New Britain herald., 1916-10-18

uprising Of tribeSmen who had waged
a holy war against the foreigners,
failed to attract more than casual
comment in the news dispatches from
the war fronts of Europe and Asia.
y ct had this city retained in the TWEEN
tleth century the power and magnifl-
cence which were hers in the seven
toenth, no news in tn world, not even
that affecting Berlin. London or Paris,
would have been Of greater interest,"
for in that era Ispahan, the capital of
its country, had reputation variously
estimated between a million and 500
600 while its palaces, gardens and
wonderful bazaarS were without rival
In any Cline" according to a war geo
graphy bulletin issued by the Nation
al Geographic society.
To-day Ispahan is scarcely the pro-
verbal shell or shadow of it's former
greatness" continues the bulletin,
land the prestige that was hers as the
capital of Persia has been transferred
to Teheran, 210 miles to the north.
Although the population still numbers
between 10000 and 100000, and the
traveller might be deceived by the
spectacle of its crowded covered ba-
Zaar which runs for three miles
through the center of the place, di-
Vlding it into north and south side
yet all beyond this thOrOughfare of
barter is desolate and in ruins. Pal
aces, once the pride Of shahs and the
delight Of harem favorites, are crumb-
ling into decay; of the 21O mosques
scattered over the twenty square
miles which the city covers only
few have retained an appreciate part
of their original richness and impress
sive grandeur the $50 public baths
have fallen into disuse; the wonderful
gardens and avenues of luXuriant
trees, Caressed by cascades of purest
water, are overgrown with weeds and
scragGly shrubs.
THE decline of the city has not
robbed the surrounding plain Of it's
geat fertility, however. It is a land
of fruitful orchards and groves; of
fields Of wheat, rice, barley cotton,
peoples (opium) and tobacco. The
Zayendeh river supplies the water
necessary for irrigation but In the fall
the size Of the stream Is reduced to
one-third it's volume of the early
spring.
with genial climate, owing to its
elevation of more than a mile above
sea level, Ispahan occupies the site of
the ancient royal city Of Gabae, which
flourished up to the time of Tanner
lane, who is supposed to have punisred
its hostile populace by erecting a
skull tower of 10000 heads near the
chief gate Of the city. This colossal
crime against humanity occurred dur
ing the last quarter Of the 14th CEN
fury, and it was nearly 200 years later
that Ispahan entered upon it's happiest
days under the Safavid dynasty, of
which the most distin guished repre-
sentative was Shan Abbas the Great,
the builder of the palace of Forty
Pillars, beautifier Of the city in a
thousand ways, and the sovereign who
attracted to his court ambassadors
from England, Russia, Spain, Portu
gal, Holland and India. Skilled art
sans from many European countries
were induced by him to settle in Ispa-
han and employ their talents in add
ing to the glory of the great capital.
with the invasion Of the barbar-
GUS Afghans under their youthful lead
or Mahmud, Just hundred years after
tho brilliant reign OF Ahbas the Great,
the glory of TSpahan faded rapidly.
This ruthless soldier, at the header OF
q desert -scOrched. ragged army Of less
than $4,000 men, met the richly
dcCked Persian army Of so, 600 on a
plain about nine miles from the walls
of the capital. The defeat of the de-
tenders was overwhelming, 5000 Per-
slams being left dead on the field Shah
Hosain succeeding in staVing off the
evil dav for six months but in Septem-
Der, 1922, he went himself to the
camp Of the invader and with his own
hand fixed the royal plume Of feath-
crs in the turban of Mahmud.
'TIosain had the year before ap-
nea1ed to Peter the Great, Car or
Russia for aid in driving back the Al
ghans( and the Russians, in answer to
this invitation had embarked forge
upon the NOlga. This army reached
the Caspian in July, 1722-~the first
time in history that the fag or the
MuscOvitos had hoated over the great
inland sea-but sucCOr mover reached
tho hapleSs HOSain.
"Mahmud's sway of less than three
Ncars-happily for the world ne dled
at the early age of twenty-seven was
q period Of friEhtful cruelty and
bloodshcd In ISpahan. On one occa-
sion he invited 800 of the chief mobiles
Of the kingdom to n banquet ana when
thcv assembled he had them all mas
sacred. Then. to complete the WORN,
Re sent his messengers to tn MONIES OIL
to slain mobiles and murdered thelr
children and wives. ON another occa-
sion he assembled all the members or
the household OF the deposed Shah
HoSain and butChercd them, begin
ming to slaughter with his own hand
ONLY Fosain was Intentionally spared,
hut one Of his sons, Tahmasp who had
escaped to the mountains, returned
and drove out the invaders a few
hi tra . n n
the city TahmaSp was suddenly
clasped in the arms of a wretched
creature who appeared to be slave
but who in reality was his mother who
had succeeded in escaping Mahmud's
massacre by affect 'ng this loWly dis
guiso and performing tho most mental
labOrs cor many months.
"Thc length Of the Afghan regime
a1la: ninht NnaES hut In that time