J 
 
 I 
 
 
 TlicKi i\s.iri'i;Kst P()[ 
 
 
 -"'7-
 
 EPITOME 
 
 OF 
 
 THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF 
 
 PERSIA. 
 
 EXTRACTED AND TRANSLATED FROM THE 
 JEHAN ARA, A PERSIAN MANUSCRIPT, 
 
 . By W. OUSELEY, Efq. 
 
 " n TH Kv^oy Ba(r^^£^a." HENO*, 
 
 lonBon : 
 
 PRINTED BY COOPER AND WILSON, 
 FOR MESSRS. CADELL AND DAVIES, STRAND. 
 
 1799.
 
 TO 
 
 SIR ROBERT CHAMBERS, 
 KNIGHT, 
 
 LATE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE 
 
 SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE 
 
 IN BENGAL, 
 
 AND PRESIDENT OF THE 
 ASIATICK SOCIETY, 
 
 THIS WORK 
 IS INSCRIBED 
 
 BY 
 
 HIS FAITHFUL FRIEND 
 
 AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, 
 
 WILLIAM OUSELEY.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 This little Work prefents itfelf to 
 the Publick without any affedlation. 
 of intrinfick importance, and merely as 
 the herald of another; yet the Orien- 
 talift and Antiquary may be pleafed to 
 fee, for the firft time, an Epitome of 
 Perfian Annals, in the original lan- 
 guage of a native hiftorian. 
 
 The want of fuch a Work induced 
 me to fcek, among my Manufcript 
 Chronicles, the mod concife and com- 
 a
 
 " PREFACE. 
 
 prehenfive account of the ancient Ira^ 
 nian* Sovereigns ; and the following 
 pages are the refult of my inquiry. 
 To the Perfian text and the Englilh 
 tranflation, I thought it neceflary to 
 fubjoin fome collateral illuftrations 
 from other manufcripts. This talk, 
 during the performance of it, became 
 a regular examination of each King's 
 reign : And although I fludied to keep 
 my Work within the compafs of a 
 lingle and a fmall volume, and refol ved 
 to derive my illuftrations entirely from 
 fources unexplored hitherto by Euro- 
 
 * The Perfian Empire, in general, is properly 
 called (jji'^.' Iran. The word Perjia is derived 
 from ParSi the name of a province, the moft re- 
 markable as being the ufual refideiice of the Kings. 
 This name, in modern compofitions, is moft fre- 
 quently written Fars, after the Arabian manner.
 
 PREFACE. ifi 
 
 pean writers ; yet, by an imperceptible 
 accumulation of extradts, the fuper- 
 ftrudure became too vaft for fo flight 
 a foundation as the original text. 
 
 I could not, however, prevail on 
 myfelf to throw away what had been 
 acquired by laborious perfeverance, or 
 to reduce that which feemed neceflary 
 to the illuftration of obfcure paflages, 
 I had collecfled a mafs of extracts, 
 which not only were, in a peculiar 
 degree, ufeful and curious, on the 
 Antiquities, Philology, and Geography 
 of Perfia, but threw fuch light on many 
 important and interefting points of 
 Sacred and of Profane Hifl:ory, as I 
 had never expeded to find in any pofl- 
 Mohammcdan authors. 
 
 To whatever degree the Reader's 
 a 2
 
 iv PREFACE. 
 
 curiofity may be excited by this decla- 
 ration, I make it with the confidence 
 of one "who conceives, that eight or 
 nine years fpent in clofe application 
 to the ftudy of Eaftern Languages and 
 Literature, have enabled him to appre- 
 ciate juftly, after repeated perufals, 
 the value of his own manufcripts ; and 
 I entertain not any apprehenfions that 
 the future publication of thofe extracfts 
 will difappoint the Reader's exped:- 
 ation. 
 
 As the original text of the Jehan 
 Ara (which is here given with little 
 more than the Englifh tranflation) was 
 found inadequate to the mafs of notes 
 and illuftrations, I extended my plan, 
 and chofe, as a fuitable ground-work^
 
 PREFACE. V 
 
 that Sedion of the Lsb-al-towarikh* 
 which contains the ancient annals of 
 Iran. This work I feleded from a 
 multiplicity of other Tarikhs, both 
 greater and fmaller j becaufe it com- 
 prifes within a moderate compafs, 
 more ufeful and important hiftorick 
 information, lefs intermixed with fable 
 and romance, than any other. The 
 frequent mention in M. D'Herbelot's 
 Bibliotheqiie Orient ale oit\\t Leb-tarikh, 
 is a fufficient teftimony of its excel- 
 lence; and it is without doubt the fame 
 book which Pietro della Valle once in- 
 tended to tranflate.f 
 
 + '< Di tradur da Perfiano in Tofcano un libro 
 *' che chiamano M'ldolla delle H'ljiorie^ & e un breve 
 " compendio dclla hiftoria di tutti i Re della Perfia 
 " daAdaminfin'aSciahTahmafp." Leit,ii. 1621*
 
 VI PREFACE. 
 
 Having given, from this Work, the 
 original text of the Perlian Annals, 
 •with a tranflation, I fliall proceed to 
 illuftrate the reign of each King in 
 regular fucceflion, by examining the 
 traditions recorded in various rare, 
 ancient and authencick manufcripts — 
 flightly noticing fuch as have been al- 
 ready printed or tranflated, and de- 
 riving my materials, as I before faid, 
 from fources hitherto unexplored by 
 Europeans. It were, indeed, unpar- 
 donable in me to repeat a twice-told 
 tale, or incroach upon the labours of 
 another ; fince few libraries, either 
 publick or private, afford a more 
 ample flock of original matter than 
 my own Manufcript Collecftion ; ac- 
 quired through the kindnefs of friends 
 refiding in the Eaft — indefatigable
 
 PREFACE. vU 
 
 pcrfevcrance in tranfcribing, and dili- 
 gence in inquiry — and, I muftacknow- 
 ledge, a degree of expenfe, far beyond 
 that which found prudence would have 
 prefcribed to one whofe purfe but 
 feldom overflowed. 
 
 Of the Hiflorical Works, or Manu- 
 fcript Tarikbs, from which I have 
 principally derived my materials, I 
 Ihall here fubjoin the titles— naturally 
 beginning with mention of Tabari's 
 ** Great Chronicle*/' the mo ft ancient 
 
 j^^ ^^J by ^j-s* (^ iS*^"^ ^**^ ^^ 
 
 Abu Jaffer Mohammed ebn Jar'ir^ furnamed 
 ^j-*^' Altabari, from Taber'ijlan in Perfia — 
 where he was born, Anno Hegirae2 2 4, (A.D. 838.) 
 His Work is frequently quoted in Perfian manu- 
 fcripts by the title of Tankh Jaferiy or Tarikh 
 *bn Jam,
 
 ^'lit PREFACE. 
 
 and mofl excellent of all. It is comprU 
 fed in two large volumes, containing 
 a general hiftory of the Afiatick World 
 from the Creation, the Perlian and 
 Arabian annals, with the Jewilh re- 
 cords, interfperfed with many curious 
 traditions which muft have defcended 
 to the venerable Hiftorian through 
 fome other channel than that of the 
 Koran. Tabari, though a native of 
 Perfia, compofed this admirable Work 
 in the Arabick language. Fortunately, 
 however, it underwent a Perfian tranf- 
 lation within a few years after the 
 author's death — for the original Ara- 
 bick is no longer to be found.* 
 
 * Some fcattered fragments of it ftill exift — 
 See Ockley's Hiftory of the Saracens ; D'Herbelot; 
 and my catalogue of the Oriental Manufcripts in 
 the Britifh Mufeum, Oriental Colledions, Vol. II. 
 E- 185.
 
 PREFACE. ix 
 
 But the Antiquary may confolehim- 
 felf for this lofs, as the Perfian tranf- 
 lator has added to the text of Tabari 
 much curious and important matter. 
 From the original work, Elmakiij, an 
 Arabian writer, has principally com- 
 piled his Annals of the Saracens, be- 
 ginning with that epoch at which my 
 refearches end, the age of Mohammed. 
 I have ufed three copies of Tabari, all 
 linemanufcripts; following, in general, 
 one brought from India, and given to 
 me by that moft ingenious Orientalift, 
 Jonathan Scott, Efq. This copy (in 
 two folio volumes) was tranfcribcd in 
 Perfia, A. Hegirae 850, (A. D. 1446.) 
 
 Having dwelt fo long on this 
 article, I fliall briefly mention the 
 other Tarikhs which I have confulted; 
 b
 
 X PREFACE, 
 
 not obferving in this place any chro- 
 nological order, as a more full and re- 
 gular defcription of them Ihall be pre- 
 fixed to my llluflrations, 
 
 Tarikb Moagem, j*^"*^ ij^J^ a very 
 elegant and flowery compofition, in- 
 terfperfed with poetry; containing 
 the Hiftory of Perfia till the time of 
 Nuftiirvan. 
 
 Tehkat Najferit (Sf^^ CjUaL 
 " This precious work," fays M. An- 
 quetil du Perron,* " is of the year of 
 ** the Hegira 655, of Chrift 1257;" 
 yet my copy, the only one I have as 
 yet feen, is dated 650, (^^^j^^v^ *'^^ 
 AjLj-Xwa * (of Chrift 1252.) It contains 
 
 * Mem, Acad. In/crip. Vol. 31, p. 379.
 
 PREFACE. xi 
 
 the Hiftory of Afia, Jews, ancient 
 Arabians and Perfians, Khalifs, Mo- 
 hammedan Kings of India, Perlia, 
 KhoralTan, &c. to the defcendants of 
 Gotgiz Khan. 
 
 TarikhGozidehy ocXjiX^Nj^lJ a moft 
 excellent compilation of Afiatick Hif- 
 tory, by Hamdallah Mujloiifi^ author of 
 the Nozhat al Coloub, It concludes 
 with an account of Cazvin, his native 
 city. 
 
 Rozet al Sefa, LvusJ 1 ^^j^ a general 
 Hiftory of the Eaftern World ; in 
 feven (fometimes in nine, or twelve) 
 volumes, by Mirkhond, who lived in 
 the fifteenth century. A geographical 
 index is fubjoined to the laft volume. 
 b2
 
 xli PREFACE. 
 
 Khelaffut al Akhbar,j^^)^\ AaOsX::^ 
 an abridgment of the Rozet al Sefa, 
 by Khojidemirt the fon of Mirkhond 
 above mentioned. My copy of this 
 abridgment confifts of above 1200 
 pages, quarto. 
 
 Habib-al-Seir, j6*^' 4"*-^^^ a ge- 
 neral Hiftory of Alia, by the fame 
 Khondemir : a moft valuable compo- 
 fition, in feveral volumes : the copy 
 which I have ufed, confifts of four 
 volumes of unequal fize. 
 
 Zeifi-al-akhbar, _jL^:^V 1 (^j sl very 
 curious and extraordinary work; con- 
 taining the ancient Hiftory of Perfia, 
 Jewifti, Chriftian, Magian and Hindoo 
 religious fafts and ceremonies, annals 
 of the Mohammedan Kings and Kha-
 
 PREFACE. xiii 
 
 lifs, geographical anecdotes, and chro- 
 nological tables, &c. 
 
 Tarikh Kapchak Khani, ^^JJU 
 (^_^*t=^ ^^ — ''-^^VH' fo called after the 
 author, Kapchak Khan Kuli Beigy of 
 Balkh ; who has mod ingenioufly writ- 
 ten the Hiftory of Afia from the cre- 
 ation of Adam, of the Deluge, Mofes, 
 Chrift; the Greeks and Romans, from 
 the time of Alexander; Arabians, 
 Copts, Chaldeans, &c. &c. ; the Kha- 
 lifs, Mohammedan Kings of Perfia, 
 Hindooftan, Tartary, &c. down to 
 the year 1 137 of the Hegira (ofChrill 
 1724.) The latter part of this work 
 affords many curious hiftorical anec- 
 dotes concerning Balkh, Bokhara, the 
 countries bordering on the river Jihoon 
 (or Oxus), &c.
 
 xir PREFACE. 
 
 A very excellent Tarikh, the title or 
 author of which I am not yet able to 
 afcertainj it begins (after the ufual 
 lifmillahi) with the words _jl cXxj 
 /-J I cX^rs*. and contains an account 
 of the Creation, the Prophets and 
 Patriarchs, ancient Kings of Perfia, 
 the Khalifs, &c. to the year 95 1 of the 
 Hegira, (of Chrift 1544.) This ma- 
 nufcript bears the imprefTion of M, Le 
 Gentil's Perfian feal. 
 
 Another very curious and valuable 
 ITarikby or Hiflory of the Patriarchs, 
 Prophets, ancient Perfians and Ara- 
 bians, Mohammedan Princes of Perfia, 
 Arabia, Hindooftan, &;c. to the year 
 773 of the Hegira, (A. D. 1371.) Of 
 this work I cannot difcover the title ;
 
 PREFACE. XT 
 
 it is a large folio volume, and begins 
 abruptly(J bu'OLia.ixXjIcXj cXxj 1^1 
 
 Tarikh Suhah Saduk, ^^a^ ^J^ 
 V— Jc^Lo a general Hiftory of the Afi- 
 atick World, ancient and modern, by 
 Mohammed Saduk^ of Isfahan ; in four 
 large volumes, folio : a very rare and 
 valuable work. 
 
 A folio volume, imperfedl both at 
 the beginning and ending. It con- 
 tains a variety of mod: curious hiflo- 
 rical anecdotes, fome of which fliall 
 be tranflated in another work. 
 
 Tarikh Aljiy (^-^^ 'f^.J^ or The 
 Chronicle of a Thou/and Tears ^ (i. e. 
 after Mohammed;) a very excellent 
 compilation of Afiatick hiftory, in
 
 XVI PREFACE. 
 
 three large folio volumes. The begin- 
 ing of the firft volume affords fomc 
 anecdotes of Tezdegerd, and the in- 
 vafion of Perfia by the Mufulmans. 
 
 The Nizam a I T'ozvarikb^ JjAj 
 I^ojIa^jI a very curious epitome of 
 Perfian hiflory, by Ahti Saied Abdallab 
 ben Almouelli. 
 
 Tarikh Nizam al Molk, j»U1> '^j^ 
 L_X-L^ 1 or Seiafet wa Seir al Molouk, 
 0«-Ly.Jl vV*" J CkKwl^wj a celebrated 
 work, compofed about the year of the 
 Hegira 485, (A. D. 1092.) 
 
 Merat al Allium^ jJtxJI CjI-^ or 
 'Tar ikhBakht aver Khaniyjj^-^^:^ ^J ju 
 /^jl=k. a general hiftory of the ancient 
 and modern Sovereigns of Alia, by
 
 PREFACE. xvii 
 
 Bakhtaver KhaJi; in two large quarto 
 volumes. 
 
 The Dahiftan, ^^U>j^l<3 of which 
 part has been tranflated in the Nezv 
 Afiatick Mijcellany of Calcutta. 
 
 But few of thefe hiftorical compo- 
 fitions in profe, afford more ufeful or 
 curious information to the Perfian 
 Antiquary, than the great Heroick 
 Poem of Ferdoufiy /^ «<3,i intitled 
 A^U oLii Shah Nameh^ or Book of Kings y 
 compofed in the tenth and eleventh 
 centuries of the Chriflian y^ra,* from 
 fome original annals in the Pehlavi 
 language, which efcaped the general 
 deftrudlion of Perfian books when the 
 
 * Ferdoufi died, A. Hegirx 41 1, (A. D, 1020.) 
 C
 
 xviii PREFACE. 
 
 Mufulmans invaded and conquered 
 Iran. This celebrated work contains, 
 in more than fixty thoufand diftichs, 
 the ancient records of Perfia, from 
 Caiumuras to Tezdegerd, interfperfed 
 with aftonifhing fidlionand delightful 
 romance. But from the traces of real 
 hiftory, which frequently appear, I 
 am induced to fufpedl that the Chro- 
 nicle of 1'ahari was not unknown to 
 our Perfian Poet: this fufpicion I may 
 be allowed to entertain, without dero- 
 gating from the authority of thofe 
 Fehlavi annals above mentioned ; lince 
 I am well perfuaded, that even at this 
 day, many valuable manufcripts, in 
 the ancient language of han^ Hill exift 
 in that country, and may yet reward 
 the labours of fome inquifitive and 
 ingenious traveller.
 
 PREFACE. xix 
 
 From three fine copies of this ad- 
 mirable work,* I have derived much 
 curious information. I have occafion- 
 ally ufed, alfo, the two Perfian abridg- 
 ments of this work ; the firft of which 
 M. Anquetil du Perron ftyles " Tava^ 
 " rikh du Schah Namaht"\ an epitome, 
 by Tavakhol Hoffeini j this is, however, 
 the work ufually denominated Mun- 
 
 * One of thefe is peculiarly beautiful ; a very 
 large folio, written in Perfia, and decorated with a 
 variety of moftfplendid and extraordinary paintings: 
 what it originally coft in Iran, I cannot afcertain ; 
 but it appears from a note, that one thoufand rupees, 
 (about lool.) were paid for it in Bengal. 
 
 + " Tavarikh du Schah Namah, abrege rare et 
 
 ♦' precieux," &c. Zendavefta, Tom. I. Appendix 
 
 Dxxxvi. The learned Wahl, in his " Altes und 
 
 Neues Vorder and M'lttel AJien," &c. (p. 203, 204) 
 
 has confounded this with the Shah Nameh Ne/r^ 
 
 hereafter mentioned. 
 
 C 2
 
 XX PREFACE. 
 
 tekhyb Shah Nameh, A/«lJ oLij u-csvJCL« 
 or Muntekhyb Shemjhir-Khaniy jfJi^.^ 
 (^^ compofed by Tavakol Beig, and 
 dedicated to Sbemjhir Khan; it con- 
 tains, in almoft every page, fome verfes 
 of the original Shah Nameh. The other 
 abridgment is that quoted by the 
 learned Hyde, in his Relig. Veter. Per- 
 farum, as " rarijjimus liher,^' intitled 
 Shah Nameh Ncfr^ j^ <J^'-> ol>i. This 
 work was compofed for the ufe of 
 Dr. Hyde, by defire of the Englifli 
 Agent at Surat. The Parfi, whom he 
 employed, mentions this circumftance 
 in the preface, and in fome wretched 
 verfes which he has fubjoined at the 
 end: the abridgment, however, is very 
 ingenioufly executed, in the moft pure 
 and eafy profe. Of this work, which 
 is preferved in the Britifli Mufeum,
 
 PREFACE. xxi 
 
 there did not exill a fecond copy until 
 I obtained permiflion to tranfcribe it.* 
 
 Of Nizami's five poems, f three af- 
 ford fome curious matter: the Sekander 
 Nameh, A^U ^OJS^^ or Hiftory of 
 Alexander — the y=^{, oJJi Heft 
 Peigur or Seven Forms, containing the 
 romance of Babaram Gour — and Khojrii 
 
 * Some extrafls from the Shah Namah Ne/r 
 have been publilhed in the Oriental Colleftions — 
 As I have nearly tranflated the v^'hole work, it will 
 probably be foon offered to the lovers of Perfian 
 Antiquity and Romance. 
 
 + A fixth poem is fometimes added to the 
 ^*J ^AJ or Fi've 1 reafures of Nizamiy as his 
 works are emphatically ft)'led. Of thefe, I (hall 
 hereafter give a full account ; following the moft 
 ancient of three fine copies in my own Colledion, 
 tranfcribed A. Heg. 767, (A. D. 1365.)
 
 xxu PREFACE. 
 
 Shireett, i^Jyf^ Jf**^ °^ ^^^ ^^^7 °^ 
 Khofru Parviz and his celebrated mif- 
 trefs Shi reen-- the Aineh Sekandery, 
 (^jOJSmj AxjI or Mirror of Alex- 
 ander, by Emir Khofru — and the O ji^ 
 (CicXaXwj A-<U Kherd Nameh Sekan- 
 dery, Alexander's Book of IVifdom, by 
 the celebrated Jajui, furnifli fome paf- 
 fages on the Macedonian Conqueror's 
 hiftory. 
 
 From the Beharijian, and other 
 works of the voluminous Jami* I have 
 
 * Befides copies of this author's works in 
 diftinft volumes, I am fo fortunate as to pofTefs 
 the whole, confifting of forty different compolitions 
 in profe and verfe, Arabick and Perfian, all 
 uniformly written, and bound in one large volume ; 
 tranfcribed with fuch exquifite accuracy and ele-
 
 PREFACE, xxiu 
 
 €xtra6ted many curious illuflrations ; 
 fome alfo I have found fcattered 
 through the various works of Ferid- 
 eddin Attar, fuch as his UL>! JsJl ^[^ 
 Jouahir Alzat — (J'^==> Jf*^ Kbofru 
 Qui — ^.^.^A-xJI (^LkJ Lefan al Ghaib^' 
 -aIoJI ^ — ^iax^e Mantuk al Tair^ and 
 the others. 
 
 Befides the work of Emir Khojru 
 above mentioned, his r\r^ ^ N^h 
 Speher—^^^'^^^, C>ui^ Hejht Behijht — 
 ^-f**^ {^.r^ Shireen Kbofru y &c* 
 afford hiftorical matter; alfo the Bof- 
 tan, Guliftan, Rifalehs, and other com- 
 pofitions of 5"^^/— the *:=!». vi^». Jatim" 
 
 gance, and illuminated in fuch a fplendid manner, 
 that one of its late pofleflbrs paid for it, in the Eaft, 
 A fum nearly equivalent to 1 40 guineas.
 
 XXIV PREFACE. 
 
 i-Jemy or Cup of Jemjheidy by Auhedi — 
 the Hadiket of Sena iy C^U>jj AJUcX:^— 
 the (^4AA/^ Mejnavi of Gelaledin 
 Roumi; and many other poetical works 
 which the limits of this Preface will 
 not allow me to enumerate. 
 
 The geographical treatifes, from 
 which I have chiefly derived my illuf- 
 trations, are, that admirable work, the 
 Nozhai al Colouh, ^j^j^^ CX^* by 
 Hamdallah Mujioufiy whom M. D'Her- 
 belot ftyles *' Le Geograpbe Per/an.'*' 
 UJly^ J UJUw^ The Mefalek u 
 Memalek*^the ^jltXLJI ^-rV.'^^^ 
 
 * Of this moft valuable work I have given a 
 Ihort defcription in the Appendix : my tranflation 
 of it will, I hope, be ready for publication in four 
 or five months.
 
 PREFACE, XXV 
 
 yijaieb al huldan — the <3^u j ^y^Shiraz, 
 Nameh ; a moft curious and rare manu- 
 fcript, quoted by Kasmpfer in his 
 Amxnit. £a-o/.*— the *xXj>l C:^A^ Heft 
 Aklim — the ^^f-^ i OLolsu' Tahkikh 
 al Irab, a geographical didlionary, by 
 Mohajmned Saduk Isfahani — the Ajaieh 
 al Makhloucat Cjljjy^AyJ I c-^lsvc — 
 the [.^yt^^r^^ AAsu' 'Tohfut al Irakeiriy 
 by the celebrated Khacani-^ihc^ Ajaieb 
 al Gheraieb, ^^J-xJl L-^lsvi—the 
 geographical index at the end oi Mirk- 
 bond's Rozet al Sefa, and many others. 
 
 In Philological explanations I have 
 ufed a variety of manufcripts ; to enu- 
 merate which, would extend thisWork 
 
 (* P. 301 ) I havercafon to believe that this copy 
 is the fame which Kaempfer brought from Perfia. 
 
 d
 
 xxrl PREFACE. 
 
 beyond the limits prefcribed: the 
 principal of thefe, however, are the 
 dictionaries or Ferhungs^ intitled Je- 
 hangeeri, (^^i\^^-^\3 ^^jJ 
 Borhan Katea—^^^^ I ^^iiS Kajhf 
 al Loghat — ^Jjf** Sururi — Cj^'-^tV*!^ 
 RePidi—^^^\ ^^.IJJ Lutaycf al 
 Loghat — j^UsO \j^Bahr-al-youahir, 
 &c. Many curious Philological Re- 
 marks I have likewife found in mif- 
 cellaneous works, fuch as the Behari 
 Sekhun, {^^^j:ssm _j^, — Sherah Sekander 
 Namahy <VoU^cXaXwj _ Jii — the iV<f- 
 
 faias al AkhbaVy ^^^ ^ ' (J^:!^ — 
 /-jliljrsi. ^f*^ Sherah Khakani — the 
 CSj)^ 1 JJj^^ Zekhirct al Molouk — 
 the (Sy^^ <w>'vXckl Ahklak Najeri—- 
 the Jj^ ^^J J'f'^akaat Matoul — 
 the (^LXwjjlXj Negarijlan of Jou'ini — 
 a moft excellent work of the fame
 
 PREFACE. xxvil 
 
 title, by Al Ghuffari (author of the 
 Jehan Ara) ; and a third Negarijlan, 
 by AH hen Taifour Buflami, I muft 
 alfo acknowledge my frequent obli- 
 gations to the Lyric k and Soufi. Poets, 
 for afliftance in my Hiftorical and 
 Antiquarian Refearches. The allulions 
 of Anvari, Hafizy Saieb, Naz/ri, Oorfi, 
 Helali, Firokhi^ Shems 'Tahriziy Kemal 
 addein Isfahaniy and a multiplicity of 
 others, to anecdotes of ancient Hiflory 
 and Mythology, have fometimes ferved 
 to illuftrate the mod obfcure pafTages 
 of the profe writers ; even the dull 
 and voluminous commentaries on the 
 Koran, and unwieldy folios of Mo- 
 hammedan Law, have not been with- 
 out their ufe; and fomething has been 
 extradted from the numerous works of 
 fidion and romance, which often ex-
 
 xxviii PREFACE. 
 
 hibit very pleafing reprefentations of 
 Aliatick manners ; I allude to fuch as 
 the (_5^^*^ ^[y^ Anvar Soheily — 
 the ^c<U »«l::k Khawer Nameh — the 
 o i^j^ jK^\ Aa2Jj Kijfeh Emir Hamzeh — 
 /ji^«j<3^L^ Chehar Dervei/h^ the 
 Four Dervijhes — the «X^LJ ^Ua^ 
 Bakhtyar Nameh — the (J^=^ , O^^*^**^ 
 BoJian-i-Kheyal— the ^.J J^ Negar 
 Ziba, &€. 
 
 Many topographical notes, and in- 
 cidental references to the ancient 
 Hiftory of Perfia, are fcattered through 
 fome of thofe Tarikhs which contain 
 the Annals of modern Mohammedan 
 Princes ; among thefe are the Aulum 
 Aral, iS^j^ /• ^^ an Hiftory of the 
 Abbaffides, in three large volumes — 
 the (^j^3 jrA^lc ^.J^ Tarikb
 
 PREFACE. XXIX 
 
 Auftm O//— the A^tl y^\ Akber 
 Nameb—ihc A^^ JJ^ tmoiir Nameh 
 
 the (^ J ^x^^^^^--^^^ T! eh cat Timouriy 
 
 &c. alfo in Biographical works and 
 colledions of Anecdotes, the various 
 *l.^x>iJI 5-) vAj ^uzkerreh al Shoara, 
 or Lives of the Poets — the Tarikh ehn 
 Khalkan, (^l^=)cL ^1 ^^tj*— the 
 ^Ia-C«-J ;^j)\j Tarikh Barmekian — 
 the (^j^^V^^Y^' Q^Lsvo Mujalis al 
 Momcniuy &:c. 
 
 There is another clafs of Manu- 
 fcripts which I have attentively per- 
 ufed, yet fparingly quoted ; becaufe, 
 though numerous, they afford but 
 little, and even that little is of quef- 
 tionable authority : I mean thofe 
 feeble compofitions in modern Per- 
 fick, faid to be tranflations from the
 
 XXX PREFACE. 
 
 ancient Zeifd and Pehlavi\ which Eu- 
 ropean travellers procure from the 
 Par/is of Surat, and of which the 
 learned Dr. Hyde and M. Anquetil 
 du Perron have given us fufficient 
 fpecimens. 
 
 Had I not hopes of difcovering 
 fome works of infinitely greater value 
 than the Sadder, Erdavirqf Nameb, or 
 the Zend-a-vejla, (as we have it in 
 French) of Zoroj/<?r himfelf, 1 fhould 
 confider any further attention to the 
 ancient dialects of Perfia, as a mifap- 
 plicationof ftudy, and awafleof time: 
 thefe, however, have contributed, with 
 the various manufcripts before men- 
 tioned, materials for my future work, 
 of which the title will be nearly as 
 follows : " Illujlrations of Perfian Hif-^
 
 PREFACE. xxxi 
 
 ** tory and Antiquities'— or an attempt 
 " to reconcile the Ancient Hijlory and 
 *' Chronology of Terfia (according to the 
 " dates and traditions ^ preferved in 
 " manufcripts of that country) zvith the 
 " HebrezVt Greek, and Latin Records.** 
 
 This work will comprife, 
 
 I. An introducftory elTay on the 
 ftudy of Perfian hiflory, antiquities, 
 and romance. 
 
 II. A defcriptive catalogue of the 
 manufcripts which have furniflied 
 materials for the work. 
 
 III. That fedlion of the Leb al 
 Towarikh which contains the ancient 
 Hiftory of Perfia, from Caiumnras to
 
 xxxii PREFACE. 
 
 Tezdejerd i given in the original Per- 
 fian, with an Englidi tranflation on 
 the oppofite pages. 
 
 IV. The Illuftrations, &c. ; in which 
 are colle(5ted from all the manufcripts 
 before enumerated, the various tra- 
 ditions and anecdotes of each king's 
 reign; collated with thofe preferved 
 in the Old Teltament, and in the 
 works of Greek and Latin writers ; 
 chronological, geographical, and phi- 
 lological obfervations, &c. 
 
 V. An Appendix, confifting of fe- 
 veral mifcellaneous articles, chrono- 
 logical tables, extracts from rare and 
 ancient manufcripts, remarks on the 
 antiquities of Perfepolis, examination 
 of Zend 2indi Pehlavi manufcripts, fu-
 
 PREFACE. rxxiii 
 
 neral rites, fire worfhip, Manichean 
 and Mazdakian herefics, archery and 
 horfemanihip of the Perfians, mulick, 
 painting, fculpture, veftiges of He- 
 brew and Greek in the Perfian lan- 
 guage, &c. 
 
 Such are the outlines of my future 
 Work, which, if I can judge by the 
 materials already coUedled, will form 
 two large quarto volumes, each con- 
 taining at leafl: 400 pages, befides 
 maps and views, plates of infcriptions, 
 medals and gems, engraved alphabets 
 of ancient charaders, and fpecimens 
 of wnt'mgjfacj/miles from miniatures 
 in manufcripts, &c. 
 
 I fliall not here enumerate the 
 Greek and Latin works which I have 
 
 c
 
 xxxiv PREFACE. 
 
 examined and collated; but I muH: 
 acknowledge my frequent obligations 
 to the Authors 'of Hebrew Scripture, 
 — obligations, indeed, more frequent 
 than thofe can pofTibly imagine who 
 have only fkimmed the furface of 
 Oriental Literature, or plucked its 
 flowers without gathering the fruits : 
 I was myfelf furprifed to find the mod 
 ancient and authentick of the Perfian 
 hiftorians, prove, unconfcioufly, no 
 defpicable commentators on the Bible, 
 
 Of thefe hiftorians, many allude to, 
 and defcribe as ftill vifible in their 
 days, various Itupendous and inte- 
 refting monuments of antiquity, un- 
 noticed by Europeans. To afcertain 
 whether they exift at prefent, and to 
 fatisfy fome doubts on the fubjed of
 
 PREFACE. XXXV 
 
 thofe already defcribed by travellers, 
 I haverefolved to vifit Perfia (if Pro- 
 vidence continue to blefs me with life 
 and health ) whenever fome neceffary do- 
 meflick arrangements, and the Works 
 on which I am now employed, fhall 
 have been completed. 
 
 London, Auguft, 1799. 
 
 The Tarikh J eh an Ara, SjS q_^I^J5» which has 
 fumifhed materials for the following Work, is an 
 oftavo manufcript, purchafed at Shiraz in the year 
 1787, by my ingenious friend, Captain William 
 Francklin, author of the Tour to Perfia, in which 
 he has quoted it on the fubjeft of Perfepolis. During 
 his refidence in Bengal, it accidentally fell from a 
 boat into the Ganges, and a few words have been 
 rendered illegible by the wet ; where fuch occur 
 ill the following extraft, they are expreffed by af-
 
 ( xxxvi ) 
 
 teriflcs. On his return to England in 1797, Cap- 
 tain Francklin obligingly gave me this, with many- 
 other valuable manufcripts. The author is Cazt 
 Ahmed al Ghuffar'i^ t^UsJl i>..t^\ ^^^» of Caz- 
 vin ; who, according to the Tankb Bedaooni, died 
 on his return from the pilgrimage to Mecca, when 
 fetting out from Da'ibul, Anno Hegirse 975* 
 (A. D. 1567.) 
 
 He was alfo author of the Negar'tjian ; a moft 
 excellent compilation of hiftorical anecdotes, of 
 which I am fo fortunate as to pofiefs a fine copy, 
 written by his own hand, and replete with his 
 marginal notes ; it is a large oftavo manufcript, 
 and was brought to Europe by Jonathan Scott, Efq. 
 
 From the Jehan Ara, which contains a genera] 
 Hiftory of Afia, Patriarchs, Prophets, Jews, Ara- 
 bians, Perfians, Kings of Tartary, Hindooftan, Sec. 
 from the earlieft times till the year of the Kegira 
 972, (ofChrifi: 1564), I fhallhave occafion to give 
 various extrafts in a future Work.
 
 u 
 
 ^
 
 y ■♦ 
 
 \jT oV^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^ Jl 
 
 THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE 
 
 SECOND SECTION OF THE 
 
 TARIKH JEHAN ARA, 
 
 CONTAINING THE HISTORY OF THE PERSIAN 
 KINGS BEFORE MOHAMMEDANISM6
 
 ( 4 ) 
 
 jJLm (<»*'j' ^^^*^Jaij*i **_rLk. i^\j 
 
 /^^AJ cXJ*Lnj /^/wdxj * v-j-AAS:"* 
 
 * The compound Ghtljhahy according to the 
 Perfian idiom, may alfo fignify *Uhe Kingform- 
 (d of Clay" The Magians affirm that Caiu- 
 muras was the firft man ; and fome have fup- 
 pofed him to be the King of Elam, mentioned 
 \n Genefis xiv. Thus, Adanif DIJ* from red
 
 ( 5 ) 
 fies the ** Lord, or King of Clay.'''* 
 He reigned thirty years. The cities 
 of Iftakhar inFars, Damavand, and 
 Balkh, were founded by him. 
 
 2. Houjheng — the fon of Siamek, 
 the fon of Caiumuras. He was fur- 
 named Peifiddd -, and is faid to have 
 built the cities of Sus and Shufter in 
 Khuziftan. His reign was of forty 
 years.' 
 
 3. Tahmuras — the fon of Houf- 
 heng. His furname was Nejeib^ and, 
 according to fome, Refavcnd, which 
 
 dayXycn'A (Pagnin. Robertf. Clavis Pentat. &c.) 
 Perhaps a rcfcmblancc may be found between 
 Caiumuras and "ID^'^IID Chedorlaomer'
 
 ( 6 ) 
 ti^fci^Lxiijl j\ j^T J}\ (Job • 
 
 * Of this city, fuppofed to be the ancient 
 PerfepoUs, it does not appear that any veftiges 
 now remain, except the ruins of Chehil m'lnary 
 
 _jU^ J^ or the " Forty Pillars /" which the 
 modern Perfians generally call Takht-i-Jem- 
 
 fi>etd, <X«^-^;^ Cv^"* " the throne of 'Jemjheid.'' 
 Seethe frontifpiece»
 
 ( 7 ) 
 
 fignifies ** Armed at all points ;" but 
 he is generally known by the title of 
 Dive-bend, The cities of Amol in 
 Mazanderan, Isfahan, and Babylon, 
 are monuments of his greatnefs. He 
 reigned thirty years. 
 
 4. ye?n — the fon of Houfliengj 
 was furnamed Sheid, the meaning of 
 which is *' brightnefs^ oxfpleftdour.** 
 The years of his reign were feven 
 hundred. The vefliges which remain 
 of him, are the cities of Hamadan 
 and Toos ; alfo Iflakhar, the building 
 of which he completed. 
 
 5. Piurafp — the fon of Merdafp, 
 the fon of Rikavend, the fon of Barf-
 
 ( 8 ) 
 
 (^ -Jj (^ O-wgjU (jsJ cXJaLT} 
 
 t--A^Lo (^^A^J Lj(o(3 v^jjc^ c:^i^! 
 ^Ijl civ^! (J^jLj l_Co jI^U'TjI 
 
 * I beg to advife very critical readers (few 
 others, I believe, vi'ill take much intereft in 
 the matter} that the pedigrees of thofe early 
 Kings are differently recorded in various manu- 
 fcripts, and extremely obfcure in all-
 
 (9 ) 
 ereh, the fon of Nah, the fon of Fe- 
 raval, the fon of Siamek, the fon of 
 Caiumuras ; he was the fon of Jem- 
 fheid's fifter, and called Zobac, which 
 in the Arabick language is Dohac, 
 and fignifies ** Majler, or Lord'' Of 
 liis works, the Ke?iek or Tower of 
 Babel is one. The time of his do- 
 minion was a thoufand years. 
 
 6. Feridoun — the fon of Abteen, 
 the fon of Aican, the fon of Jem- 
 fheid j he was furnamed Mouldy and 
 fome ftyled him Cai^ which fignifies 
 " pure,'' free from blemifh, and ap- 
 proaching to fpiritual perfedlion. Fe- 
 ridoun was the firft who received fo 
 honourable a title. The ramparts and
 
 ( .0 ) 
 
 * Or NudaKyjH,^ according to the Tarikh 
 GozUehf and other manufcripts. 
 
 t In my copy of the Tebkat NaJJ'er't it is 
 written ^jijsb Dadjhem ; in fome Tarikhs, 
 alfo, Zadjhem.
 
 ( " ) 
 
 ditches of towns were devifed by 
 him. He reigned five hundred years. 
 
 y. Manucheher — the fonof Mcifh- 
 khoor, the fon of Deiruk, the fon of 
 Serdfuk, the fon of Irek, the fon of 
 Sek, the fon of Refek, the fon of 
 Ferkourak, the fon of Iretch, the fon 
 of Feridoun. His furname was jp/- 
 rouz i and his reign of one hundred 
 and twenty years. 
 
 8. Nuzer — the fon of Manuche- 
 her; was furnamed Azadeh. He 
 reigned feven years. 
 
 9. Afrafiab — (this name fignifies 
 the wings or fails of a mill) ; was the 
 fon of Pefhunk, the fon of Rad- 
 
 B 2
 
 ( I^ ) 
 
 * More corredly Do, ^i /w/o / alluding to 
 thofe ftreams or branches of the river Tigris 
 which the Arabians call Zabein, (jyti\j or the 
 Two Zabs.
 
 ( 13 ) 
 Ihem, the fon of Tour, the fon 
 of Feridoun. His reign over Perfia 
 lafted twelve years. 
 
 10. Zav — the fon of Tahmafp, 
 the fon of Manucheher. Of his 
 works, is that canal in the province 
 of Diarbekir known by the name of 
 Aub'i-Zab, or ** the waters of Zav. ^^ 
 He reigned five years. 
 
 1 1 . Gurjhasf^ — the fon of Zav. 
 After the death of his father, exer- 
 cifed for fix years the imperial func- 
 tions. With him the honours of the 
 Peifhdadian race became extindt. 
 
 * Or Gurjhafp. <^j^\J^yf The Arabians not 
 having in their alphabet the Perfian P, fub- 
 ftitute for that letter an F, or B ; and fome- 
 times a T,
 
 ( '4 ) 
 
 * y^Z^^w Pehlavan became a title of diftinc- 
 tion : it was equivalent (fays the Leb al touarikhj 
 to the modern title Emir al omrah, or Chief of 
 the Nobles.
 
 ( 15 ) 
 
 SECOND DYNASTY. 
 
 Of the ten Caianian Kings, whofe 
 Empire lajled feven hundred and 
 thirty -four Tears. 
 
 I . Cai Kobad — the fon of Zab, 
 the fon of Zav, the fon of Tahmafp ; 
 he was furnamed Cai (or Ky), which 
 iignifies ** mighty.^* In his time the 
 river Jihon (the Oxus) was the boun- 
 dary between Iran and Touran (Perfia 
 and Tartary) \ and Ruftam the fon 
 of Zal floLirifhed ; the moft illuf- 
 trious hero of the world. Isfahan 
 was the feat of his empire; and he 
 reigned one hundred years.
 
 ( >6 ) 
 
 t ivri/ijM/i alludes to an ancient tradition that 
 Nimrod and Kaus were the fame. 
 
 i{: Called alfo (• aj-'V*^ 3^* Tel-i-afferkourii 
 according to the Tarikh-moagem : it was a 
 lofty pile or heap eredled at Babel, for the pur- 
 pofe of aftronomical obfervations, by this Kaus, 
 or Nimrod.
 
 ( 17 ) 
 a. Cai'Kaus — the fon of Cai- 
 Kobad ; his furname was Nifiiurd, 
 which, in the Arabick language, is 
 lam yemait or immortal, corruptly 
 altered into Nimrod. Having, from 
 the excefs of foolifh pride, endea- 
 voured to afcend into the heavens, 
 borne aloft in an ark (or throne) on 
 the wings of eagles, -f* from this he 
 vainly * * * * One memorial 
 of him is Affar, in Mefopotamia. 
 His reign was of an hundred and 
 fifty years. 
 
 3. Cai'Khofru — the fon of Sia- 
 
 t In the manufcript, Kergus, a fabulous bird 
 of immenfc fize, refembling in many rcfpcds 
 the Phoenix. (See Oriental Collections, Vol. 
 
 C
 
 ( i8 ) 
 
 ocX^I (^lyU a^kkJj O^t^. <^'^^^ 
 /jUw CiAA-aNw q^uaXc (-i^cX-* 
 
 /g:S^ /v^uaaJ CXigl<3 I'j.,.^,^^^ ^^ 
 
 II. No. I. p. 96.) According to Ferdouji 
 in the Shah-Nameh, the birds which ^^wj em- 
 ployed, were ^\xc j young Eagles. The 
 whole fable originated, probably, in the fondnefs 
 of this King for aftronomical ftudies ; as he 
 declared that he would explore the fecrets of the 
 fpheres, *' and reckon one by one the ftars of 
 Heaven . ' ' Ferdoufi.
 
 ( «9 ) 
 
 vefh, the fon of Cai-Kaus ; he was 
 furnamed Humaiou?i ; and his mother 
 was Ferankis, the daughter of Afra- 
 fiab. Having at lafl, with the aflift- 
 ance of Piran Veifeh, penetrated 
 into Perfia, he flew Afrafiab, in re- 
 venge for the death of his father. 
 He governed during lixty years. 
 
 4. Lobrasf, * (or Lohrajp) — fon 
 of Arvend-fliah, fon of Cai-Nifheen, 
 the fon of Cai-Kobad : from his ori- . 
 ginal relidence in the city of Balkh, 
 he was furnamed Balkhi. Of his 
 inflitution, is the eftabhfliment of 
 
 * Our author In this name, and in Gujhtafp, 
 affcdls the Arabian mode of writing, by which 
 the Perfian P is changed into F. 
 
 C 2
 
 ( 20 ) 
 4 iyjjs /jjitAA^ UJcX>e OvMi -X^mJ 
 
 C^uwJU 
 
 O^sJ _<^^ ^^' (Julc /_^^JV. <^T^ 
 
 * According to the Zerfujht Nameh, Zoro- 
 after was of the race of Feridoun ; his father's 
 name Poiirjbafpy »_^v»Lii,^ and his mother's^ 
 Doghdu or Doghdoui. 
 
 ^yi f '-' t?J*^^ !^*X3U# (j_>[;-«
 
 ( ^.I ) 
 
 military ftipends. His reign lafted 
 an hundred and twenty years. 
 
 5. Gujhtasf, (or Kifitafp)—\ht 
 fon of Lohrafp , was flyled Hirbed, 
 or the Minijler of Fire. In his time 
 Zerdulht, whofe family name was 
 Daada, pretended to the gift of pro- 
 phecy. The caftle of Samarcand is 
 one of the works which remain of 
 Gufhtafp, who reigned an hundred 
 and twenty years. 
 
 6. Cai-Ardejl?ir^ — generally called 
 
 * Artaxerxes Longlmanus, or M«xpox£ig. — 
 From fome curious paflages in Tabari, he ap- 
 pears to be the Ahafuerus of Scripture, who 
 " reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over 
 " an hundred and feven and twenf>' provinces." 
 
 ' * ^. ESTHER, I.
 
 ( « ) 
 
 
 * Perfia is not, I fear, the only country 
 whofe ancient annals are ftained by the regiflry 
 of imperial inceft. Thofe who, in defiance of 
 chronology, fuppofe Queen Homai to be Semi- 
 ramis, may here find an additional argument in 
 favour of their identity.
 
 ( 23 ) 
 Bahman, the fon of Asfendiar, the 
 fon of Gufhtafp ; he was furnamed 
 Dirazdefi. One of the remaining 
 memorials of him is Bandukvar, in 
 Fars. He reigned an hundred and 
 twelve years. 
 
 y. Homai — the daughter of Bah- 
 man ; was furnamed Azadcheher, 
 The veftiges of her are the thoufand 
 columns at IJlakhar^ and the city of 
 'Jerbadoan. Her reign lafled thirty- 
 two years. 
 
 8. Dcirab — his father was Bah- 
 man, and his mother Homai, the 
 daughter of Bahman. The memo- 
 rials of him are th& inftitution of
 
 ( 24 ) 
 
 
 * BerdaOf according to fome romances, was 
 the Shehrizenan , Aj'^^ or City of Women ^ 
 the capital of Nupabahy Queen of the Ama- 
 zons. This place is defcribed as a terreftrial 
 paradife by Nizam'iy in his Seconder Nameh, 
 
 &c. ^^>i <^J-^ ^^^
 
 ( 25 ) 
 pofl-horfes and couriers. The length 
 of his reign was twelve years; and 
 his title was Akber, 
 
 9. Dardy [Darius) — the fon of 
 Darab ; he was furnamed Afgher, 
 The city of Ebher was founded by 
 him J and he reigned fourteen years . 
 
 10. Secander — the fon of Darab, 
 the fon of Bahman ; he was called 
 TiurKarnein. His mother was the 
 daughter of Philip the King of 
 Greece. In philofophy he was the 
 pupil of Ariftotle. The veftiges re- 
 maining of him, are the cities of 
 Herat, Berdaa in Aran, and Alex- 
 andria. He reigned over Perfiafour- 
 
 D
 
 ( 26 ) 
 
 * Shehr-zour. Between Helvan znd Moful : 
 it is called by the modern Turks Shehrzoul. 
 
 t It is not furprifing that the Perfian tra- 
 ditions on the life of Alexander (hould be 
 vague and difcordant, fince the Greek hiftorians 
 acknowledge the obfcurity of this fubjcdl. " Of 
 *' Alexander," (fays Arrian, Proem.) " various 
 ** perfons have recorded various things ; nor is 
 " there any one of whofe hiftory there have 
 '* been more writers, or writers more difa- 
 " greeing one with another." «^?^o* i^-nv h axj^x 
 
 V a|u(t*ipft;«TEgt* £5 «^^1^^ot;l:. Our Perfian author 
 has followed Ferdoufi in defcribing Alexander 
 as the fon of Darab, by a daughter of Philip ; 
 but the more ancient and authentick Taiwan, 
 declares him the Macedonian monarch's fon j
 
 ( 27 ) 
 teen years. His death happened at 
 the city of Zour; and the place of 
 his interment was Alexandria. 
 
 and Nizami adopts this tradition, rejecting two 
 others on the fubjetl, *' tales which want con- 
 ' ' firmation, in the vanity of whofe ftory there 
 " is no truth." 
 
 (See Perfian Mifcellanies, p. 79,) All the 
 Eaftern traditions, compared with thofe of tlie 
 Greek and Latin writers, I fhall offer to the 
 publick in a ** Hljlory of Alexander."
 
 ( 28 ) 
 
 * The kings of the various provinces, among 
 whom Alexander divided the Perfian Empire. 
 Of tliefe were the Arfacides, or Parthian Kings.
 
 ( -29 ) 
 
 THIRD DYNASTY. 
 
 Account of the Kings called Molouk 
 al towayuf , divided into two Sec- 
 tions. 
 
 Section I. 
 
 Of the twelve Afhkanian Kings y who 
 reigned an hundred and fixty-jive 
 Tears. 
 
 I. AJloek — the fon of Dara, fur- 
 named Afgher. During the tranf- 
 adtions of his father's reign he was a 
 child at Rey. Having taken up arms 
 againft Antakhafh* the Grecian, 
 he flew him after a battle j and de- 
 
 * Antiochus.
 
 ( 30 ) 
 
 t Our author, or more probably the tran- 
 fcriber of the manufcript, has omitted in this 
 place Shapour, ,.jLx; Sapores, who fucceeded 
 Adiek, and reigned, according to the Leh al 
 towarikhy fix years ; or fixty, according to others, 
 who place the birth of Chrift in his time.
 
 ( 3^ ) 
 feated Conftantine the Grecian, who 
 had come to feek revenge. * * * * 
 And Afhek made himfelf pre-emi- 
 nent among the other kings ; and 
 reigned fifteen years. 
 
 %. AJlxk — the fon of Afhek, the 
 fon of Dara. In his time the chil- 
 dren of Ifrael put to death the pro- 
 phet Zachariah, to whom be peace ! 
 for which he piinifhed them. He 
 was king fix years. {Succeeded by 
 Shapour, the third king J) 
 
 4. Baharam — the fon of Shapour, 
 reigned eleven years. 
 
 5. Palafh — the fon of Baharam, 
 likewife reigned eleven years.
 
 ( 32 ) 
 
 * Sir William Jones, in his " Short Hiflory 
 of Perlia," (the objetfl of which was merely to 
 prepare the reader for that of Nadir Shah,) has 
 hot thought it neceflary to mention the names 
 of more than the firft and laft monarch of the 
 Aftikanian Dynafty. The annals of this period 
 are, indeed, very obfcure, yet not uninterefting i 
 their obfcurity feems to demand illuftration*
 
 ( 33 ) 
 
 6. Hormuzd — the fon of Palafli, 
 reigned (ixteen years. 
 
 7. Narji — the fon of Palafli, four- 
 teen years. 
 
 8. Firou% — the fon of Hormuzd, 
 feventeen years. 
 
 9. Paid fid — the fon of Firouz, 
 reigned twelve years.* 
 
 10. Khofru--^\\\Q fon of Molad, 
 the fon of Nari'i, eight years. 
 
 * According to a very curious manufcript 
 Tarikh (of which I have not yet been able to 
 afccrtain the title or the author}^!iJ ^'^y** 
 "-^ S^ j^^ J* " '^''c city of Lar (in Larirtan) 
 was founded by him." 
 
 E
 
 ( 34 ) 
 
 * This fon of Kaus, according to that ex- 
 cellent dictionary, the CaJhf-al-Ioghat, and 
 other works, was properly called \yXjA Fa- 
 riborz.
 
 ( 3S ) 
 
 1 1 . Talajkan — the fon of Palafh, 
 the fon of Firouz, twenty-two years. 
 
 12. Ardavan — the fon of Palafhan, 
 reigned thirteen years. 
 
 Section II. 
 
 Of the eight Afghanian Kings (orfecond 
 
 Race of the third Dynajly) proceeding 
 
 from Dezieh Ferherz^ the fon ofKaus, 
 
 Their empire lajled an hundred and 
 
 fifty-three years, 
 
 I . Ardavan — the fon of Afhcgh % 
 
 having revolted againft the Aflika- 
 nians, fnatchcd the fovereignty from 
 their hands, and reigned twenty-three 
 years. 
 
 E ^
 
 ( 36 ) 
 
 cXcT 
 
 * In the manufcript ^^ ^ Hcri ; an error 
 which I have corr(.6 ed on the authority of 
 Ku^chakliijunf the Leb-al-toyjajrikhy &c.
 
 ( 37 ) 
 
 2. Khofru — the fon of Afliegh, 
 was king fixteen years. 
 
 3. Valdjl: — the fon of Afliegh, 
 reigned twelve years. In his time 
 the holy perfonage Jefus was born.- 
 
 4. GucLirz — the fon of Palafli, 
 the fon of Alhcgh ; his reign lafled 
 thirty years. Some fay that Zacha- 
 riah, on whom be peace ! exifled in 
 his days. 
 
 5. Narji — the fon of Gudarz, 
 reigned twenty years. 
 
 6. Gudarz — the fon of Narfi, ten 
 years.
 
 ( 3^ ) 
 *JL. O^jLi (^y ^ L5*V 
 
 cX^j aXJLj i^'-^v t^*^^ lXJL^ 
 
 * Narfi reigned fifteen years, according to 
 the Hublb al Jeir ; and yiiXc^jC^ Cl,>'-'*j j^ 
 oij.^3 (j^>^^' tXAsi' (. >Li-<i*j " during his 
 " reign the Greeks attempted to invade Perfia."
 
 ( 39 ) 
 7- 'Narfi, the fon of Narll, reigned 
 eleven years. 
 
 8. Ardavan — the fon of Narfi, 
 after a reign of thirty-one years, was 
 (lain in a battle with Arde(hir-Ba- 
 began ; and the third Dynafty of 
 Perfian Kings became extind; with 
 him.* 
 
 * I mufl acknowledge, in the words of 
 D'Herbelot, "que cet cndroit eft le plus em- 
 " barraflfe & le plus obfcur de toute rhiftoire 
 " de Perfe." (Art. AJchgaman.) Yet I think 
 it pofTible, by a minute examination of the 
 Greek, Latin, and Perfian writers, to reconcile 
 the various traditions with hiftorical and chro- 
 nological truth.
 
 ( 40 ) 
 
 * There are feveral towns, according to the 
 Mejalek-u Memalek, Avhich fome reckon as be- 
 longing to Fars ; others to Kirman. The 
 learned Wahl., in his excellent map of Perfia, 
 places Bahek at the Fars fide of the line which 
 divides thefe provinces.
 
 ( 41 ) 
 
 FOURTH DYNASTY. 
 
 Account of the Race o/'Saflan, called 
 alfo Akafreh*. Thirty-one Kings ^ 
 who reigned Jive hundred and 
 twenty -/even Tears. 
 
 1 . Ardejhir Babegan — the fon of 
 Saflan. The name of SafTan con- 
 tinued for feventeen generations, from 
 Bahmen the fon of Asfendiar. He 
 was furnamed Babegan from his ma- 
 ternal grandfather, who built the city 
 of Babec in Kerman ; he reigned 
 forty years . Among the memorials 
 
 * Or the Kejris \ an Arabick plural (corrupt)
 
 ( 4=* ) 
 
 J (J*tJ^ *oJ^p». -Aj^<3j1 j\ ^IJ'T 
 
 Ot^-AJ (vijwjAJ -AjiitSjl (^^ j^uij 
 
 * Jri/ejhir Kkuzehy or Khureh, called alfo 
 Jawr, and Firuzabad. 
 
 t This king, whom we call Artaxarest 
 " came forth," (fays Talari) *' and dwelt in 
 " IJiakhary when, after the reign of Alexander, 
 *' four hundred years had elapfed \ or, according 
 *' to the Chrlftians, five hundred and twenty ; 
 " or, according to the Magians, two hundred 
 *' and fixtv-fix.
 
 ( 43 ) 
 which remain of him, are the cities 
 of Ardefhir Khouzeh in Pars, and 
 Gualhir in Kerman, and Ahwaz in 
 Khuziftan. 
 
 2. Shapour — the fon of Ardefhir ; 
 his furname was i:'irdeh ; he reigned 
 thirty-one years. Of his works are 
 Koureh-Shapour in Pars, Nifhapour 
 in KhoralTan, Shad-i-Shapour in Caf- 
 vin, and Jond-i-Shapour in Khuzi- 
 ftan.* 
 
 3 . Hormuz — fon of Shapour ; he 
 was furnamed Batelj and reigned 
 
 * Texeiray whofe Spanifh epitome of Mirk- 
 houd is particularly erroneous and dcfedlive in 
 the SajJ'an'tan hiftory, places Shapour (XapurJ 
 before Ardefhir, (Relacionest i^c. p. Iiy-)
 
 ( 44 ) 
 
 * BaharaM—-cz\\ed Varams and Vararanes 
 by the Greek and Latin writers.
 
 ( 45 ) 
 two years. Ram-Hormuz, in Khu- 
 zillan, was built by him. 
 
 4. Baharam — the fon of Hormuz j 
 his fumame was Dergar ; and he 
 yeigned three years and three months. 
 
 5 . Baharam — the fon of Baharam ; 
 he was {{yltdShahendeh^ i.e. upright, 
 juft; and reigned twenty years. 
 
 6 . Baharam — the fon of Baharam ; 
 his furname was SeiJIan-Shah ; and 
 his reign lafted fourteen months. 
 
 7. Narjt — the fon of Baharam, 
 the fon of Baharam; his title was 
 Nakhjerkan, He reigned nine years.
 
 ( 46 ) 
 (^*L« (^c}y^ •!jj>^ IjUj^jI "fAJUw 
 
 * Tabarl 's very curious account of the battles 
 and treaties between Sapores^ and Julian (the 
 apellate) and his fucceflbr Jovian, throws con- 
 fiderable light on the Greek and Latin hiftories 
 of thofe emperors — (See Zofimus, Ammian. 
 Marcellinus, &c.) 
 
 t Maniy Manes ; founder of the Manichean
 
 ( 47 ) 
 8. Shapour — the fon of Hormiiz ; 
 his furname was Hubeh Sina^ that is, 
 the breaker^ or piercer of JJyjulders \ 
 and the Arabians flyle him Dhu^ 
 VeBaf, becaufe he caufed their flioul- 
 der blades to be pierced and broken. 
 Mani the painter exifted in his time, 
 and, affuniing the charader of a pro- 
 phet, exhibited as miraculous the 
 tablets called Arzenk, fo admirably- 
 painted, that all the faireft objeds on 
 the face of the earth, in comparifon 
 with thefe reprefentations of them, 
 feemed to fade away. Alfo, among 
 
 herefy ; the hiftor)' of which has been ably in- 
 veftigatcd by the learned Beaufobre. Some 
 curious anecdotes, however, of this hcrefiarch 
 and impoftor, flill lurk in Perfian manufcripts.
 
 ( 48 ) 
 
 OJ^J C^<-^ O^'-r-' (S^i-^^J^. 
 
 * 
 
 
 _^^Lij ^tSf-j jAj^cSjI 
 
 * Having been born after his father's deaths 
 the years of his reign correfpond to thofe of his 
 life. This is noticed by Bizarus, in his excel- 
 lent compilation " Rerum Ferficarum Hijioriaj' 
 (p. 112.) " cum tot annos regnaflet, quot 
 " etiam vixerit," (feventy years, according to 
 this hiftorian.) Our writers place the death of 
 Saporcs in the year of Chrift 380.
 
 ( 49 ) 
 
 the rare produd:ions of his ingenuity, 
 was a certain fhirt, which whilll he 
 wore he was vifible ; having taken it 
 off, he became invifible ; he was at laft 
 put to death by the hand of Sha- 
 pour. The memorials of this King 
 are the city of Cazvin, and Toureh 
 ShapouKy* which is alfo called Olker- 
 mekerrum . He reigned fe venty-t wo 
 years. 
 
 9. Ardejhir — the brother of Sha- 
 pour, was furnamed Jemil, and 
 reigned ten years. 
 
 * My copies of the Heft-akllm and Nozhat al 
 Coloubf write it differently. The former fays, 
 that this city wa» called Te/hker for Nefliker) 
 G
 
 ( 50 ) 
 
 /jjUaaJ CXwjI /»'ty^ (J^. T'^^ 
 
 ^j-^u^ cy-.cyjj ^ *^l^ 
 
 after a fon of Tahnmras, but that having fallen 
 to decay, c^jU.& Jo-^ws-^f 6U.^^J!Ji ^^.Li 
 jJ^ysi^j^^U g.^_^ _5 i_^y " Shapour Dhu* 
 " lectaf caufed it to be rebuilt, and called it 
 ** Mourage Shapour. 
 
 * The reign of Baharam has furnifhed fub- 
 jedts for a variety of entertaining and curious 
 romances, both in profe and verfe ; fuch as the
 
 ( i' ) 
 
 10. Shapour — the fon of Shapour 
 Zu'ledaf; his title was Kerman^ 
 
 Jhah ; and his reign of thirteen years. 
 
 1 1 . Tezdijerd — who, according to 
 the greater number of hiflorians, fuc- 
 ceeded Baharam ; was furnamed, in 
 the Perfian language, Zefet^ and Be- 
 zekurdi in the Arabick, At him and 
 Mejerum, He reigned twenty-one 
 years and a half. 
 
 12. Baharam — the fon of Yez- 
 dejerd ; his furname was Gour, He 
 
 ..Xaj C*xA Heft peigur of Nizami, the CJtJiJt 
 C^^i^ Hept Behijht of Emir Khojruy the CJL^ 
 yaX^ Heft Munfur of Hntify the KifJ'eh 
 Baharam Gour, ^^^ \^ ^^j^ and others \ 
 befides his hiftory in the Shah Nameh.
 
 ( 5^ ) 
 
 
 
 * The Ifdlgertes of the Greek and Latin 
 writers, who change the names of his fuccelfors 
 into Hormijdas, Perozesy BlefeSf Balujes, or
 
 ( 53 ) 
 
 was a valiant warrior, a juH man, 
 and a lover of feftivity and fport. 
 His reign lafted fixty-three years. 
 
 13. Tezdejerd — the fon of Baha- 
 ram ; he was fly led Sipah-dojl ; and 
 the years of his reign were eighteen. 
 
 14. Hormuz — the fon of Yezde- 
 jerd j his furname was Firza?2eb ; 
 and his reign of one year. 
 
 15. Firouz — the fon of Yezde- 
 jerd j he was ftyled Murdaneh. One 
 of his works is Firouz Baharam, 
 in Rey. He reigned ten years. 
 
 Hobalas ; Cahadesy or Cavades ; 'LnmafpeSi 
 Chofrtes, &c. (Vide Procop. Agath. Buar. &c.}
 
 ( 54 ) 
 
 rjLej^^c^ Ot>cO\^ (^\^JiiJO LJ <3 l«o 
 
 * Written alfo /. -^^^jA^i^j j Nufhlrvan. The 
 ruins of his magnificent palace, the -^/^'«« 
 (^^jj! or Tauk-i-KeJrly iSj**S 6lb are ftill to 
 be feen near Mada'ien (the ancient CteftphonJ 
 on the banks of the Tigris.
 
 ( S5 ) 
 
 1 6. Pa/ajh — the fon of Firouz ; 
 his title was Keranniaieh ; and his 
 reign lafted five years. 
 
 17. Kobad — the fon of Firouz ; 
 was furnamed Neekraiy and reigned 
 fixty-four years. Mazdak, the re- 
 beUious founder of an heretical fedt, 
 exifted in his time. The place call- 
 ed Arjan Goureh in Gilouieh, and 
 Hulwan, are remains of his works. 
 
 1 8 . Jatnafp — the fon of Firouz ; 
 was furnamed Nekarein. 
 
 19. Kefri — the fon of Kobad; 
 his furnames were Anujhirvan^ and 
 Molk al adely or the juft king. He
 
 ( 56 ) 
 
 * According to the Zein al akhbar, he caufed 
 Mazdak the herefiarch to be flead alive ; and 
 in the courfe of one day put to death eighty 
 thoufand of his foUowersi
 
 ( 57 ) 
 reigned forty-eight years; and our 
 prophet (Mohammed) on whom be 
 the bleflino: of God ! was born in 
 his time. In the eighth year after 
 the birth of that holy perfonage, this 
 upright monarch died : and veftiges 
 of his works are at Roumieh in 
 Madaien. 
 
 20. Honnuz — the fon of Anu- 
 fhirvan ; his mother was Kakim, 
 the daughter of the Khakan, from 
 which circumflance he was called 
 Turkzad-y he was fo wicked, tyran- 
 nical, and blood-thirfty, that in the 
 twelve years of his reign, thirteen 
 thoufand fix hundred perfons of il- 
 
 H
 
 ( 58 ) 
 
 j^jjt- (J^ j^f" U-? *y^ • 
 
 ^^^(S (^j>-^A^ (^^Osj l»«l *»:i>^/>£2:fc 
 * * * * J^,^ ^^0> ^^J * ts:^J 
 
 * The reign of Khofru Parviz, like that of 
 his predeceflbr Baharam Gour, affords many 
 curious fubjedls of Romance. See " the Loves 
 of Khofru and Shireeriy' tranflated by me from 
 the Shah Nameh Nejr^ in the Oriental Collec- 
 tions, Vol. I. p. 2 1 8, &c.
 
 ( 59 ) 
 luftrious rank, among the Perfians, 
 were put to death by his command. 
 He was, himfelf, llain in the twen- 
 tieth year after the birth (of Mo- 
 hammed. 
 
 2 1 . Khofru — the fon of Hormuz i 
 he was furnamed Parviz, or the Vtc^ 
 torious. In his time the prophet, 
 to whom be peace ! entered on his 
 divine miflion ; that holy perfonage 
 invited the king to the true faith, 
 which he rejedled, tearing in pieces 
 the letter (of Mohammed.) * * * * 
 And Perfia, from his magnifi- 
 cence, and the fuperabundance of 
 all neceflaries, arrived at the fummit 
 of its glory. It is faid, among other 
 
 H 2
 
 ( 6° ) 
 cj\j^ cXaj^j aX^^^I oc^_J JoIjI 
 
 * Tabarl, whofe chronicle contains a chapter 
 on the fubje6l of this King's treafures, defcribes 
 his celebrated horfe, Shehdiz, the Bucephalus of 
 Perfian romance, which he fays was brought 
 originally from Greece ; and he adds, that his 
 figure was carved in ftone, by order of Khofru^ 
 fit Kirmanjhahan (Beijutoun.)
 
 ( 6i ) 
 matters, that he conftantly kept in 
 his palace fifteen thoufand female 
 ■muficians, fix thoufand houfehold 
 officers, twenty thoufand five hun- 
 dred horfes and mules for the faddle 
 and for baggage j alfo, nine hundred 
 and fixty elephants. Whenever he 
 rode forth, two hundred perfons at- 
 tended him, fcattering perfumes on 
 every fide, whilft a thoufand Jeka^ers 
 (water carriers) fprinkled with water 
 the roads which he was to pafs. 
 Among the works of ingenuity which 
 he pofielfed, was a certain cup, in 
 which the quantity of water was never 
 diminifhed, how much foevera per- 
 fon drank of it j alfo, an (expanded) 
 hand of ivory, which, whenever a
 
 ( 62 ) 
 
 ^<^ T=^l <^ IjjI c:a^I JjLo 
 + May — Anno Dom. 628.
 
 ( -63 ) 
 child was born to him, being im- 
 merfed in water, clofed,and exhibited 
 the conjundlion of ftars prefiding at 
 the infant's birth, and thus the horo- 
 fcope was known; he had hkewife a 
 piece of pure gold, pliable and foft 
 as wax; alfo a napkin, which, when 
 foiled, and thrown into the fire, be- 
 came clean. In his time, white 
 elephants brought forth young ones 
 in Perfia. What perfon, in harmo- 
 nious powers, rcfembles his mufician 
 Barbud ? or, who in beauty is equal 
 to his miftrefs Shireen ? At laft, in 
 the feventh hour of the night, on 
 Tuefday the tenth of Jemad-al-awul, 
 the feventh year of the Hegira, he 
 was flain by the hand of his fon, 
 Shirouieh.
 
 ( 64 ) 
 
 &J*j/<^ fyJ^jJ^Kj a-xmcL (^kJ t^Lo 
 
 * This explains a paflage in Mirkhondj 
 the obfcurity of which is acknowledged by the 
 learned De Sacy, in his Hijio'tre des SaJJanldeSf 
 ** Je n'ai trouve aucuns renfeignemens fur le 
 ** mot Pourani." 
 Mem. Sur diverfes Antiq. de la Perfe, p. 41 2.
 
 ( 6s ) 
 
 ^2. Kobad — the fon of Khofru ^ 
 he was furnamed Shirouieh^* and 
 hved fix months after his father. 
 
 23. Ardcjhir — the fon of Shi- 
 rouieh ; his furname was Kouchek ; 
 his reign of one year and a half. 
 
 24. Kefri — the fon of Kobad, the 
 fon of Hormuz, the fon of Anufhir- 
 van, was furnamed Gout ah. 
 
 25. Pouran-dokht — the daughter 
 of Khofru Parviz, was llyled Saiedeh. 
 Meat cooked in a particular manner 
 
 * The Ferhung Sururi, Borhan KatteOt and 
 other dictionaries, intorm us that he was alfo 
 called ajj^^ Sharouieh, 
 I
 
 ( 66 ) 
 
 oLo ^L^ ^jiiJXc «5j<3(x •! 
 
 -AaO ^O v^;i>-i'l OlL« (^Jt^*.^^ t'^t^. 
 
 * Our author has totally omitted the name 
 of Jafliendehj o*X*.iic=. who, by Mirkhond, and 
 a few others, is faid to have reigned a rtiort 
 time after Pouran dokkt. Some further omiffion 
 or error appears likewife in this place, as at 
 the beginning of the fourth Dynafty he men- 
 tions 31 kings, yet enumerates but 28.
 
 ( 67 ) 
 
 is called Pouranij after her. And 
 the holy prophet in her time departed 
 this life. Her reign lafted fix months* 
 
 26. Azermi-dokht — fifter to Pou- 
 ran-dokht, was furnamed Adeleh ; 
 and reigned four months. 
 
 27. Ferokh-zad — thefon ofKhofru 
 Parviz, was furnamed Bakhtyar i 
 and reigned one month. 
 
 28. Tezdejerd — the fon of Shahr- 
 yar, the fon of Khofru Parviz ; he 
 is called Molk al akhir, or the lajl 
 King. He afcended the throne of 
 the Perfian monarchs, in the month 
 
 I 2
 
 ( 68 ) 
 
 Q^ c:-v^l ^Lw ^T c^Oy5».<3jj 
 
 ^^ULjAkkk^ tWj <JLOw> d.^* ^>Xnm1 
 
 *C^Li (^j-^lJtJl jcXj *jc>o AJUL 
 
 * Here properly ends the ancient hiftory of 
 Perfia — as the death of Yezdegerd was fol- 
 lowed by the furrender of IJiakhary and the 
 other chief cities, to the Mufulmans,
 
 ( 69 ) 
 Sefer of the eleventh year of the 
 Hegira,* which is the beginning of 
 theYezdejerdean aera. As the true re- 
 ligion had prevailed, and the Muful- 
 mans by degrees reduced the power 
 of Yezdejerd, he tied from their 
 hands to Merou ; and there, in the 
 month-j- Shehur, of the thirty-fccond 
 year of the Hegira, he was put to 
 death : and with him the ancient 
 race of the Perlian kini^s became 
 extinct. 
 
 * A. D. 632. 
 
 t A. D. 652 — According fo the Subab 
 Saduk, the Tankh AifeCy and other works, 
 this King's death happened in tlie ^ift year of 
 the Htgira.
 
 ( 70 ) 
 
 Chronological Remarks, 
 
 Of the number of years affigned 
 to the reigns of particular kings, 
 the Perfian hiftorians fo confiderably 
 difagree in their accounts, that any 
 attempt to reconcile them, at prefent, 
 would exceed the limits which I have 
 prefcribed to this Epitome. Much 
 confufion may have arifen from mif- 
 taking the years of a king*s life 
 for thofe of his reign ; to what 
 extent it has prevailed, will appear 
 from the following general flatements 
 of eachDynafly's duration, according 
 to various records, differing in their 
 calculations from the Tarikh Jehan 
 Ara.
 
 ( 7' ) 
 
 The frji Dynajiy^ or the Peifhda- 
 dian, lajled. 
 
 According to an anonymous Tarikh, 
 
 2441 years. 
 Tarikh Hamzeh ben Hofein Isfa- 
 
 hani, 2470 years. 
 
 According to a manufcript catalogue 
 of Periian kings, annexed to a 
 fine copy of the Shah-Nameh, 
 BritifhMufeum(No.56oo) 2481 
 years. 
 
 Tarikh Behram Shah ben Murdan 
 Shah, 2734 years. 
 
 The Second Dynafly^ or the Caianian, 
 According to the manufcript cata- 
 logue above mentioned, 534ycars, 
 fix months.
 
 C 7^ ) 
 Anonymous Tarikh, 684 years, four 
 
 months. 
 Tarikh Kapchak Khani, 752 years. 
 Anonymous, 770 years. 
 
 T^hird Dynajiyy or Afhcanian, with 
 
 the AJldghanian^ lajled. 
 
 According to the Jehan Ara, 318 
 years. 
 
 According to the manufcript cata- 
 logue before mentioned, 200 years. 
 
 Anonymous Tarikh, 217 years. 
 
 A Ravaiety or book of Parfi tradi- 
 tions, 265 years. 
 
 Tarikh Moage??!^ from different chro- 
 nicles, 430 years. — Another cal- 
 culation, 268 years. 
 
 The Leb al Touarikh, 350 years.
 
 ( 73 ) 
 Tarikh Gozideh, 380 years. 
 Hamzeh Isfahani, 394 years. 
 Tarikh Moagem, from different 
 
 chronicles, 430. 
 9. Baharam ben Murdan Shah, 469 
 
 years. 
 
 Fourth Dynajiy^ or SafTanian, 
 
 According- to Baharam ben Murdan 
 
 Shah, 456 years, one month, 
 
 twenty-two days. 
 Hamzeh Isfahani, 457 years, three 
 
 months, feven days. 
 Anonymous Tarikh, 484 years, fix 
 
 months. 
 Leb al Touarikh, 521 years. 
 Tarikh Kapchak Khani, 521 years. 
 
 K
 
 ( 74 ) 
 Merat al Aulum, 521 years. 
 Manufcript catalogue, 542 years. 
 
 I referve for my future work, a 
 more minute calculation of each par- 
 ticular King's reign, taken from the 
 Tarikh I'abari^ the Tarikh Moagem, 
 the Subah Saduk^ the Rotizet al Sefo, 
 the Khelajfet al Akhbar, the Zein al 
 Akhbar, the Nizam al Towarikh, and 
 many other records, which I Ihall 
 endeavour to reconcile with the dates 
 of European chronologers.
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 No. I. Account of the Plates m this 
 Volume, 
 
 The frontifpiece reprefents thofc 
 ruins at Ijlakhar, which are generally 
 called^L^ JVt?" Chehel Minar, *' ihe 
 Forty Pillars,'* or <Jyy^ji». Ocsr' 
 Takht-i-JemJheidy *' the Throne ofjem' 
 K 2
 
 76 APPENDIX, No. I. 
 
 JheidJ*^ Molt travellers and anti- 
 quaries fuppofe IJlakhar to have been 
 the ancient Perfepolis^ and thefe co- 
 lumns the remains of Darius's palace: 
 the natives fometimes call them Khaneh 
 Dara Ijlt^ AJliL ''the Houfe of Da- 
 riuSy" as Kaempfer informs us. Of 
 the view given by that moft ingenious 
 traveller, in his Amcenitates Exotica, 
 p. 325, the frontifpiece is a reduced 
 copy. 
 
 The Pehlavi gem, reprefented in the 
 vignette of the title page, is fuppofed 
 to be placed (without any regard to 
 proportion) on 2i fire altar, of which 
 the idea is taken from medals of the 
 SaJJanides. As even a vignette may be 
 rendered inftrudive, I have given, on 
 the upper part of the altar, fome of the
 
 APPENDIX, No. I. 77 
 
 arrow-headed or Perfepolitan letters, 
 from 'Niebuhr^ Ktempfer^ Sic. ; fo that 
 the young (ludent of Periian anti- 
 quities may have before him, at one 
 view, fpecimens of the two moft 
 ancient chara(5ters of Iran, I have 
 placed, as guardians of the altar, an 
 Azhdehay L^eSj'l or Dragon, and the 
 Shiorgh, dp-AAM a bird of immenfe 
 bulk and rtrengrh, both imaginary 
 creatures, whofe names are well known 
 to the readers of Perfian romance ; 
 their figures are taken from paint- 
 ings in the Shah Namab and other 
 manufcripts. 
 
 The gem (of the real fize) is from 
 a pafte in Mr. Taflie's colledtion ; and 
 thus defcribed in his Catalogue^ Vol. I. 
 p. 67, No. 679: " Sardonyx^^ figure
 
 75 APPENDIX, No. I. 
 
 " in a long robe, with a globe or 
 *' lotus on the forehead, holding a 
 " fmall cup in the right hand : In the 
 ** field are the fun and moon, with an 
 ** infcription," &c. An engraving of 
 the gem, enlarged, is alfo given in the 
 fecond Vol. pi. xiii, but the charadters 
 are inaccurately imitated; they appear 
 on the pafte to form two words, which 
 I would read thus, ufing Hebrew let- 
 ters to defcribe the Pehlavi : 
 ■^nm^nt^ V\T^^ in modem Perfick 
 (^_^4.Am^ O^ Atoun Shahpouhriy 
 fignifying *' The fire-genius ofShapour,** 
 
 Atomiy in Pehlavi, according to M. 
 Anquetildu Perron,* was fynonimous 
 with Ader, or Atere ; " the feveral 
 
 * Zend a Vefta, Ya\. I. Difc. Prelim, ccccxcf.
 
 APPENDIX, No. I. 79 
 
 ** fires which have appeared to men 
 " under particular forms, and the 
 " Genii thcmfelves, who prelide over 
 " thofe fires."* Thus t\\Q Atoun Bour- 
 zin, in two pafTages of the Boundebe/Ltf 
 is i^yled Ader Bourzin^ in the le/cbts 
 SadeSjX where, and in other parts of the 
 Zendavefla, we find the Ader of B£h~ 
 ram, of Gofljaf-py &c. The figure feems 
 to be that of a female : in the Vendidad 
 Sade we find an addrefs to female 
 fpirits : ** Je prie ces femelleSt ajfem- 
 " blcc toHJoiirs vivante," &c.§ 
 
 * '* Plufieurs feux qui fe font montres auxhormnes 
 ** fous des formes particulieres, & des Genies memes 
 ** qui prefident a ces feux," &c. Zendavefta, 
 Vol. 11. p. 24. 
 
 + Zendav. Vol. I. Part II. p. 41. 
 
 % Zendav. Vol. II. p. 24. 
 
 ^ Zendav. Vol. I. Part II. p. 91.
 
 80 APPENDIX, No. I. 
 
 From the Fcrhung Borhan Katec 
 (which, like the Ferhung J change eriy 
 has a very long and curious article on 
 fire-worfliip) it alfo appears that the 
 fame word fignified a fire-temple^ and 
 the angel or Genius that prefided over 
 it. Thus we find, th;it L^^w^jiO j(S\ 
 Azer Gujhajp was the name of a fire 
 temple eredled by Gujhtafp at Balkh^ 
 
 " and it is the najne of the angel that 
 *' fuperintendedy or prefided over^ the 
 " fire:' 
 
 If the authority of M. Anquetil 
 du Perron be admitted, my expla- 
 nation of this gem will, probably, be 
 found fatisfaclory : I offer it, however, 
 (as every conjed:ure on doubtful mat- 
 ters) with extreme diffidence, and fhall
 
 APPENDIX, No. I. 81 
 
 moft readily adopt any well-founded 
 emendation. 
 
 The MAP, though fmall, will ferve 
 to fhew the relative (ituations of the 
 provinces and chief cities of Perfia. 
 I have devoted fome months to the 
 conftrudtion of another, comprehend- 
 ing the fame extent of country, but 
 fo enlarged in fcale as to occupy a 
 fpace of fix feet by five. This will 
 contain many hundred names of towns, 
 rivers, mountains, ruins, rebats and 
 caravanferaisy wells, monuments, &c.j 
 inferted from original manufcripts, 
 which are not to be found in yir.JVahl's 
 very excellent map,* nor in any other 
 hitherto publifhed. 
 
 * Prefixed to his " Altes und Neues Vorder und 
 Mittel Jfien," Sec. 
 
 Vol. I. Le'ipftgj 1795, (odavo.) 
 I.
 
 8^ APPENDIX, No. I. 
 
 In the head-piece^ prefixed to this 
 Appendix, are reprefentations of three 
 gems, of the real fize, taken from im- 
 prefTions in parte. Of the two upper- 
 moft, the original cornelians are pre- 
 ferved in the Britilli Mufeum — one 
 reprefents a female with a child on her 
 lap ; fome of the letters are defaced, 
 but the name of "^"ftDin Hormifdi, 
 (^c^j^.^ appears fufficiently legible 
 in Pehlavi ; the other characters feem 
 to form ?i«^ilDSK <^pificiny (^U^wjI 
 alluding, perhaps, to the infant flate 
 of Hormijdiy at the breaft* of his nurfe 
 or mother, whofe name may probably 
 be added. Not having yet had leifure 
 to fludy the infcription attentively, I 
 
 * Pifiany (_^^Iam»j the nipple, breaft, &c. 
 ^jiUwa^ Abijien, to bring forth, to lie in, &c.'
 
 APPENDIX, No. I. 83 
 
 fhall not, in this place, offer any fur- 
 ther conjedures on the fubjedt. 
 
 For the fame reafon I prefent to the 
 reader, without any obfervation, the 
 figure of a winged Lion, with a Peh- 
 lavi infcription. 
 
 The third gem, is defcribed in Taf- 
 iie's Catalogue (Vol. I. p. 74) as an 
 Oriental garnet, containing " The 
 ** portrait of an Indian chief — with 
 " Indian characters, fomething like 
 " the San/crit»'' As I fufped the 
 charaders to partake more of Pehlavi 
 than Sanjcrit, they are here fubmitted 
 to the infpcdlionof AntiquarianOrien- 
 talifts. 
 
 The rude outlines, which the reader 
 L 2
 
 84 APPENDIX, No. I. 
 
 will perceive in this head-piece, re- 
 prefent the combat of Rujlam with 
 the Dive Sefeed, or white giant j re- 
 duced from a painting in my Shah 
 Namehj of which a large engraving 
 will be found in the Oriental Collec- 
 tions, Vol. II. p. 53 ; and another 
 combat offomewarrior with a monfter, 
 winged and horned, from a Perfe- 
 politan feal in cornelian, preferved, 
 with many others of the fame kind, 
 in the Britifh Mufeum. Similar com- 
 bats are fculptured on the marbles at 
 Perfepolis ; and it is pofiible that the 
 ancient heroes celebrated in the Shah 
 Namehi and reprefented in thefe fculp- 
 tures, may be the fame.* 
 
 * This opinion I before offered in fome remarks 
 •* On the ant'iqu'it'iesof Perfepol'tiy Ijiakhary or Che- 
 " helm'mar." Oriental CoUedions, Vol. I. p. 167.
 
 APPENDIX, No. II. S5 
 
 No. II. The following paflage was 
 by accident omitted in printing the 
 foregoing pages : it concludes the ac- 
 count oi Ardejhir Babegan^ p. 43. 
 
 *' And NERD is of his invention; 
 '' for this reafon the Arabs call it 
 " Nerdjhir.'" The word Nard or Nerd, 
 according to the dictionaries huttayef 
 al Loghat, Jehangeeri, Kajhf-al-loghat, 
 &c. fignifies a well known game, 
 (draughts, perhaps hackgammon), and 
 the pith of a tree. 
 
 The invention of draughts is gene- 
 rally afcribed to Buzurje?nher, the 
 vizier of NuJ/jirvan, who did not reign
 
 85 APPENDIX, No. IIL 
 
 until three centuries after Ardejhir: 
 this vizier introduced chefs^ an Indian 
 game, into Perfia ; and the Ferhung 
 Borhan Kattee informs us, that Buzur- 
 jemher devifed Nerdy on the plan or in 
 imitation of chefs ; but that Nerd was 
 played with two dice, and, according 
 to feme, was of a more ancient origin. 
 
 III. It appears from the Tarikh 
 Moagem, and the Nozhal alColouby that 
 the Bandukvar, (or more properly 
 Band-kouar) mentioned in p. 23, was 
 a mound or dyke, ereded by Ardejhir 
 Bahman, to raife or convey water, for 
 the little but pleafant town of Kouar, 
 j[^^=^ in the province of Fars,
 
 APPENDIX, No, IV, 87 
 
 AccouJit of the Geographical Ferfian 
 Manufcript, i?2titled Mefalek u 
 Memalek. 
 
 Having mentioned in the preface, 
 (p. xxiv) my future tranflation of the 
 Mefalek u Memalek, I lliall here give 
 a fhort defcription of that manufcript, 
 which is equally ancient as it is rare 
 and curious Although I have not yet 
 been able to afcertain the author's 
 name, it is evident, from two palTages 
 in the work itfelf, that he mud have 
 cxifted before the year 424 of the 
 Hegira, (of Chrift 1032) ; for, in his 
 account of Spain, he defcribes the 
 Omffiiad Dynafty as ftill governing in 
 that country ; and adds, that " The 
 ** Abbafiidcs have not yet fnatchcd it
 
 88 APPENDIX, No. IV. 
 
 " from them ;" he mufl, therefore, 
 have written before the year above 
 mentioned, when the reign of the Om~ 
 miades ceafed. 
 
 In another part of his work, de- 
 fcribing Maweralnahry or Tranfoxania, 
 he informs us that he converfed with 
 a refpedlable perfonage who had at- 
 tended Naffer Ahmed in his battles. 
 
 This Prince, of the Samanian Dy^ 
 nafiyy was invefted with the govern- 
 ment of Maiveralnahr, by the Khalif 
 Motamedy Anno Hegirae 261, (A. D. 
 874) ; and if our author could have 
 fpoken with a contemporary of Naffer 
 Ahmed, we may reafonably date the 
 compofition of his work early in the 
 fourth century of the Mohammedaa
 
 APPENDIX, No. IV. S9 
 
 aera, between the year 900 and 1000 
 of Chrifl. 
 
 It appears that he vifited, himfelf, 
 many of the places he defcribes : con- 
 fining his work to the limits of Ijlam 
 (the Mohammedan world), he begins 
 with a general defcription of its feas, 
 the weflern regions of Africa, Spain, 
 Egypt, Syria, Paleftine, Arabia, Me- 
 fopotamia, Irak Arabi, Khufiftan or 
 Sufiana, Pars or Farfiftan, its five Kou- 
 rehs or diftrids, fire-temples, ancient 
 caftles, rivers, cities, roads, and dif- 
 tances from various towns to others ; 
 the air, water, foil, &c. of Farfiftan; 
 inhabitants ancient and modern, man- 
 ners, dialcdls, religions, &c.; extra- 
 ordinary buildings and monuments of 
 antiquity ; Iflakhar, &c., produce, 
 
 M
 
 90 APPENDIX, No. IV. 
 
 taxes, revenue, &c. ; defcription of 
 Kirman, cities, mountains, roads, &c.; 
 part of Sind and Hind; Armenia, 
 Arran and Azerbaijan, rivers, roads, 
 hills, &c. ; Kouheftan, Irak Ajemi, 
 Taberiftan, Khorafan, Dilem, Mazan- 
 deran, Khozrj or the regions bordering 
 on the Cafpian Sea ; Maweralnahr, or 
 Tranfoxania; deferts between Fars and 
 Khorafan ; Sejeftan, its lakes, rivers, 
 roads, cities, &c.; Ferghanah, Samar- 
 cand, Bokhara, Balkh, &c. 
 
 Thus he defcribes the route from 
 
 ShiraZyJ}\j^ to Kattah, aX/ on the 
 road of Khorafan : 
 
 "From Shiraz to Vtikaky »w9(j5j<3 
 " 6 farfangs — from Dukak to IJlakhart 
 " js\LacI 6 f.— from JJiakhar lo Fir-
 
 APPENDIX, No. IV. 91 
 
 " Kurieh, ^.fr^. 4 f- — fi'om ?ir^ 
 " Kurieh to KohendiZtjOJ^ 6 f. — 
 " and from Kohejidiz to Dhey-bendt 
 " cXaj Aj<3 8 f. — from Dbey-bend to 
 " Aber-kouhyQ^ jA i2f.— fromyf^^r- 
 " kou to Dhey-Jhirt y^ «V.^ 13 f**— 
 " from Dhey-Jhir to Hawr fjy::^- 6 f. — 
 " from Hazvr to (j^^^^^^ «X-x-o Kelaa 
 " Majious, (the Caftle of the Magi), 
 *' which is now in ruins, 6 f. — and 
 " from Kelaa Majious to the town of 
 " iiTj/Z^/j, AXy^5 f. &c." The city 
 of IJlakhar (till exifted when our author 
 wrote ; for he fays, 
 
 lji„.>l A:i*^l _>Lj.j(L>o ^^'-^J AJ * 
 l3wj; _jcXJ3 (^1 / ^^'^ Ou^l (>^V.
 
 ^2 APPENDIX,. No. IV. 
 
 '' Iflakhar is a city, neither fmall 
 " nor great; more ancient than any 
 *' city, whatfoever, of Pars; in extent 
 " about one mile ; and the Kings of 
 " Pars had their dwcUings there; and 
 " ArdeJJjir refided in that place ; and 
 " there is a tradition that, &c." 
 In another chapter he claffes the lla- 
 tues, infcriptions, and buildings at 
 Iftakhar, amongft the wonders of Perfia, 
 
 But any farther notice of the Mc- 
 Jalek ii Memalek would be here unne- 
 ceffary, as my tranflatlon of the whole 
 work, in one volume quarto, will, I 
 hope, be ready for publication at the 
 clofe oi the prefent year.
 
 000 020 705