'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎211v] (427/706)

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MlHlDASHT
traverse the country in every direction and water the villages. The plain
grows vast crops of wheat and barley which are reaped about the end of June.
Crops on the adjacent slopes ripen later proportionally to height. At this
season a portion of land is under plough for next year’s crops. It also affords
grazing to numerous herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats belonging to
the surrounding villages and numerous camps of Mahidasht Kurds, who dwell
here during the summer, migrating in winter to the Garms'r about Khaniqm
and Mandali. The hills north-east and south-west of the plain rise to a height
of from 7,000 to 8,000 feet above the sea. The winter is severe, the plain
being covered with snow, while in summer the temperature ranges from 90°
at mid-day in July to 55° at night.
The plain is celebrated as one of the most productive tracts of Persia.
It is said to furnish two-thirds of the grain supply for the town of Kir-
manshah, and its grain fetches 4 krans more per kharwcr than that from other
parts of the province.
The plain of Mahidasht numbers some 400 villages and hamlets, and is
divided into two parts for revenue purposes, Mahidasht-Zanganeh on the
right bank of the Mark and also on the opposite bank and Mahidasht Kalliur
along the mountains forming the limits of the plain towards the Haranabad
side.
The population of Mahidasht plain is said to be some 6,000 families composed
principally of Kalhurs, Zanganehs and Smjabis. Most of the inhabitants
leave their villages to join their tribes in the qishl'qs near the frontier.
They take with them their cattle and horses, and the cattle and horses of
those who remain.
The yaildqs of the Sinjabis are in the mountains to the north of the plain.
Some Kalhurs have their yaildqs to the south of the plain.
In the plain of Kirmanshah are also found small tribes which have no
importance whatever. Such are the Mahmudwand of the Jaf-i-Fathbegi,
the Turkanshawand, who number some 100 houses, and are also to be found
in the- Parau mountains. The Shahrazuli, Khumavui, Zauleh Zanganeh,
Baityaravand, etc.
There are three routes from Mahidasht to Kirmanshah. The main route
followed by all travellers, and two others only used by villagers. Of
these two routes, the one leaves the main route at 2 farsakhs from Mahidasht,
passes through the small valley between Mah'dasht and ’Ain-ul-Kosh, and
thence to Tueh-Latif and Sarab ; the other leaves the main route in the
Mahidasht, plain, passes by Gardaneh Milleh Chakhmagheh and reaches Siah
Kamar north-west of Kirmanshah in the plain of Kirmanshah at If farsakhs
from the town.
The plain of Mahidasht is about 21- farsakhs in width and is ended by a
range of mountains called Kuh-i-Lalaban which extends from Sar-Firuz-
abad to Gardaneh Kurkur. The Kuh-i-Zangalian is joined at Qunrsheh,
a village belonging to Saiyid Hassan Naghib, by a range of mountains
which extends to Bar Firuzabad.
From Kurkur to Haftashian the distance is said to be 4 farsakhs; that
is to say, from the spot where the Mahidasht-Harunabad road passes through
the Kurkur Mountain up* to Haftashian, the distance is 4 farsakhs.