'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART II: L to Z' [‎93v] (191/988)

713
MAR-MAR
MARVDASHT—
The plain is watered by the Band Amir and Pulvar rivers, the former
of which, flowing from north-west to south-east, cuts the plain in two and
offers a line of resistance on which to oppose a force advancing on, or from,
Shiraz. The hills to the south of the river command the Band Amir and
Pul-i-Khan crossings, and offer a good position to oppose a force advancing
from the north. In wet weather the portion of the plain south of the Band
Amir river becomes marshy, and impassable for wheeled traffic except by the
causeways of the road. In dry weather troops could move across the
plain, but north of the Band Amir river the numerous irrigation channels
would necessitate artillery and wheeled transport moving by the road—
{Howe, 1906.)
MARVDASHT— Elev.
A district of Ears and a plain about 22 miles north of Shiraz crossed on the
road to Isfahan. The plain is a flat expanse about 15 miles in width from
north to south, while its south-easterly extension is said to stretch for 40
miles. It is bounded on the east by the district of Arsinjan, on the north
by Kamin and Main, on the west by Ramjird and on the south by the dis
trict of Shiraz and Kurbal. Qandts and irrigation channels dug from the
Band Amir river intersect it in every direction, and have always rendered
it a fertile spot. Nothing, however, illustrates more pertinently the de
cline of modern Persia than the fact that, though this plain in Le Bran's day,
not two centuries ago, contained 880 villages, this total has so dwindled
that Curzon numbers them at 50 and other writers as low as 17. So inade
quate is the control of the water-supply that the plain often lies half under
water, and is converted into stagnant pools and swamps. The soil of the
plain is alluvial. It is chiefly composed of marl and is in general less stony
than that of Shiraz. In many parts, and particularly to the south-west,
it is a decided clay. It is higher than Shiraz and possesses every requisite
except good government to become populous. The productions of the dis
trict from the winter sowings are wheat, barley, bran and a little opium;
from the summer sowings, rice, grain, til, castor and cotton. Sesame
and melons are also cultivated in April, the plain is green and fertile. Num
bers of I Hat $ feed their flocks on the wide expanse of the plain, and, if not
kept in order, are apt to turn their hands to robbery. The plain affords
sustenance to a large population, which inhabits the following villages:—■
Name of village.
Owner.
Number
of
Houses.
P opula-
tion.
Plough
ing
oxen.
Crops of
wheat
and
barley-
in P
Amrabad . . ^
Basht-i-Bal (?)
Doulatabad .
I—Nasr-ul-Mulk
Hajl Tzz-ul-Mulk .
Dukhtar-i-Mushir
Haji Muhammad Salih
Kashiml.
| 60
40
60
300
250
200
40
20
60
50.000
26.000
75,000