] B This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Fri, 17 Jun 2016 13:51:43 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms A SIXTH JOURNEY IN PERSIA. thence east along the southern slopes of the range via Sabzawar and Nis- hapur, back to my headquarters. Taken in connection with my previous journey of 1893, and subsequent tours, it will be seen that I have been fortunate enough to have visited almost every part of this ancient kingdom. Our party, which included Major Watson, to whom I owe most of the photographs, and who also is the authority for any notes on birds, left Meshed at the end of October for the Ulang-i-Sh&hi, or "Royal Meadow " some 50 miles north-west of Meshed. This is one of the famous grazing-grounds of Central Asia and extends in a narrow strip for many miles down both sides of the Kashaf Rud, which rises close by. In the days when Persia was ruled by nomad sovereigns, the " Meadow" and adjacent town of Radkin were favourite summer resorts of the great Khans. Legend con- nects the name of Sultan Sanjcir with Radkcin, which was apparently the birthplace of the Nizam-ul-Mulk, his famous Vizier; but we are on firmer ground in stating that Shaybani Khan, the last of the conquering Uzbegs -the Amirs of Bokhara are his lineal descendants--spent many summers in the neighbourhood and laid out a garden, the name of which is perpetuated in Gokbagh, or " Blue Garden," where we camped. The marshy ground along the river was full of duck and snipe; but as we marched the next day to Seiidabad, some 10 miles north of Chinaran, we were only able to spend a few hours shooting. It was, however, for its breed of horses that, this grazing-ground was famous, in which connection Fraser narrates that Mammush Khan, chief of the Zafaranlu Kurds,* owned two so swift that, when shortly after the death of Nadir Shah, Chin&ran was besieged by Ahmad Shah, the Afghan, a daily service was maintained with Meshed, forty miles distant, in spite of all attempts to cut off the messengers. The chief object of my visit was the Mil-i-Radkan, or " Column of Radkan." This, as a reference to the illustration proves, is not a column but a circular edifice supporting a dome of conical shape. Round the body of the building, resting on a high plinth of uncoursed stone, are half-columns of brick, above which is a much mutilated Kufic inscription showing remains of blue tiling. The exterior circumference measured 150 feet, with an interior diameter of 23 feet. The height was perhaps 70 feet. The walls were 6 feet thick. As ever, legends were numerous, and there is one, according to which it is the tomb of Arghun, termed Argawan by the Persians, who was closely connected with Khor&san and has given his name to one of the natural portals of Kalat-i-Nadiri. Curiously enough, to the south-west of Astrt;bad is a second R&dk&n, with a somewhat similar but smaller building. About a mile to the north-west are the ruins of ancient Radkan. Indeed this district is full of interest as the ranges to the east culminate in the Kuh-i-Hezatr-Masjid, rising to an elevation of 9800 feet, which was examined by us the following spring. On its summit * To-day, the Zafaranlu Kurds inhabit this district, Lain (to the north of the Hezar Masjid range) and Kh&kistar. Their two divisions are (a) Kiw&nlu arid (b) Sheikhwanlu. This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Fri, 17 Jun 2016 13:51:43 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms A SIXTH JOURNEY IN PERSIA. 3 I was fortunate enough to see a Kabk-i-dari,* or "Royal partridge," the existence of which, in this part of Persia, was quite unknown. There was also a remarkable defile, termed the Zu-i-Ardak (Zu is Turki for defile), where, in places, the sheer cliffs were only a few feet apart and, at one point, the river fell hissing into what would undoubtedly be termed " The Devil's Calldron" in England. The rock scenery was unsurpassed, and the wealth of bird life and flowers in this hitherto unknown gorge was extra- ordinary.f Again, across the valley, in the heart of the Nishapur range, is the sacred lake termed Sovar by the Zoroastrians, Su in the Shah Nama and to-day Chashma-i-Sabz, which I visited in 1909. Situated at an elevation of over 7000 feet, not far from the Luk Shirbad peak, which rises above Nishapur to 10,700 feet, its area to-day is 400 yards by 100 yards; but it was evidently a much larger body of water in the past. It is mentioned in connection with the " Fire of the Labouring Classes," referred to below, and its sanctity was, perhaps, in part due to its being the habitat of the otter, to kill which was death by Zoroastrian law. In the Shah Nama, it is famous for having been the place where Yezdigird the Sinner was kicked * Dari, originally signifying " of the Gate," came to mean royal. Cf. Pharaoh, the Bab-ul-Humayun, and the Mikado, all bearing a similar meaning. The Kabk-i- dari is really a snowcock, and not a partridge. t Major Watson noted the following birds and mammalia in the Kuh-i-Hezar- Masjid range and this gorge :- Lammergeyers. Blue rock thrush. Various eagles, buzzards, vultures, Blue and red rock thrush. and kites. Common redstart. Kestrel hawks. Chats, various. Sparrow hawks. Pipits. lMerlins. Chafi_nches or goldfinches. Woodpigeons. Buntings. Blue rock pigeons. Warblers, various. Turtle doves. Nightingales, Persian. Sandpipers. Flycatchers, various. Dotterels. Cuckoos. Night herons. Hoopoes. Red-legged partridges. European bee-eaters. Sand partridges. Rock-creepers. Kabk-i-dari, or " Royal partridge." Ravens. Quails. Hooded crows. Woodcock. Choughs. Blackbirds. Swallows. Ringouzels. Swifts. Water-ousel or dipper. Martins. Missel thrush, fieldfare. Mammalia. Wild sheep. Mouse-hare, Ibex. Hare. Wolf. Leopard. Fox. B 2 This content downloaded from 128.143.23.241 on Fri, 17 Jun 2016 13:51:43 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 4 A SIXTH JOURNEY IN PERSIA. by a white horse which arose from the lake. This ultimately caused his death, and, according to the legend, he died at Chashma-i-Gulasp-to-day known as Gilis--on the opposite side of the valley. Some 15 miles north-west of the sacred lake is an elevated, scarped spur, known as the Purda-i-Rustam, or "Curtain of Rustam," containing some interesting caves, which had once been fitted with doors.
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