Persia

a celebrated kingdom of Asia, which in its ancient state extended from the Hellespont to the Indus, above 2800 miles, and from Pontus to the shores of Arabia above 2000 miles. Asa province, according to Pto- lemy, it was bounded on the north by Media, west by Susiana, south by the Persian gulf, and east by Carman i a. The emprtre of Persia was first founded by Cyrus the Great, about 559 years before the Christian era, and under the succeeding monarchs it became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the earth, The destruc- tion of the Persian monarchy by the Macedo- nians was easily effected, and from that time Persia became tributary to the Greeks. After the death of Alexander, Seleucus Nicanor- made himself master of the Persian provinces, till the revolt of the Parthians introduced new evolutions. Persia was partly reconquered from the Greeks, and remained tributary to the Parthians for near 500 years. Artaxerxes, a common soldier, A. D. 220, became the founder of the second Persian monarchy, which proved so inimical to the Roman emperors. their national character, the Persians were warlike; they were early taught to ride, and to handle the bow, and by the manly exercises of hunting, they were inured to bear the toils and fatigues of a military life. Their national valour, however, soon degenerated, and their want of employment at home soon rendered them unfit for war. The celebrated action at Thermopyle, and Marathon, and the succeeding actions at Salamis, Platea and Mysale, shew ina strong light the superiority of the Grecian soldiers over the Persians. The Persians were anciently called Cephenes, Achxemenians, and Artei. They received the name of Persians from Perses the son of Perseus and Andromeda, who is supposed to have settled among them. Perse polis was the capital of the country. Persta (Modern), is bounded on the N. by Georgia, the Caspian sea, and Usbec T artary, W. by Turkey and Arabia, S. by the gulfs of Persia and Ormus and the Arabian sea, and E. by Hindu stan. It is 1290 miles from E. to . and 900 from N. toS, In the N. and EF. parts it is mountainous and cold; in the middle and S8.E. parts, sandy and desert; in the S. and W. level and extremely fertile, though for several months very hot. The chief rivers are the Tigris and Kur; but there are many others, and several in the interior which are lost in sandy deserts. The soil produces all sorts of _ pulse and corn, except oats and rye. In several places, naptha, a sort of bitumen, rises out of the ground; and there are mines of gold, silver, iron, turcois stones, and salt; but the first two of these are not worked, on account of the scarcity of wood. Among the products of Persia that are peculiarly excellent, are dates, pistachio-nuts, and poppies, that produce the finest opium. There are extensive plantations of mulberry-trees for silkworms; ahd large flocks of sheep and goats, The camels, horses, mules, a es, oxen, and buffaloes, are the best of their kind, and are indifferently used for carrying pa engers or burdens, the horses excepted, which are only used for the saddle. The principal manufactures are silks, as satins, ‘tabbies, taifetas, and silk mixed with cotton, or with camels or goats hair; brocades, gold U ues, and gold velvet, carpets, calicoes, camlets, . Daring almost the whole of this century, Persia has been desolated by competitors for the sovereignty. On the a a ination of the usurper, Nadir Shah, in 1747, _ Ahmed Abdalla, one of his generals, founded the kingdom of Candahar, to which he annexed the provinces of Korasan and Segestan, in the E. part of Persia, and those previnces of Hindu stan Proper, W. of the Indus, that had been ceded by the great mogul, in 1737, to _ Nadir Shah, “ Kerim Khan, another of Nadir’s Officers, obtained the sovereignty of all the eouthern provinces. He transferred the seat of govetnment from Ispahan to Schiras. He re- fused the title of Shah, or king, being satisfied with that of Protector of Persia. He was be- loved by his subjects, and revered by foreign powers. On his death, in 1779, new compe-= titors for the throne sprung up, and have almost ever since continued, to spread slaughter and desolation over this unhappy country. The Persians are generally Mahometans, of the sect of Ali. Schiras is the capital. Persta (Gulf of), a gulf between Persia and Arabia Felix. The entrance near Ormus is not above 30 miles over; but within it is 180 in breadth, and the Jength from Ormus to the mouth of the Euphrates is 420 miles. 219