‘Gazetteer of Kermanshah.’ [‎122r] (248/504)

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KERMA J AN—Kangavar.
A village o£*tlie Kangavar district. Proprietor. Yekil-ed-Dowleli. The
inhabitants are Khezels and Afshars. Cultivation: grain, rice and opium.
PROVINCE of KERMANSHAH—
The province of Kermanshah is contiguous to the provinces of Kurdistan,
Hamadan, Malayer and Tui-Sirkan, Nehavend and Luristan, and extends
up to the Turkish frontier from Mendali to Banakilan.
Before entering on the subject of the local produce of Kermanshah and
Local produce of Ker- district, it is necessary to give an idea of the extent
snaushah and district. of the province*
The province of Kermanshah lies between lat. 34° to 35° N. and long.
44° 5' to 48° O' E. Its boundaries are the vilayet of Bagdad (Kalleh
Sabzi) and Luristan Kuchik, or Pusht-i-Kuh, to the west and south, and
Kurdistan and the Governorships of Kangavar (pass of Beet Surkh) to the
north and east. The small Governorships of Kangavar and Assadabad
have recently been added to the province of Kermanshah.
The province of Kermanshah contains a great number of villages, mostly
Villages and villagers. inhabited by Kurds and Lurs. It is known for its
great production of grain and for its cattle.
The soil being fertile, and water plentiful in all seasons, the greater part
Production of wheat and of the province is either under cultivation, or forms
barley, natural pasture grounds of large extent.
The land is cultivated separately, each villager looking after his own bit
of land.
On account o£ the numerous mountains, which retain the rain-water, part
of the land is turned into “daim,” which does not require to be watered ;
the rest, or “ abi'■* land, is easily irrigated and without great outlay of
capital ; kanats are very scarce in this part of Persia.
Daim ” land is sown with corn, and allowed to lie fallow every other
year ; ef abi ” land, or irrigated land, is sown with grain one year and with
“ seifi ” (garden crops such as water melons, melons, cucumbers, etc.) the
following year.
We hear numerous accounts of the enormous surplus of grain produc
tion, and the consequently cheap prices.
In 1875 Captain Napier wrote : “A rough estimate, by several natives of
surplus produce of the province, gives a total of 380,000 kharvars (139,333
tons*) of wheat and barley, as ready to be placed in the market after the last
harvest (1875), at the low price of 8 krans per kharvar. Wheat was un
saleable as late as November, and it was stated that many landowners had
their granaries filled with wheat of the preceding year, which must be
given to the cattle, or even burnt, to make room for new crops.'”'}*
* 880,000 kharvars = 110,098 tons, not 139,333 tons. The unity of weight in Kermanshah
is the Mann Tabriz! ; consequently, 1 kharvar = 649 lbs.
f There are two ways of storing grain in the province of Kermanshah. The usual way is to
dig a large hole and lay straw in it ; the grain is then poured in the middle, and the hole
covered over and kahgelled. Each hole contains from 6 to 7 kbarvars, and grain thus stored
can be kept for many years, unless it be eaten by insects. The other way is to put the grain in
store-rooms, where it occasionally gets damaged, when the rain-water leaks through the roof.
As soon as insects are found in a store, or when the grain has been damaged by water, it is
either given to the cattle or destroyed, as it has no chance of sale. By the first system, proprietors
are not obliged to empty their granaries to make room for new crops.