ACCOUNT OF PERSI A, FROM THE EARLIEST AGES TO THE PRESENT TIME: WITH A DETAILED VIEW OF ITS RESOURCES, GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF AFGHANISTAN AND BELOOCHISTAN. BY ailge JAMES B FRASER, ESQ., Author of "Travels in Khorasan," "A Tour through the Himâlâ,” ILLUSTRATED BY A MAP AND SEVERAL ENGRAVINGS. NEW-YORK : PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, PREFACE. In undertaking to describe so extensive and celebrated a region as the Persian empire, the author is by no means insensible to the difficulty of the task on which he enters. The subject is wide and intricate, while the sources of information are frequently imperfect or obscure; but it has been his study, by adopting a distinct arrangement, and by consulting the best authorities, to present his readers with a correct and complete picture of that interesting portion of Western Asia. His personal acquaintance with many parts of the country has afforded him material assistance in describing its aspect, productions, and inhabitants; and he has availed himself of the observations of the greater number of modern travellers, both to correct his own opinions, and to supply additional facts. The advantage of this actual knowledge has been especially important in constructing the map; and, it is proper to remark, a very considerable difference will be found between the positions of many of the principal places, as given in that now sub 200802 mitted to the public, compared with all other geographical delineations of Persia. These corrections have been made in accordance with a series of astronomical observations taken by the author, the details of which may be found in his "Travels in Khorasan," and "On the Banks of the Caspian Sea;" and every precaution has been adopted to lay down the whole of the countries described in this work with the greatest possible accuracy. The route which the author pursued is distinctly marked, and may be satisfactory to some readers, as showing the districts to which such of his descriptions as are founded on personal survey more particularly apply. The fountains from which the ancient history of Persia is derived are generally well known; but, in drawing from them on this occasion, the most earnest endeavours have been made to elucidate the subject, by examining into the opinions of every distinguished writer down to the present time. The greater part of the narrative, subsequently to the Mohammedan invasion, is taken from the pages of Sir John Malcolm, whose volumes are now everywhere regarded as a standard authority in this department. In his account of the religion of Zoroaster, the author has trusted principally to three sources: First, To the works of Anquetil du Perron, whose persevering zeal has accomplished a translation of those curious relics of Magian lore entitled the Zendavesta, and explored every source of ancient and modern literature calculated to throw light upon the |