CHAP. XVI.

CONTAINING THE REMAINDER OF ASIA.

A. G. Plates I. XV.

EASTWARD of the countries already described is a large portion of the Persian empire, known to the antient Greeks and Romans chiefly through the conquests of Alexander. Along the lower course of the Tigris, and the head of the Sinus Persicus, was (Pl. XV.) Susiana, or Khuzistan. It was bounded by Babylonia on the west, and Media on the north, from which it was separated by the Parachoathras. Among its rivers we may notice the Choaspes, whose waters were so excellent that the kings of Persia would drink no other.* It is now called the Kerkah, and flows into the Tigris. The Pasitigris, or Karun, received the Eulæus, or Ulai of Scripture, and emptied itself into a great lake, now dried up, but which formerly received also the Tigris and Euphrates. In the northern part of Susiana was the district of Elymais, so called from the Elymai, who inhabited it, and of whom some tribes were also settled on the coast. Southward was the smaller district Cissia, in which was the capital, Susa, or Susan, a word signifying, in the language of the country, lilies. It stood on the Eulæus, and is still called Suz: it was a favourite winter residence of the Persian kings, who, in summer, retired to the cooler situation of Ecbatana in Media.

* Regia lympha Choaspes.

Tibull. IV. i. 140.

East of Susiana was Persis, extending along the Sinus Persicus to the river Bagrada, which divided it from Carmania: it is called in Scripture Paran, and still retains the appellation in the modern name of Fars. On the confines of Susiana was Aspadana, now Ispahan; south-east of this was Persepolis, burnt by Alexander: its ruins are still very magnificent, and are known by the name of Tshelminar, or the forty, i. e. the many columns. Still south-east, was the Lacus Salsus, and below it the antient royal city Pasargada, where was the tomb of Cyrus: it is still called Pasi Kuri.

Carmania, now Kerman, is bounded by Persia on the west, by Parthia and Aria on the north, Gedrosia on the east, and the Sinus Persicus on the south. The limit between it and Persia was fixed by Alexander's admiral, Nearchus, at the island of Catea, or Kais, in the Persian Gulf, remarkable under the name of Cathay as a great emporium of commerce, till it was superseded by Ormus, or Ormuz, a little east of it. The river Bagrada has, however, been more generally considered as the western boundary. The capital of Carmania was Carmana, or Kerman, in the interior.

Gedrosia is bounded by Carmania on the west, Aria on the north, the mountains of Arbis on the east, and the Erythræum Mare on the south. It is now called Beloochistan. In passing through this country, the army of Alexander underwent very great hardships from want of provisions and water, and from columns of moving sand, such as had previously destroyed the armies of Semiramis and Cyrus. Its coast was occupied by the Icthyophagi on the west, and by the Oritæ and Arabitæ or Arbitæ on the east. Its principal cities were Pura, now Pahra, and Rhambacia, which was colonized by Alexander, on his return from his Indian expedition.

Above Susiana is Media, bounded by Assyria on the

west, and separated from Armenia by the Araxes: it is farther bounded on the north by the shore of the Caspian, on the east by Hyrcania and Parthia, and on the south by Persia. Media is now called Irak-Ajami, or Persian Irak, to distinguish it from Irak-Arabi, or Babylonian Irak. The northern part of Media, which borders on Armenia, was called Atropatene, from Atropates, a satrap of this province, who erected it, after the death of Alexander, into an independent kingdom. Its capital was Gaza, or Gazaca, now called Tebriz or Tauris, somewhat southeast of the Lake Spauto, or Martiane. The capital of Media was Ecbatana, or Hamedan, considerably to the south. The Persian and afterwards the Parthian monarchs made Ecbatana their summer residence, to avoid the excessive heat of Susa and Ctesiphon. On the road between Ctesiphon and Ecbatana was an antient monument, said to be that of Semiramis, at a place called Bagistana. North-east of Ecbatana was Rhage, or Rages, mentioned in the history of Tobit. Under the Parthian dynasty of the Arsacidæ, it was called Arsacia, but is now called Rei.

East of Media was Parthia, properly so called, separated from Hyrcania on the north by Mons Labutas, from Aria on the east by the deserts near Mons Masdoranus, and bounded on the south by the Carmanian deserts and Persia. It was a poor district, consisting chiefly of mountain or desert, but became the chief seat of an extensive empire, which gradually absorbed many of the provinces of the Persian empire, and became, in no slight degree, formidable to the Romans. Its principal town was Hecatompylos, east of the passes of Mons Caspius, not to be confounded with Pyle Caspiæ, mentioned above. It was the residence of the Parthian kings. North-east, at the base of the Labutas, was Tagæ.

East of Parthia was Aria, properly a particular pro

vince; but the name Ariana was given to a country of large extent, answering to the present Khorassan and Cabul, comprising the several provinces of Aria, Drangiana, Arachosia, together with many mountain tribes comprehended under the general name Paropamisada. These districts were bounded on the north by Bactriana and Margiana, and on the south by Carmania and Gedrosia. The Paropamisus, on its northern frontier, was one of the highest chains in Asia, and was crossed by Alexander in his pursuit of Bessus. The Macedonians called it Caucasus. It is now the Hindoo Koosh. On the east, the Paryeti Montes are the Suleiman Mountains on the west of the Punjaub. The principal river was the Etymander, or Helmind, which received the Arachotus, and emptied itself into the Palus Aria, or L. Zurrah. We may also mention the river Arius (Heri), which lost itself in the desert further north. The capital of Aria was Artacoana, now Herat, situated on the river Arius. From thence Alexander passed southward to Drangiana, the country of the Zarange, or Drange, whose capital Prophthasia, north of the Palus Aria, is now Peshawarun. Below this the Agriaspa, who were called Euergetæ, from the succours they afforded to Cyrus, are still to be traced in the name of Dergasp. East of these is Arachosia, now Arrokage.

Along the south-eastern coast of the Caspian is Hyrcania. It was separated from Parthia by Mons Labutas, and from Scythia by the Ochus. Its chief cities were Zadracarta, now Sari, and Hyrcana, now Jorjan or Corkan. The Hyrcanians gave the name of Mare Hyrcanum to the Caspian.

East of Hyrcania was Margiana, separated from Aria by the Sariphi Montes. It derived its name from the

* The Medes, as we learn from Herodotus, were originally called Arii.

river Margus, an affluent of the Ochus. Their chief people are the Derbiccæ, Massagetæ and Dahæ, Scythian tribes. Their chief city was Nisæa, near the river Ochus, on the confines of Parthia. We may also mention Jasonium and, not far from the confluence of the Margus and Ochus, Ariaca.

Bactriana is bounded by the Mountains of Paropamisus on the south, a continuation of the Emodi Montes on the east, and is separated from Sogdiana by the Oxus on the north. The capital was Zariaspa Bactra, now Balkh, upon the river Dargidus. East of it was the rock of Aornos, an antient hill-fort, thought to be impregnable, but not to be confounded with another fortress of the same name, to be mentioned hereafter: it is now Telekan, situated on a high mountain called Nor-Koh, or the mountain of silver.

The river Oxus, or Gihon, separates Sogdiana from Bactriana. The country is now Al-Sogd, and extended to the Comedi Montes (Kara dagh) and Oxii Montes, in the neighbourhood of Khiva. On the Oxus was Oxiana, or Termouz, and north of it Maracanda, the celebrated Samarcand of Tartar history, which was the royal city of Timur-leng, whose name has been corrupted by European writers into Tamerlane. West of this was Trybactra, now Bokhara, on the river Polytimetus. North of Maracanda was Petra, a strong rock besieged by Alexander, now called Shadman. Eastwards on the Jaxartes, Sihon or Sir, was a city called Cyroschata, or Cyropolis, built by Cyrus; and a little north, Alexandria Ultima, built by Alexander, to check the inroads of the Scythians, now Khojend. The Chorasmii, whose name is preserved in that of the desert of Kharasm, were between Sogdiana and the north-eastern shore of the Caspian. East of Sogdiana were the Sacæ, a Scythian tribe, in little Thibet. It remains only to give some account of India, in which