The Shabānkārah Province. The Castle of Īg. Zarkān. Iṣṭahbānān and Burk. Dārābgird: the hill of seven coloured salt. Rūnīz and Lār. The Province of Kirmān: legend of Haftawād and the Worm. Guvāshīr: the Shīrjānī Garden. Bam and Jīruft. Khabīṣ. Sīrjān and other towns. The Makrān Province. Hurmūz, old and new. The Great Desert: its limits. Jarmaq and Kuhbinān. The Sīstān Province: Zarang. The Quhistān Province. Turshīz: the Cypress of Kashmar: the castles of the Assassins. Tūn and Junābad: the underground water channels. Birjand: the Poet Nizārī. Shākhīn. Ṭabas Masīnān: poisonous clay. Qāyin: Dilchaq, the Jester of Sulṭān Maḥmūd. Mūminābād: a castle of the Assassins. Zābul and Fīrūzkūh. Ghaznayn. Maymand, birthplace of Ḥasan Maymandī. Qarnīn and the Ṣaffarids

SECTION 13. Describing the province of Shabānkārah.

Here there are six districts, of the hot region, standing in the Third Clime, and the frontiers are contiguous with Fārs, Kirmān and the Persian Gulf. The revenues in Saljūq times were above two million dīnārs of the actual currency, but at the present time they amount only to 266,100 dīnārs. The capital city is the Castle of Īg (or Avīg) with the township of Zarkān, the one lying beside the other.

Īg and Zarkān. Īg in former times was but a village, which Ḥasūyah, in the days of the Saljūqs*, raised to be a city. It stands on a hill-top, and has great fortifications. A running stream goes through it, which in time of siege, should the enemy but come to know the source thereof, and turn the current from the castle, he would soon bring the garrison to terms. Zarkān is the township at the foot of the castle; its climate is temperate, but the water is indigestible. Corn, cotton, fruits and dates, however, grow here most excellently.

Iṣṭahbānān (or Iṣṭahbānāt). A town with many trees, having a temperate climate. All kinds of fruit grow here, and there is much running water. There is a strong castle near here, which, during the wars between the Saljūqs and the Shabānkārahs, the Atabeg Chāulī laid in ruins, but afterwards it was restored.

Burk and Tārum. Two towns, of which Burk is the larger; and it has a strong castle, standing on the frontier of Kirmān. The crops are abundant, consisting of corn and dates.

Khayrah* and Nayrīz. Two towns, which likewise have a castle. Raisins are abundant here, and the climate is rather hot. Mīshkānāt is a well-cultivated district near by, being a dependency of Nayrīz, which [<Arabic>] it resembles in climate and products.

Dārābgird*. Of the Third Clime, and founded by Dārāb (King Darius). It is circular in plan, and very well laid out, with a strong fortress standing in the middle of the town, surrounded by a deep ditch. At the present day this castle is in ruins. The climate is hot; corn, fruit and dates grow well here. In the neighbourhood is a hill where salt of seven colours is found; and the districts of Ḥashū, Dārkān, Miṣṣ and Rustāq are of its dependencies, with many fine villages. In the neighbourhood is a pass, very strongly fortified, called Tang-i-Ranbah*, where there is a mighty castle. The climate is good; water is to be had from springs, and in cisterns. In ancient times wheresoever the governor of Dārābgird resided, he kept in his own possession this castle. But not very recently a certain Ibrāhīm ibn Mamā* became master of it: the people of Kirmān, however, overcame him, and took the castle out of his hands. In the neighbourhood is a meadow-land three leagues in length, by one in breadth.

Kurm and Rūnīz*. Two small towns on the road to Fasā. Their climate is temperate, but rather hot, and there is abundant running water.

Lār. A district lying near the sea coast. Most of its people are merchants, occupied in sea and land commerce. Its crops are corn, cotton, and some small quantity of dates; for their whole dependence for water is on the rains. The people are Moslems.

SECTION 14. Concerning the province of Kirmān, with Makrān and Hurmūz.

There are here eleven towns, and in the times of the Saljūqs the revenues amounted to 880,000 dīnārs; but at this present time the amount is only 676,500 dīnārs.

Kirmān takes its name from Kirm, ‘the Worm,’ which be- longed to Haftawād, and the story of the same is well known*.

It comprises fifteen towns, and for the most part the climate is temperate, and the frontiers of the same are Makrān with the desert that stretches beyond, and Shabānkārah with Persian `Irāq, and the Great Desert which lies between Kirmān and Quhistān. The capital of the province is Guvāshīr.

Guvāshīr. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 92° 32', and lati- tude 29° 55'. [<Arabic>] In the History of Kirmān* it is stated that king Gushtāsf built here a fire-temple, and later Ardashīr Bābakān founded the castle above the city, which he named Bardashīr; the sign of the Balance being then in the ascendant. King Bah- rām afterwards added to the buildings of the place. In the History named above, Simṭ-al-`Ulā, it is related how Ḥajjāj (the Om- mayad viceroy of `Irāq) despatched Ghaḍbān ibn al Qaba`tharā to conquer this province, but he wrote back to Ḥajjāj, ‘The water here is scant, the dates are poor in kind, the chiefs are robbers; if the army be few in numbers it will be annihilated, if numerous it will starve,’ so Ḥajjāj recalled the troops, and it was only under `Omar II that Ṣafwān effected its conquest; when, by order of that Caliph, they founded what is known here as the Old Mosque. Subsequently the Amīr `Alī Ilyās laid out the garden called Bāgh-i-Shīrjānī, which is still flourishing at the present day. He also built the Castle of the Hill; and the Tabrīzī Mosque here was erected under Tūrān Shāh the Saljūq. Among the tombs of famous saints in Guvāshīr is that of Shāh Shujā` Kirmānī.

Bam. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 92°, and latitude 38° 20'. It is said that in this city the Worm of Haftawād (before mentioned) burst, for which reason the place took the name of Bam (meaning ‘burst’). There is here a strongly fortified castle. The climate of Bam is better than that of Jīruft, but is inclined to be hot.

Jīruft. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 98°, and latitude 27° 50'. In the History of Kirmān it is stated that at the time when `Abd-Allah, son of the Caliph `Omar II, was conquering the Kirmān province, the site of Jīruft was a forest abounding in fierce lions, but the soldiers of Islam slew them all, building here villages, each of which became known by the name of its founder. The climate here is hot. The water is from the river Dīv Rūd; palm groves are numerous, and dates are cheap.

Khabīṣ. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 93°, and latitude 31°. The climate is hot, but water is to be had from the river. Dates are abundant here.

Rīghān. According to the History of Kirmān this place was founded by Bahman ibn Isfandiyār. The climate is hot, and the crops are corn and dates.

Sīrjān. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 90° 20' [<Arabic>], and latitude 29° 30'. The climate is hot; there is a strong castle here; and the crops are corn, cotton and dates.

Shahr-i-Bābak. This was built by Bābak, who was maternal grandfather of king Ardashīr Bābakān. It is of the Third Clime, and its crops are corn, cotton and dates.

Narmāshīr. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 94° 20', and latitude 29°. According to the History of Kirmān it was built by Ardashīr Bābakān.

Makrān. A broad province lying beyond the bounds of Īrān, the description of which therefore will be given later. It is how- ever proper just to mention it here, for its taxes belong to Īrān, since they are paid into the Kirmān Treasury.

Hurmūz. Of the Second Clime, in longitude 92°, and latitude 35°, and, standing on the coast of the Persian Gulf, it has a very hot climate. The town was founded by king Ardashīr. At this present day Quṭb-ad-Dīn, the king of Hurmūz, in fear of the brigands, has abandoned the older site, and removed the city to the Island of Jirūn, lying one league from the coast out in the Gulf. At Hurmūz dates and the sugar-cane grow abundantly. The revenues of Hurmūz, which is included in the Kirmān pro- vince, amount to 60,000 dīnārs, and this tax is paid over to the Treasury of Īrān.

SECTION 15. Concerning the (Great) Desert lying between Kirmān and Sīstān.

The beginning of the Great Desert is in the district of Qazvīn, at the village of Sūmīqān, which the Mongols call Āq Khwājah; and it extends to the shore of the `Omān sea, on the frontiers of Hurmūz. The further (south-eastern) part is the broader; its southern boundary goes past the districts of Sāvah, Qum, Kāshān, Zuvārah, Nāyīn, Yazd and so on by Kirmān and Makrān till it comes to the sea; its northern boundary goes by the districts of Ray to Qūmis and the provinces of Khurāsān and Quhistān; then by Zāvul and Sīstān to Ghaznah and Kābul, and thence down to the sea-coast. The beginning of this Desert lies in the Fourth Clime, but after passing Ardistān, and onwards till it comes to the sea, it lies in the Third Clime. Its length is 400 leagues, and its breadth in the beginning only 2 or 3 leagues; but at the lower end, near the sea, it is [<Arabic>] over 200 leagues across. In this Desert, although the inhabitants be fewer in number than they are in other deserts of the lands of Islam, yet robbers and brigands—who in fact are its only population—are more numerous here than in other desert places. The climate of the Desert further is temperate.

Jarmaq. There are here three villages lying on the road going (through the Desert) from Nīshāpūr to Iṣfahān. There are springs here, with palm groves, some cultivated fields and cattle.

Safīd*. Yāqūt says that this place lies on the frontiers of Sīstān.

Ṭabas Gīlakī. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 92° 31', and latitude 33°. Its district has plentiful crops of corn, cotton and dates.

Kuhbinān. A small township of the Third Clime; they grow here corn and dates.

Nih. Of the Third Clime, and built by Ardashīr Bābakān.

SECTION 16. Concerning the provinces of Quhistān, Nīmrūz and Zābulistān.

These include seventeen cities, and the climate here is tem- perate. The frontiers march with the Great Desert, Khurāsān, Transoxiana and Kābul. The revenues are included in the sum of those paid in to Khurāsān. The capital of these pro- vinces is Sīstān City, but other great towns are Tūn, Qāyin, Khusf and Janābad.

Sīstān. This city has a broad and extensive district. It is of the Third Clime, and stands in longitude 97°, and latitude 32° 20'. It was built by the world-renowned hero Karshāsf, who gave it the name of Zarang, which the Arabs pronounce Zaranj. Near the Lake of Zirah he built a mighty dyke, to cross the road of the moving-sands, in order to preserve the city from damage as against these moving-sands (of the desert). After his days king Bahman restored the buildings of the city, renaming it Sagān, which the common folk changed to Sagistān, and this was pro- nounced by the Arabs, after Arab fashion, Sajistān, which finally in course of time became Sīstān. The climate is rather hot. Water is taken from the Siyāh Rūd canal, which is a branch from the Hirmand (Helmund) river. There are here numerous gardens, with much excellent fruit.

Bust. Of the Third Clime, in [<Arabic>] longitude 82°, and lati- tude 33°. A medium-sized town, with a temperate climate. Water is from the (Helmund) river. The crops are dates, corn and some little fruit. In the Ṣuwar-al-Aqālīm it is said that the people of Bust are very courteous.

Takīnābād*. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 81° 55', and latitude 33° 20'. It is a medium-sized town, with a warm cli- mate. Water is from mountain streams near by, and much fruit is grown here.

Quhistān. This region includes sixteen districts.

Turshīz. Of the Fourth Clime, in longitude 92°, and latitude 35°. It was founded by king Bahman. It is a small town of the hot region, and possesses a strongly fortified castle. Water is from underground channels, and there are many villages near by, with lands producing excellent crops. Corn is in plenty, good fruit is abundant—such as grapes, figs and pomegranates—and silk is also produced. Thus they have crops of all kinds. Kash- mar is a provincial town of this district, and here of old was a cypress tree, taller than any other in all the rest of the world. It was planted, it is said, by Jāmāsp the Wise, and more than once in the Shāh Nāmah the Cypress of Kashmar is mentioned, as for instance in the couplet:

And a branch of cypress from Paradise they brought,
Which he planted before the gate of Kashmar.

In the village of Kashmar no earthquake is ever felt, although, in various other places, of all the neighbourhood round and about, earthquakes are common. In the Turshīz district there are many strong castles (that belonged to the Assassins), as for instance these four, the Castle of Bardā Rūd, the Castle of Mīkāl, of Mujāhid- ābād and Ātashgāh (the Fire-temple). Corn and fruit are ex- ported from this district to Nīshāpūr, Sabzavār and the neigh- bouring parts. The city of Turshīz is itself now in ruin, but the lands round are extremely well cultivated.

Tūn. Of the Fourth Clime, in longitude 92° 20', and latitude 34° 20'. It was formerly a large town, but is now only of medium size. The plan of the town was laid out after this fashion: first [<Arabic>] they built a mighty fortress with a very deep waterless ditch, then round the fortress they set the markets, next the houses of the city were built round the markets, then gardens and mulberry orchards were planted round about the houses, finally corn-fields further outside and round the gardens. Then beyond the corn-lands they raised dykes, to gather up the rain waters for the irrigation of the corn-lands, and in among these dykes they grew melons without need of further irrigation, which same were of extraordinary sweetness. The water of the town is from underground channels, the climate is temperate, both corn and fruit being grown, and silk too produced.

Tabkhah*. Of the Fourth Clime; and as to latitude and longitude and climate it is just like Tūn.

Junābad. Commonly pronounced Gunābad. A small town, but larger than Khūr, with some dependencies lying round. It has a castle which was built by the son of Gūdarz, and the same is very strongly fortified. Looking from the summit of the hill the desert sands are in sight to the utmost view, surrounding the villages and lands, but these sands never encroach into their garden lands. Water is got from underground channels, which same are often four leagues in length, with pits going down to them that average 700 cubits in depth. There are many places in the dependencies (of Junābad), and all of these get their water from underground channels, nearly all of which are as deep as those just described; and their channels all run from south to north. There is a castle on either side of the town, one is called Qal`ah Khavāshīr, the other is Qal`ah Darjān. The crops are corn and fruit, also excellent silk is obtained here in abundance.

Dasht-i-Bayāḍ. This is not a town, but is the name of a district, of which the chief town is called Fāris, and it is the summer quarter of both Junābad and Tūn. The fruits of the cold region grow here, such as nuts, almonds and the like.

Birjand. A provincial town, round which much saffron is grown, with some little corn. There are some places of its de- pendencies, and in the villages here grapes and other fruits are grown. Nizārī the Poet was born here*.

Khūsf. A small town with some dependencies. Their water is from the river, but for the villages the water is from under- ground channels. All kinds of crops are grown here.

Shākhīn. A district comprising several small villages, with the Fashā Rūd country [<Arabic>], and several other like places. All these neighbouring districts have the same crops and climate.

Zīrkūh. A district with three provincial towns, one called Isfadan, another Ashīr and the third Shārakht*. In the district round corn, cotton and grapes are grown, also silk is produced. The water of all the villages is from underground channels.

Khūr. A small town on the borders of the Great Desert. Its water is from underground channels, and it has many gardens.

Ṭabas Masīnān. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 94° 55', and latitude 33°. A small town of the hot region, where there are many palm groves. Water is from underground channels, which irrigate the corn-lands of the township during seventy days, and then during other seven days serve to irrigate the places of its district. In this neighbourhood there was a pit, the clay from which, to the amount of a millet-seed, if a man ate, he would die instantly; but of late this pit has been filled up. There is also in this district a well into which during winter much water flows, and flows out of it again during the summer, which same they use for their crops. And there is again another well, into which, when anyone looks down, he sees the likeness of a fish.

Ṭabas Gīlakī*. A small town of the Third Clime, in longi- tude 92° 9', and latitude 39°. It lies seven days` march from Yazd. The climate is exceedingly hot; dates, oranges and shaddocks grow most plentifully here though they are not to be found in any other place in Khurāsān. Water is from a spring, which is sufficiently abundant to work two mills. There is a strong fort, round which all pasture is lacking; and some villages are of its dependencies.

Qāyin. Of the Fourth Clime, in longitude 98° 20', and lati- tude 38° 40'. It is a large town, with a strong castle. There are many underground water channels that flow beneath the town, so that in most houses they have made water-cellars to reach the same. Qāyin stands just [<Arabic>] twenty leagues distant from all the other towns of the Quhistān province; Turshīz and Ṭabas Gīlakī excepted. Its climate is temperate. The crops are corn, fruit and saffron in abundance. Nearly all the men here are warriors, and everybody carries arms ready for use. As soon as the first forty days of summer are past they begin to sow, and they reap in the early part of the season when the sun is in Sagittarius, getting in a plentiful harvest of the kind known as sour-barley, which same is most fattening to the cattle, and these become extremely plump by this fodder. Dilchaq, the jester of Sulṭān Maḥmūd son of Sabuktagīn, was from this town.

Darah Castle. A very strong fortress; and on the summit of the hill within the castle is a spring of water. The crops are corn, also fruit, with some few grape-vines.

Mūminābād. A district, comprising some villages with their dependencies. There is here a strong fortress, which was built by the Assassins, and this is well fortified.

Zāvul (or Zābul). A province both broad and long, which was of old a kingdom. Zābul too is the name of a large city of the hot region, where fruit is abundant, and where there are good hunting-grounds and fine pastures.

Fīrūzkūh. According to Yāqūt this is a strong castle lying between Herāt and Ghaznayn, it being the capital city of the kings of Ghaznayn. It has a cold climate, and water is from springs and cisterns.

Ṭāq Castle. A small town, where grapes grow abundantly, and some villages are of its dependencies.

Ghaznayn (or Ghaznah). Of the Third Clime, in longitude 81° 20', and latitude 33° 21'. The latitude therefore is the same as that of Baghdād. It is a small town, but with a cold climate; and if difference of climate depended on the latitude only, these two cities would enjoy one and the same temperature. Now, throughout the First, Second and Third Climes, where the sun`s altitude is much the same, the air is usually warm, while in the other Climes that are further (north) it is generally cold; but difference of climate is in fact mostly due to greater or lesser elevation of the ground level. Hence every place that is of high elevation is cold, while [<Arabic>] all low-lying places are hot.

Ṭurthīth*. A small town of the warm region. The Qāḍī Abū Bakr, who is the author of a work entitled Shukr wa Shikāyat (Gratitude and Complaint), is from here.

Maymand. Of the Third Clime, in longitude 81° 55', and latitude 38° 20'. A medium-sized town of the hot region, but lying in the hill country. It has its water from a river, also from springs. Its crops are corn, dates and fruit. It is the birth- place of Khwājah Ḥasan Maymandī, the well-known Vazīr of Sulṭān Maḥmūd of Ghaznah.

Qarnīn. Yāqūt describes this as a provincial town of the Sīstān dependencies. The Ṣaffarids, sons of Layth the copper- smith, came originally from this town. Corn and some fruit are grown here.