almost inaccessible mountains, which surround it like a
gigantic scarped wall.1
The chief town, Mushed, or Maxad,2 occupies elevated
ground near the river Habin. It has a citadel, in addition
to the exterior walls; these are flanked by towers, and surrounded
by a ditch; and the town, together with the gardens,
country-houses, &c., about it, cover a space whose circumference
is equal to about six leagues.3 Its population was
estimated4 at 100,000, but it now scarcely exceeds 50,000.6
There are some fine colleges, karvanserais, and a spacious
public walk running east and west through the great square ;
this last contains the gaudy building within which is the
famous shrine dedicated to Imam Riza. The people are
employed in the manufacture of sword-blades, knives, copper
utensils, velvets, silks, and cotton, and also in the preparation
of turquoise and other stones, which, together, furnish returns
for the caravan trade to Tartary, India, and the interior of
the kingdom itself.
The little province of Aster-abad lies northward of the
Koh Caucasian, or Elburz range, from which it stretches
northward to the desert of Khiva,6 and westward, from the
northern bend of the river Attruck7 to the borders of Mazan-
deran, of which it may be said to form the continuation, but
on a much lower level than the plateau of Khorasan and
Persia. The southern border of Aster-abad abuts on the
Elburz, and the northern, which is swampy, chiefly on the
Caspian Sea: on the whole, it possesses a degree of beauty
and richness seldom equalled, and never surpassed.8 The
chief town (Aster-abad) is clean and respectable; and the
view from the heights above, towards the Elburz on one side,
and the Caspian on the other, is strikingly rich ; but the air
is damp and noxious from exhalations.9
1 Fraser’s Journey into Khordsdn, pp. 53 and 54 of Appendix.
8 The Thus of the Persians.—Ogilby’s Asia, p. 38.
3 Ibid. ‘ In 1673.—Ibid.
5 Lieutenant Conolly’s Journey, Vol. I., p. 225. London, 1838.
6 In 38° N. latitude. 7 In about 57° 55' E. longitude.
8 Fraser’s Khordsdn, p. 620.
“ Fraser’s Travels near the Caspian Sea, p. 11.
This province represents the Hyrcania of Herodotus;1 and,
according to Ptolemy,2 it touches the Caspian Sea, and lies
west of Margiana, east of the Mardians, and N.E. of Media.
Aster-abad and Khorasan together constitute the Parthia
of Pliny, which had Aria to the east, Media Magna west,
Chorasmia north, "with Persis and Carmania to the south.2
The original country, however, or Parthia Proper, was less
extensive, being confined to the mountainous district lying
between Hyrcania and Aria; and of this district Hecatompylos
was the capital.4
This at one time formed part of Hyrcania, and being but
a poor, mountainous, and wooded country,5 it was not even
of sufficient importance, when it had become independent of
Hyrcania, to constitute a separate satrapy; since we find the
Parthians serving with three other contingents in the army
of Xerxes.6
But at a later period its sovereignty extended over all the
countries beyond the Tigris and Euphrates, as far as the
shores of the Red Sea.7 Ptolemy makes four great divisions
of this kingdom: the first, Parthia Proper, was on the
borders of Hyrcania, and was called Comisene; the second,
lying south of it, was Choroane; the third, Paraetacene;
and the last, Tabiene, which formed the south-eastern extremity.
8 In addition to Hecatompylos, the capital, he
enumerates the cities of Pasacarta, Rhoara, Araciana, Charax,
Apamia, Rhagsea, and about. 18 others,9 the positions of
which are little known.
As a kingdom, Parthia goes back no further than the
time of Arsaces (about 256 years B.C.) ; but its cavalry, which
was numerous, early obtained a high reputation, in consequence
of the dexterity which it had acquired in the use of
the bow while executing a feigned retreat.
1 Lib. VII., cap. lxii. 2 Lib. VI., cap. ii., p. 170.
8 Pliny, lib. V., cap. xxix.
4 Strabo, lib. XI., p. 514. s Ibid.
8 {The Chorasmii, Sogdiani, and Arii.—Herod., lib. III., cap. xciii.
7 Quintus Curtius, lib. VI., cap. ii.
8 Ptolemy, lib. VI., cap. v. 9 Ibid.
VOL. I. Q