Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1921-10-19

Prepared by the National Geographic 90
cIety, Washington. u. c.
Unlike Bahylon'a. Assyria and
Chaldrs, which existed little longer
than during their periods Of great
power Persia. once the peer of any
~ them, has maintained its entity
through an ebh and flow of fortune.
down to the present day. And now
the World war may be said to have
caused the "rcdiScoyery' of this his.
toric country. though us recent align.
mcut with soviet Russia holds out
possibilities that II may not receive
from the Western world the reJuve-
nation 'hat was promised.
Duriu, would fell TO recognize as
his wiyhty empire the narrow limits
Of mudprn Iran, It's borders now far
withdrawn from the waters of the
ONus aud the Indus from the shores
of 'hr Mediterranean and the wide
spread MeScpotamian plains; but the
nucleus still iS there in territory, race,
language and customs.
Persia of today Includes within q
territory still three times the size ~
France. ancient Media. mountainous
par,hla and the province Of Ears,
whence sprang her first great dynasty.
such monuments to the glory Of 'he
great kings ns the ruined capitals ~
Susa. Perscpolis and Ekbatana still
stand ON Persian soil.
The majority of the present inhahi-
tautS. although tinged with the blood
of Greek, Arab, Turk and Mungol con
querors, are the lineal descendants of
the original lraulan. or Aryan, popu-
lation, and speak language which
has for lis basic element the ancient
Persian tongue.
sultan Ahmed shah the one hun
dred nfty-slX'h king Of kings" sits
on the tottering Persian throne, while
the future Of his kingdom rests In the
hands OF outside powers.
Vast Desert Plateau With Gases.
Modern Persia. with the exception
OF the prosperous northwest province
~ Turklsh-speaking Azerbailan and
the semi-troplcal region between the
Elhurz mountains and the Caspian
sea. can be characterized as II vast
muuntain.ribbed desert plateau, stud
dcd here and there with oases which
most frequently form ribbons OF fer
tile green frlnging the desert NJ ths
bases of sterile mountain slopes from
Z hs
life giving moisture.
The encircling mountain walls shu
out the rain from the central table
land Rivers with sources hut M
mouths flow half the year and los'
| themselves In the parched deser
wastes.
The density OF population IL less
| than that of Texas, and more than
| half the country Is an unlnhnbltet
/ sahara. some Of II unexplored. Mucl
of the remainder is suitable only fo
| sheep-grazing part OF the year, thu
| forcing upon fourth OF her ten mil
/ lion people a semi-nomadic existence
/ between the high, well-watered noun
/ tain valleys in the summer and ia,
warm plains In the brief winter sea
son.
Some of these tribes, like the Kurds
! rarely leave their mountain homes
where they exist independently of
! central government control. Others
! like the Ghashgais and Bakht nris
! sometimes by coercion and sometime
/ through necessity Of political alliance
are yassals of the state, although the,
! pay allegiance only To their chlef'
! who arrange with regal authority 10
their followers the matters of take
and military service.
/ cities are naturally few and small
there being but two or three Of NOR
than 10000 inhabitants. The lowe
mountain valleys and the oases ar
! the centers for both town and agr
cultural population. and the wonder
ful fertility of these scattered nrea'
snatched from the bligh,lng grasp O
the desert. forms the basis for tn
startling contrasts In the climate q
this unusual country.
| Water II the chief concern OF IN
Persian peasant. Wherever he cal
divert the fcw Of a mountain streaI
or build crude canal from a we
or spring, Y small portion Of the de,
.r, becomes \ paradise and he prot