their neighbours. Up to a recent period, this people sold as
slaves the captives taken in war, and occasionally their own
children ; and this practice is even now followed in some of
the Caucasian districts. The civil government of Daghestan
is regulated by the Koran ; the sons of a family inherit
equally, ènough being set apart to give to each of the daughters
half a share ; and hence the proverb that one man is
worth two women.1
With the dependencies of Talish and Sheki, the adjoining
territory of Shirvân occupies the space between the Caspian
Sea, Daghestan, Elizabethpol, the river Kur, and Azerbaijan.
From the last, in 38° 31' north latitude, it extends about 135
miles, to the limits of Daghestan, in 40° 44' north latitude ;
and from the river Kur, eastward, about 110 miles to the
Caspian Sea, in 40° 20' north latitude.
Including the district of Salian, it has a superficies of
10,386 square miles;2 and on the eastern side it consists of
plains, whilst towards the west it is very mountainous. The
latter portion is traversed from north-west to south-east by
the abutments of the Caucasus, from which other branches
run southward to the Kur, and again along the western side
of Talish : the culminating points are the crests of the Caucasus,
the Baba Tâgh, Fité Tâgh, Boz Tâgh, Akhdib and
Khanabat Taghs;3 all of which are of granite resting upon
limestone, with some flint and clay towards the plains.4
The eastern side consists of an extensive plain, having the
bifurcation of the Aras (the island of Salian), and the banks
of the lower part of the Kur in its centre : from thence it
spreads northward, along the shores of the Caspian, to the
district of Baku, and southward almost to the extremity of
Talish. Towards the west there are also some level tracts,
but of limited extent, such as the plateau of Aftaran, the
1 Aperçu, &c., p. I l l to 129.
8 14,500 square versts in Shirvân, 9000 square versts in Sheki, and 8000
square versts in Tâlish.—Aperçu des Possessions Russes, &c., Tome III.
pp. 36, IIS, 176, and 323, &e.
3 Ibid., Tome III., pp. 37 to 41, and 324 to 333.
I Ibid.
plain of Kâssane, and the three productive valley plains running
north and south between the mountains of Sheki. The
northern valley has a width of about 20 miles, and extends
nearly 52 miles westward from Shirvân Proper, to the territory
of Elisooy, at the foot of Baz Tâgh.1 The central valley,
which is more elevated than the other, lies between the Boz
and Aghdib Tâghs, and is about 45 miles long by 18
wide. The third constitutes the southern part of Sheki, and
has about 38 miles in length by 32 in width, between
the Kur and the foot of the Akhdib Tâgh.2 The Caspian
forms the eastern limits of these districts, the interior of
which are amply watered by the affluents of the Araxes, the
Kur, and other streams. Southward, the Bolgharon, after
separating a part of Tâlish from Persia, runs eastward through
the plain of Moghan, till it is lost in a reedy tract near the
lower Araxes.3 The other waters in this direction are the
Karaïar, the Ghorussan, the Odinabazar, the Lankan, &c.,
with their affluents.4 Northward of the Araxes are the
Gokh-chaï, the Gherdiman, the Akh-su (White Water), the
Aighry (Crooked Water), the Pirsaghate, the Touriane, and
the Demir Aparane. Nearly all the rivers run from the
north to the south, and, with the exceptions of the Aras and
Kur, are usually fordable after the spring months.6
In general the soil of the plains consists of a black loam,
covered with rich pasture in the lower, and a varied luxuriant
vegetation in the higher part, especially in the valleys lying
along the mountain slopes, one of which is expressively called
the Valley of Roses.6 On ascending the high lands the soil
becomes clayey, and to this succeeds an unproductive chalk.
As in the preceding province, three kinds of climate are
experienced in Shirvân. That of the plains is suited to tropical
plants, such as indigo, sugar, &c. : but the winters being
1 Aperçu, &c., Tome III., p. 323, &c.
8 Ibid., p. 324.
8 Ibid., Tome III., p. 184 to 191. 4 Ibid.
5 Ibid., pp. 45, 52, 337, 344, &c.
6 Calistan, near the ancient capital, which is fertilized by a fine stream.—
Ogilby’s Asia, p. 10.