CHAPTER IX.
P E R S I A P R O P E R .
COMPARATIVE GEOGRAPHY OF THE PROVINCES OF KHUZISTiN,
LIjRISTAN, AND FARS.
General Limits of Persia Proper.—Mountains and Rivers.—Province of Khu-
zistiln.—Rivers Kerkhah, Shdpiir, Dizfu.1, and Kdrun.—Ancient Communications
of the last with the Sea.—Courses of the Jerdhi and Tdb.—Comparative
Geography of the Province.—Supposed identity of the Choaspes—Coprates
—Eulseus—Hedyphon and Oroatis of the Ancients.
T h e Shah of Persia retains the central part of the ancient
monarchy, and his territory takes the shape of a triangle, the
base of which is along the western side of Afghanistan, and
the apex at Mount Ararat. It has the Persian Gulf and
Shatt el Arab for its southern, and the Turkish territory
along the Zagros, for its western limits ; whilst the northern
borders touch the river Attruck, the southern shores of the
Caspian, and the Russian provinces on the river Araxes. It
occupies about 12° of latitude 1 and 17° of longitude;2 so that
the superficies of the twelve provinces3 of which it consists contains
nearly 395,846 square geographical miles, or nearly
43,982 square leagues, chiefly lying between the Persian
Gulf and the Caspian Sea. This rather exceeds the surface
of Afghanistan, and is equal to about half of that of
Arabia. It resembles the latter country in many particulars,
as in its limited population, its scarcity of water, and the
consequent restriction of cultivation; but above all, in the
1 From 26° 25' to 38° Iff north latitude.
3 From 44° 18' to 61° 20' east longitude.
3 Khuzistan, Luristdn, Fdrs, ’Ir ik Ajemi, Ardelan, Kirmin-shdh, Gilan,
Mdzanderdn, Azerbaijan, Khordsdn, Ascer-abad, and Kirman, including Ld-
ristan.
difficulties to be overcome in transporting goods across the
vast uncultivated tracts which lie between the towns.
The two great mountain chains already described1 may be
said to form the natural limits of Persia northward and southward,
the rest of the boundary consisting of the low tract
along the Caspian Sea, with part of the continuous plain on
the east and north-east; and Khúzistán, with the Gurmsir,
towards the south-west.
The extensive and elevated plateau of Persia occupies the
space from west to east, between the noble ranges above-mentioned
; and is intersected at intervals by other mountains,
which are most numerous towards the western extremity of
the triangle. Here, and from a spot near the eastern shore of
lake Urumiyah, numerous ridges diverge from the Sahund
branch as a central point, and cover the arc from the northeastern
to the southern extremity: that is, they occupy nearly
the whole of Azerbaijan. Eastward of these, the offset
branches from the main chains are less numerous, and take
various directions across the country, the most prevalent
course being from north to south. They do not, however,
form very regular or continuous chains, except in a few instances,
as the Káfilán Kóh,2 which crosses the northern side
o f ’Irak Ajemi, the two parallel ranges traversing Kirmán
from east to west near the centre, and the El Ahwas
(ancient Parakhoathras, or Parakoátras), with some lesser
branches, which commence to the southward of the capital,
and strike into ’Irak in a north-westerly direction. Naked
masses of gypsum, or more frequently sandstone and limestone,
compose these transverse ranges, which rise above the plateau
at intervals, like gigantic ruined walls of a reddish brown
colour, and form the rugged boundaries of the plains and
steppes.
Since the secondary and inferior water-courses will find a
more appropriate place in the account of the several provinces
to which they are confined, those of the first order alone are
at present to be noticed. These are but few; and their
’ Chap. IV., pp. 64, 67, 73, and 74.
* Kapldn Kóh, or Panther Mount.—Mr. Renouard.