The Geographical Nomenclature of the Disputed Country between Merv and Herat Author(s): Arminius Vambéry Source: Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography, New Monthly Series, Vol. 7, No. 9 (Sep., 1885), pp. 591-596 Published by: Wiley on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1800817 . Accessed: 16/06/2014 18:39
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This content downloaded from 194.29.185.82 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 18:39:08 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE GEOGRAPHICALNOMENCLATURE, ETC. 591 explain the absence of old graveyards, said that they thought it likely that all who could afford it had carried their dead to Hazrat Imam (half-way between Penjdeh and Yulatan), where there are large grave? yards with numerous inscriptions, though the place itself is too small to have been inhabited by more than a few families at a time. This might indeed explain the absence of inscriptions, which would be found only on the graves of well-to-do men, but it would not explain the entire absence of old graveyards (one such does exist close to New Penjdeh, but it is neither very extensive nor very old), and I think the more likely explanation to be that the former inhabitants of Penjdeh have, in accordance with the old and still prevalent custom, had their graveyards on the hills bordering the valley, and they are now buried under the sand, which is steadily advancing in several places, and more par- ticularly near the old town on the right bank of the river, where the Sariks showed me some high hills covering ground which on their arrival twenty-eight years ago had been a fertile plain. This sudden and violent advance of the sandhills is, however, limited to two distinct spots in the valley; elsewhere the advance is very slow, and in some places almost imperceptible.
The Geographical Nomenclature of the disjouted eountry between Merv and Herat
By Aeminius Vambery.
Geographers are but rarely philologists and still rarer Orientalists. Owing to this deficiency we find that a large number of the proper names of the oro-, hydro-, and topography of Central Asia has been remitted to the student of geography in an erroneous form, and having been thus put down in our maps, I am sorry to remark that most of them are sadly wanting a revise. It is not merely the much and fre- quently discussed method of transcription whicb has caused the evil, but rather the utter ignorance of modern travellers in the respective eastern languages, and consequently the incapability of noting down correctly the proper names heard by them on the ground of their ex? ploration. To this we may add the difficulty of transcribing Persian, Arabic, and particularly Turkish words with an English or Eussian alphabet, where in the former the o, ii, hh, and j (French), in the latter the o, ii, and h are wanting, so that the best intentions must fail, and correctness, so essential in geographical nomenclature, must get the worst of it. To revise the maps of all Central Asia is a task arduous beyond measure; and in spite of my having undertaken it years ago, I do not flatter myself with hope of eradicating long-standing mistakes by the
This content downloaded from 194.29.185.82 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 18:39:08 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 592 THE GEOGRAPHICALNOMENCLATURE OF THE publication of my large Geographical Dictionary, which will soon be ready. With Merv and the Badghiz, however, the case is a different one. Here the geographical names have come quite reeently into use, they have not taken yet a firm root with readers and students of geography, and a revised nomenclature may well succeed to establish a correct spelling of the proper names instead of the erroneous one. This is the reason for my publishing the present paper, and I have only to regret that the cartographical material at my disposal is a limited one, and that consequently such names may have been left out which occur on maps unknown to me. In my method of transcription I have followed the one usual with English geographers, adding however for the sake of correctness the Persian and Turkoman orthography of the respective names. It is only ' to the names given by M. Lessar on his map published in the Scottish Geographical Magazine' (vol. i., Nos. 5 and 6) that I added an L, being a reference to that traveller, whilst to others, such as the diagram of ' Sir Henry Eawlinson published in the Nineteenth Century,' April 1885, ' of Mr. Boulger, published in his Central Asian Question,' &c, no reference has been made. The abbreviations used are, r. = rectius, T = Turkish, A = Arabic, P = Persian.
T. Adam-ulan (L.), *$A *d\, i- e. the fordof Adam or "of the man "; name of a well of freshwater in the deserteast of Pul-i-Khatun. T. Aimak-Djer, r. Aimak-yar,on the left bank of the Murghab, six miles in the northof Pul-i-Khishti. T. Aj-elan-guzer(L.), r. Ay-ulan, .^A \ i. e. "themoon passage"; name ofa passage across the Lower Murghab, about 14 miles south of Yol-oten. The Persian wordguzer, meaninga passage, is quite superfluoushere. T. ATcarchislime (L.), r. Akar-chashma,&+?*>? &\> i-e? "tne flowingfountain"; a place in the northof the Elbirin-kyr. " T. Baba-hember(L.), r. Baba kamber,jjj \j\j, i. e. fatherKamber"; the name of a Turkomansaint and of a place on the Lower Murghab. P. Badghiz, u$, &\j, name of the districtbetween the Murghaband the Heri-rud, stretchingon the northto the edge of the desert. The older and more correct = spelling of this word is Badkhiz, p^- &\j, being derivedfrom bad wind and " Tchiz= to rise; it means, therefore, the place where the wind rises." P. Bala-Murghab, t^\pwc ^)b> *?e? the Upper Murghab, in distinctionto Payin- Murghab = the Lower Murghab,by which name this river is designated from Penjdeh downwards. T. Borlcut,r. Borkiit, C->*5, ^>> name of a mountain,being a series of hills, by which the Paropamisus unites with the Elburz range, or Persian Mountains. Borkiitmeans an eagle (aquila fulva or chrysaetos). T. ChakmaTcU, JjJL^jU*-,a place to the east of the Zulfikar Pass and in the " south of Kungrueli, literallymeaning the place of flints."
This content downloaded from 194.29.185.82 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 18:39:08 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions DISPUTED COUNTRY BETWEEN MERV AND HERAT. 593
" ?^ an P. Chaman-i-bed,r. Chemeni-bid,^.J o-?~r> u e# ^e meao^ow willow," evident allusion to that kind of treesgrowing on thatmeadow. " P. Char-bag(L.), r. Chihar-bag,$\> Aa>., i. e. fourgardens," properly one garden divided into four equal parts, as usual in CentralAsia; name of a place 10 miles south of Yol-oten. " T. ChepM-Tepe(L.),t. Chopli-Tepe,sjj i>*>? i- e* *he thistle mound"; name
of a place on the left bank of the Lower Murghab,about 34 miles south of Yol-oten. P. Cheshme-i-Sebz,lw &^?*>?, name of a place and of a pass in the Borkiit mountain. P. Ghihil *?e-" " name of a in the Nihalshini Pass. Ghez,^ Afe-* fortyyards ; place niodern travellersas means P. Dahan, r. Dihan, t0lfc>?,translated by English gap, literallymouth, entrance, embouchure. the Zalfikar T. Bangli, r. Dengli, ^-iio J, name of a tower in Pass, literally meaningthe tryingplace. It occurs also as Deng, which means try, r. i#e# "tlie stone tue PersiarL T. Dash-kepri, Dash-koprii,
This content downloaded from 194.29.185.82 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 18:39:08 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 594 THE GEOGRAPHICALNOMENCLATURE OF THE
A. Kale-i-Mour or Mor, r. Kala-i-Mar, Xc &*U, i. e. "the fortof Merv "; name of a ruin on the leftbank of the Khushk. ?
P. Kaman-i-Bihisht, \"**.as ^X^S , r. Keman-i-Bihisht,a placeonthe rightbank " of the Heri-rud,meatiing the vault of the Paradise."
T. Karvan-ashan, ^LW (*y3r ' a ^ass *n ^ie Borkiit mountain,meaning "the place wherethe caravans cross." T. Kazaklily, or Bend-i-Kazakhly (L.), r. Kazikli-bend, <\)j JjJ.*^J,i.e. "the " dam of pegs on the Lower Murghab. " T. A. Kel-Gouz (L.), r. Kelle-Hauz, t\oA ?j?, i. e. the skull-reservoir";name of tank on the road fromMerv to Sarakhs. " T. Kele-buriin (L.), r. Kelle-burun, ..??,*> s&, i?e. the cape of the skulls," originatingprobably froma heap of skulls erected on a promontoryor on a protrudingportion of the land. A place on the Murghab, about 42 miles south ofYol-oten. " T. A. Kelte-minar, V^ $$?, i. e. the short spire," being the name of a place 16 miles south of Merv. P. Keriz,l},v, r. Kariz, i. e. a canal forirrigation, literally meaning a contrivauce forirrigating. There are several names composedwith K, such as Keriz-i-llijas (the Elija canal), Keriz-i-Shembe(the Saturday canal), Keriz-Bengi (the opium- eaters'canal), &c. A. T. Khandek-Medemii-Khana (L.), r. Khandak-Mehemmed-Emin-Khan, (O^** (irt*^ tX^^? J}t\ii?-,i. e. the ditch of MehemmedEmin Khan (vulgarly known as Medemin Khan), a ruler of Khiva, by whose orderthis ditch was dug. Name of a canal flowingfrom the Murghab. T. A. i. Ehojam-Shulmr (L.), X?> +8&-\y>-, e. "Thanks, myLord!" eventually also a propername of a molla or some religiousperson. T. r. i. a Khombou, Kom-bau, .lx?y>, e. knot,a hench,an uneven elevation; name of a pass, of a ford,and also of a rivuletissuing fromthe Borkut mountains. P. Khushk, also Kushk. Which of the two be the correettranscription, I am unable to decide, having no personal experience on the matter. If Kushk, (i^C***}, then the word would mean a kiosk; but if Khushk, {j?j^-, then it would signifydry, an allusion to the frequentdisappearing of this river, and leaving an empty,dry bed. P. r. i. e. Koshut-kala, Khurshid-kalesi, -jyo&*li*Sx^y*, the fortof Khurshid ; ruins near Old Sarakhs. T. A. " Koshut-Tckan-hala,^*>aj*iS ^U>- dsuli.y^, r. Khurshid-khan-kala'si, the fortressof Khurshid Khan," forit was the lasf-namedTekke-Turkoman chief- tain who erectedthe mud wall known under this name twentyyears ago. T. i-e- "tne Koyun-kui(L.),r. Koyun-kuyusi,^..^yy &f>.j*> sneeP well"; name of a well in the desertbetween Pul-i-Khishti and Shir-Tepe. T. Kuche-kum r. i- e. " the small (L.), Kichi-kum, *y ^c-^- , sand," on the road betweenMerv and Sarakhs.
This content downloaded from 194.29.185.82 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 18:39:08 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions DISPUTED COUNTRY BETWEEN MERV AND HERAT. 595
" P. Kuhsan, ,1_-JffrS, a frontiertown of Herat, literally towards the mountain,,, or the place where the mountainbegins. T. Kungrueli, Kangruli (L.), r. Kongrauli, 0j\?3J>' i?e. "the place of the bell," ? from Jcongrau bell jingle. A place marked on the English maps in the north,in M. Lessar's map in the south of the Elbirin. T. Kyrjukli (L.), r. Kuyrukli, JjL .> JJ,literally meaning "having a tail"; name of a place south of Yol-oten. T. Maruchak, ?l>-?wc, pronouncedby the Turkomans marchah, means literally " little Merv," fromMar = Merv and the diminutivecliah or cheh. T. Medemii-khan-kanli-tepe(L.), r. Mehemmedinkhan khanli tepe,
" i. e. the bloody mound of Medemin Khan "; name of a mound in the north of Sarakhs upon which the aforesaid ruler of Khiva was surprisedand killed by the Persians.
P. Mervy myc; the Turkomans call it Mar, decidedlythe more correctversion, con? sideringthat the holy scripturesof the Parsees designate this place by Maru, and that the Greeks likewise called it Margiana. The Turkoman version of Mar vindicatesthe fact that therewas a Turkish population around Merv even in remoteantiquity.* i. " the A. T. MulloL Ilairan-Taka, &i m^J^ ^Lo, r. Mulla Khairan Tekke, e. Tekke Molla Khairan "; a place in the north-eastof the ZulfikarPass, containing threewells. " P. Murgab, eventually Murghab, tjlpw?, name of a river, literally meaning the bird-water,"an allusion to the rapid or flyingcurrent of that river. P. Nihalshini, .Ju^* l)^> name ?f a Pass situated on the rightbank of the Heri- " rud. It means the sproutof joy." P. Nimaksar, .L*-X*>, r. Nemeksar; name ofa salt lake and of the countryaround it, evidently the Persian designation of the Ir-idan salt lakes of Lessar. " Nemeksarmeans literally a salt place.,, T. Orush Togain, r. ITrush-Togay,,^^, A^ /* \,i. e. "the battle-wood";name of a place between Penjdeh and Sari-Yazi. P. Penjdeh, i&g}*), i. e. "five villages"; a place inhabited by Sarik Turkomans, and belongingfrom immemorial times to the districtof Herat. There are three places of that name: 1, Kohne P. = the old P.; 2, Taze-P. = the new P.; and 3, Penjdehi Nadiri = the P. of Nadir. The Turkomanspronounce this word Pende, or Pendi. " P. T. Pistalik-Attak,r. Pistelik-Etek,l*15\ cdLJ?JUO = the skirtwhere pistachio grows," name of a place on the frontierclaimed by Russia on the map cf Major Holdich and Captain Peacocke. P. T. Pul-i-Khatun, 3\}s- J^, i. e. "lady's bridge,"evidently a structureerected throughthe chanty of a lady.
* VideSir HenryBawlinscn's derivation and explanationof the name,ante, p. 578. -[Ed.].
This content downloaded from 194.29.185.82 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 18:39:08 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 596 THE GEOGRAPHICALNOMENCLATURE, ETC.
P. Pul-i-KMshti, \f;/^~ i)*}' See Dash Kepri. " A. Bobat, ]^\j = a building,"a small sort of caravansary. " P. Bosanak, r. Ruzenek, (^SLit ? .? i- e. the little window," a place on the road fromHerat to Persia. P. Sarakhs, .j^^i said to be the Syrynx of antiquity. T. " " Sari-Yazi, ^:t> ^,Uo> i- e- the yellow plain ; name of a ruin on the afore- said plain on the bank of the Murghab. " " A. T. Shehidli, Shegetli (L.), J^iL^ i- e. the place of the martyr ; name of a well on the road betweenMerv and Sarakhs, evidentlyderived from a Turkoman killed thereby the Persians. " P. T. Shir-Tepe,&? Ju^) i. e. the lion mound "; name of a place on the Heri-rud to the northof Pul-i-Khatun. P. Shor, sy*>, i. e. a salt place. T. Sumbar P. \jj\yu*, name of a canal (kariz) meaning "a reservoirof wrater"; a wordcomposed of the Turkish su (water) and the Persian anbar (magazine). " " P. Sindjao, Sinjao, r. L-^l^**, Sinjab, i.'e. squirrel : name of a mountainin the neighbourhoodof Herat. T. Takir, sJ, a firmclayish ground; a designation used in opposition to Kum = movingsand. P. Tejen, name of the Heri-rud after enteringthe Turkoman country. Tejen is a comparativelymodern spelling of that name ; forAbulghazi, the historianof the Central Asian Turks, writes, ,.?j3, Tezhen, an orthographywhich aggra- vates still morethe chance of translatingthis word.* " P. Tengi-Barya, r. Tenghi-Derya\j,d ulijjj, i. e. the river pass," name of a place wherethe Heri-Rud passes across the BorkiitMountains. T. Tepe, &j3, mound. Yide Ak-tepe = white mound, Kara-tepe = black mound, Kizil-tepe = red mound, &c. P. Tirpid, J-) Sj, a place on the Heri-rud,literally meaning "the arrowbridge." T, Uchkui r. Uch three (L.), kuyu,jJ>.j5 j^, i. e. the wells ; a station on the road fromMerv to Sarakhs. T. Yakitut r. i. (L.), Yeke-tut, Oy &So, e. "the single mulberrytree"; name of a place in the north-westof the Khombau Pass. T. Yidatan or Iol-otan r. i. (L.), Yol-oten, ^3^\ VideSir HenryRawlinson's derivation, ante, p. 581.?[Ed.]. This content downloaded from 194.29.185.82 on Mon, 16 Jun 2014 18:39:08 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions