'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME II' [‎256r] (516/706)

Saveli. The province now comprises seveii districts called buluk, and
in 1896 had a population of some 45,000. It is governed by an official
appointed by the Shah, who has the title of Hakim ; its taxes amount
ed to about £9,000. The seven buluk are Humeh, Kumrud, Vazeh-Karud,
Kinar-i-Rudkhanoh, Kohistan, (Kuhistan), Jasb, and Ardahal.—(Sc/wwd-
ler.)
QUM (town)—Lat. -34° 32 / ; Long. 50W 54". Elev. 3,100'.
The capital of the province of the same name, situated in the Humeh
district, 87 miles from Tehran by the old road, via Hauz-i-Sultan and 93|
by the new one via ’Aliabad ; it lies on the right bank of the Anarbar in the
middle of an extensive plain. The population is estimated at 20,000, of
whom fully \ are composed of priests, Saiyids and their families. The
town was apparently founded by the Arabs in the eighth century. Qum
is a strong-hold of ShTahs, there are supposed to be over 400 Imamzadehs
or descendants of Imams buried here and it is a great place of pil
grimage. The shrine of Fatimah, sister of Imam Riza, is the great object
of pilgrimage, and is one of the most celebrated sanctuaries in Persia.
It presents at a distance very much the same appearance as one of the gilded
domes in the Kremlin at Moskow, and was originally erected by Shah Sultan
Husain, the gilding of the dome being subsequently commenced by
Path ’Ali Shah, and completed by the present king (Nasir-ud-Din). It
is, as usual, a surface of gold on plates of copper, and a handsome clock
was afterwards added to the dome by the liberality of the Governor of
Hamadan.
It is in the neighbourhood of this shrine that the Imamzadehs are buried
and the whole of the neighbouring ground outside the v r alls presents the
appearance of one vast burying ground. It is customary to make a pilgri
mage to this shrine before proceeding to Meshed or Karbala. A theolo
gical college was established here by Path’ Ali Shah, which is now held
in great repute, and is attended by more than 100 students.
It is enclosed by walls now in a very dilapidated state, with a ditch out
side. Like most Persian towns it is in ruins. The bazaars of Qum are
small and poor, but a brisk trade is generally carried on in them, especially
when the town is full of pilgrims. In the neighbourhood of the great
mosque and along the river there are hundreds of houses especially kept
for the accommodation of visitors.
The river in the town is crossed by a bridge of 9 arches, near which is
the post-house. It is built of substantial masonry, length about 225', the
river being 200' wide ; the centre arch is 45', the others 20'; width 18'.
Banks of clay low and steep ; the bed is pebbly. It is unfordable in the
end of April, but is said to dry up altogether two months later.
.Resources.—The water-supply is abundant though brackish in summer.
There is a glass factory An East India Company trading post. in the town, the other products are pottery and
shoes. The grain grown is abundant and of good quality, and particularly
good cotton is cultivated, which is largely exported to Russia.
Climate .—The climate of Qum in summer is hot, but somewhat less so
than that of Kashan, and the winter is severe. In the autumn dust-sto r ms
are common. Diphtheria has of late years been prevalent; in the autumn
of 1884 a severe epidemic broke out; small-pox also is seldom absent.