The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-30
HRAT.
the Bono of Contention Between
Russia and England

ltuiSlo bnd EnRlanO
From the Sew orleans Times Dcmocrnt.
llerat. the city Of Afghanlsian which
the Russians propose to seize In the
tccll, of liri ish opposition, Is probably
one Of the oldest ci ties In the wor
The armies of Alexander the Great
marched hy 1t ON their way to found
those Greek kingdoms in Raotria and
the the Valley OF The Indus, which have
long been forgotten and II was visited
In person by the great Macedonian him
self whose mighty memory still fingers
In legends popular from the Western
cunSi of Africa even to the funniest isles
uf the Indian Oocnn-the legends Of
ISLANDER. Al the time OF Alexander's
coming Ci27 u ca ii formed the capital
Of the nation whom ancient historians
called Arcinns. vus.Hls of the Persian
King, and bore the name Of Arta-
cuaun " hen the Greeks found
ed heir llncirinn kiugdom In the
region. now known as Beloochistan,
Afgmnistan. and rurkestan, llerat be-
came Greek cily; and recent English
travellers relate having met wandering
tribes on the steppes who claim descent
from the soldiers of Alexander But ns
the old Kings Of Malacca also, and the
rulers oil Sunlalra hhu o'her isIlus
claim similar ancestry, II may ne ,ha'
the TRADITION ol Tue hslhIlc houlhus u
only version "I 'he same ieHehu ie-
frrred to frugmentnrily In the Koran, the
legend Of ISLANDER DhOul' karnein, who
marched even To the selllhg OF 'he sun
(Sura xviii, N&lN). However grehl num-
bers Of GrWco. Bnclrlhn COINS nave o'ei
found north Of the illndOo husn'
liut the great prosperity OF iltra, pe-
gan in the iirst century Oh Moha''llle-
danism (nboui 'n A. ~ When was
the capital Of khorassan, ana wheh hho,
rassnn ITSELF together WIN nuoh OF
Turkcstnn was Incorporated lhio tue
great Iurkoman Kingdom OF bohnarh;
All through the middle ages u remained
rich and popu!ous even under Tue ny,
nasties OF the Se0uklah Suilnhs unu
Hfterward under lhht OF Tue
Snlinns OF khlNh. WIN olher cures oI
Central Asin. II became famous LOT Is
learning. lts luxury ana us rlcmeS' anu
IN Arabic proVcrh oi me miuule ages
says "Science Is plant whose roofs
grow al Mecca; hh' WHOSE iIu . .ipen
~ hnoIh-rhn' N"NH"sN"' ~" "N'h -
ing states were ruined by the great hr-
tar invasion In the thirteenth century,
regions otearlhly paradise were chahgeI
into deserts ana llerat was ues,Ioyeu
by the armies OF Gehghls hhan. lel II
arose from the hshes; ana actually ue-
Neloped lnto sori oI free cry Dhoer'
who visited II IN lhr slNleeh'n cen'uiy'
was alhhIeu NJ IIs oehu'y, iol ""e
made great by the di nasty OF lhnerlnhe'
who made II the seal OF VloerOyul gov
eminent Tor all ne provinces SCUM vi
ONns 1he influence OF lhe Mos,!i
conqnerers OF belhl was n'ghy
beneficial TO Htrat nj latter day;
and its prosperity whhed only IN
the beginning oi me sixteenth
century, when lslhntl' Shall OF fersla'
furious shan, persecuieu the Sunnltes
oi lleral. ana 'nccessiully sought 10
destroy the Guys lraue ny iouhuihg Tue
rival cily OF Meeneu' ne urhlsh
States north OF tue oxns also d, cayed;
and IN l'li, when me CITY was ailackeu
ny strange race OF cohquerors' u crIeu
for help IN VAIN. Inc new masters OF
llerat were the Aignans, oarDhrlan
ana warllke people OF lhe mountains
VINO founded tue province OF AIShan-
istan. since that illne lerat mas Deen
alternately captured anu rechPluteu
many lines during c,Vll or foreign
wars. Persia TOOK II III lS'3' WIN nus
sian oonnlVahcei nut Ehglahu NJ once
declared war upon W" Shah anu lorceu