Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-13
THE FAMINE IN PERSIA.
Frlsh.rul suner,nr and Mortality

Fris htful Suffering and Mortality
A Chapter of Horrors.
| The details of the famine in Persia are
frightftll. MIR. Shedd, a person well &C
quainted with the country through bis mis-
sionary labors there, says:
The population of Persia has been var
| ously estimated, the lowest estimate being
about 100000, aud the highest IA, 100000.
AS there is no census, the exact truth can
not be known. Let us take the lowest
figure, 100000 as basis. From person
al knowledge of the country and from all
accounts of the famine, judge that third
of the population, that is, most of the prov
inces of Azerbeijan on the northeast, and
Ghilan and Manzanderan on the Caspian,
have harvested as usual, or nearly so, the
present season. Another third of the pop
ulation, in parts ofthe above provinces and
in Irak and Ardelan, are in severe but not
unmitigated famine. They have a limited
supply of food, but some of them must die
unless supplies are sent to them before next
harvest. The remainder of the country
lying east and south, and covering more
than half its area, is now in danger of being
depopulated. So, at the lowest estimate,
between two and three millions of our fel-
low beings are in the crisis of misery and
want.
The region of starvation begins in the
province of Irak, near Hamadan, the capt.
tai of Ancient Media, and extends eastward
for seven or eight hundred miles, and south
ward to the Persian Gulf,
Two successive years of drought have
brought the population en- masse into a
state Of distitution. For the same reason,
e g, + a
was year ago. The distress has extended
northward, so that multitudes in Tabreez
and the surrounding country are in need,
and other muititudeS are starving TO the
westward in the valley of the Euphrates
and Tigris, in Turkey, in the region of Bus
sora, Bagdad, and Mosul. The famine re-
gion covers the seat of Ancient Empire,
with the tombs Of Cyrus, Darius, Daniel
and Esther, and abOunds in the most Won
derful antiquities and rock inscriptions in
the East.
No language can exceed the truth. In
Teheran, the royal residences, the resources
of the government and the efforts of the
foreign residents have prevent ed the extreme
of suffering to which other places have been
reduced. In Ispahan the number of deaths
by famine up TO August last was stated
officially at 1900. The actual number
was doubtless far greater. In Shiraz and
vicinity whole families died off and lay I'M
buried, and in some instances the corpses
were devoured by the survivors. Further
east, throughout the great provinces of Ker-
man and Khorsan this famine has been in
creasing for three successive years, and in
many places half the population has perish
ed. The capital of the last named province
is Meshed, very celebrated city, and shrine
with 100000 or 10000 inhanitants. From
all accounts two-thirds of this population
have persisted the past summer from hun
ger or disease, or have fed.
In some localities, as in the vicinity of
Ispahan, here was last season a partial |
harvest, which alleyiated the distress for
time. But the short store Of provisions is |
by this time consumed, so that the severity |
of suffering has returned and must increase !
for some months to come, even if the grain |
sOwn this season brings a harvest. Thou |
sands more in the towns and villages must |
die unless relieved from abroad. But out !
side the fixed population are the Eelyats, or J
pastoral tribes, numbering in the famine re-
giOn certainly more than a million of souls. |
Among these at the present time the direst |
miseries are experienced. The famine is |
not only one of cereals, but of forage also. |
These tribes have been fighting, for two |
years past, the drought, and as the pastures |
have dried up, the flOcks and herds have |
perished, their dependence for food is gone. |
There are at this time tens of thousands Of |
the Eely ats Of Persia with their horses dead, !
their cattle and sheep largely so, and with |
no place where bread could be bought if |
they had the means to buy. There is little |
eft for them but to sit down in the Moham- |
medan resignation of fatalism, and live on |
short allowance of roots and similar food |
till either relief or death shall come. The !
grass may revive with the spring, but it |
will be three years before the fOcks and |
herds can be renewed, and one year before |
there can be a harvest to supply them with |
bread.