402
■ GT.
Charafter.
I NDEPENDENT t a t a k y .
penfated for the penury hiftory, by
an animated chamberJÉ .this-.country and its people, which may be
here introduced, as a relief from the drynefs of fome of the details,,
unavoidable in d e f e r » a country highly celebrated, but the geography
of which unaccountably remains the moft defective of any in Aha,
with the fingle: exception of interior Arabia-.
« Such are the generality and liberality of-the inhabitants,, that no
one ,turns afide from the rites of hofpitality; fo. that a perfon contemplating
them in this light, would. imagine that all the families o f the
land were but one houfe. When a traveller -arrives, there every perfon
endeavours to attract him to himfelf, that he may have opportunities,
of performing kind offices for the Granger: and the heft proof of their
hofpitable and generous ihfpofition is, that every peafimt, though g g g
fefling but a bare fufficieney, allots'a portibn of his cottage üaG the reception
of a gueft. On the arrival of a ftranger.tbey contend one with
another for the pleafure of taking -him to their home, and entertaining
him. Thus, in aéts of hofpitality, thfey expend their incomes. -The
author of this work fays* VI happened once to be in Soghd,. and there
I faw a certain palace, or great building, the: d©OfS ©f . ^hiejy;
faftenedrhack with nails againft the walls. I afked the reafon of this,
and they informed me that it-was an hundred years and more fmee
thofe doors had been fhut, all that time they had continued ' open day
and night, ftr angers might arrive there at the moft unfeafonable hours,
or in any numbers, for the mailer of the hoüfe had provided every
thing neceffary both for the men and for their beafts; and he appeared with
a delighted and joyful countenance when the. guefts tarried a while.
Never have I heard of fuch things in any other country. ' The rich
and great lords of moft. other places expend their' treafures on particular
favourites, in the indulgence of grofs appetites, and fenfual gratifications.
The people of Maweralnahr employ themfelves in a ufeful
and rational manner: they lay out their money in ereóti-ng caravan-
ferais, or inns, building bridges . and fuch works. You .cannot fee any
town, or ftage, or even defert, in Maweralnahr, without a convenient
inn, or ftage-houfe, for the accommodation of travellers,' with every
thing neceffary. I have heard that there are above two thoufand rebats,,
"C H AP. II. 'GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
•or intis in Maweralnahr, where as many perfons as may' arrive fhall Gh
find fufficient forage for their beads* and meat for theinfélves.’ «
If “ Thé author of the book further fays, W have heard from a refpedf-
àble perfon who was with Naffer Ahmed, in the war of Sauiarcand, that
■of all his immenfe army the 'greater part were men of Maweralnahr .;
and I have heard that Motafem wrote a letter to Abdallah- ben Taher.
The anfwer of Abdallah was, that in Maweralnahr there are three
hundred thoufand Kulabs : each Kulab furniftiés 'oüè hVfeman and one
foot-foldier ; and the alffencc of-theft men, when they go forth, is not
<Ak, or is hot perceptible in the country. I have heard that the inhabitants
of Chajc and Ferghaheh are'Fo numerous, and To well dif-
ciplin'ed, and furnifhed with implement's of war, that they are not to
be equalled in any region'of I (lata.. And among the lower claffes there
are farmers ' who pöffefs from óne hundred to five hundred head of
haraeSr ' Notwithftan^ing all this,gtherffafènôt any people ^ o ^ b e â ié n t
to theif kingl y and" at aW ÜnfeHffè Turk Tol diers bad tÈe hrecèc£;nce'of
every'other rape, àud the KhMifir always 'chble^ifedi# bn account of
their fervices, their Obedient difpofitioh, .their Wyery, and
their fidelity/
“ Maweralnahr has produced fo many great princes1 and generals,
’thafnoye-gion can furpafs it- The b,fàyqry;ofits inhabitants pannôt be
e ^ ^ ded in any quarter qfi.Öie b in {fill man wbrl d. Their ^upKers* and
their difclpnhe give them an advantage&ver other, n^tion^, wl\ic(i, if aa
■army be defeated, or à body of troops loft atfea, cannot furnifli another,
army for a considerable time; but in all Maweralnahr,-.fliould accidents
happen, one tribe is ready to fupply the Ioffes of another without
iany delay. *
In all the regions of the earth there is not à more Hourifhing or
a moré delightful country than this, efpecially the diftrift of'Bokhara.
If a perfon ftand on the Kohendiz (or ancient caftle) of Bokhara, and
caft his eyes around, he fhall not fee any thing but beautiful and luxuriant
verdure on every fide of the country : fo that' he would imagine
the green of the eartfriand the azure of the heavens were United ; and
£s.there.are.green fields in every quarter, fo there are villas interfperfed
3 2 among
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AK.ACTEEU