‘Gazetteer of Kermanshah.’ [‎155r] (314/504)

219
Parviz (590-628 A. D.)» According to the same author Khosrow Nur Shirva’i
is supposed to have built here a palace where he received, in the audience hall,
the homages of the Emperor of Rome, the Ruler of China and of the Khan
of the Tartars.
There are no ruins to he seen, and in all probability the town wns formerly
quite near Tak-i-Bostan where large mud embankments are still to be seen.
A few mounds or tumuli are also to be found here, and the Persians point
to one as the site of Khosrow Parviz’ palace.
No excavations have ever been made, and, for the present, one can only
make conjectures as to what may lav hiddeu under these tumuli or buried
within the enclosure of the mud embankment at Tak-i-Bostan.
Mr. De Morgan says : {i Kirmanchahan est designee par les auteurs
arabes sous le nom de Qarmisin ou Kirmisin. Isidore de Charaz Panomme
Kambadini, ce dernier nom ne s’applique pas au site actuel de la vilh qui
iPest pas tres ancienne, mais bien aux ruines qu’oo rencontre a quelques
kilometres plus au nord.”
The village of Kermanshah Kohneh is supposed to have been the
emplacement of the Government buildings and arsenal before and during the
Turkish occupation.
Amongst European authors, for centuries, no mention of the place is
made, dhe Jesuit, Raphael Dumas of Isfahan, just mentions it as
Kermanshah “ la capitale des Gourdes.”
Pietro della Valle who in 1616-17 passed the plain of Kermanshah
on his way from Mahidasbt to the Pol-i-Sbah or Pol-i-Karasu, never
mentions Kermanshah, although lie must have passed within a few miles
of the town.
The following are a few notes I have been able to gather on the history
of Kermanshah during the last two centuries :—
In the time of Mahmud Khan Afghan, Kermanshah was subdued by
Ahmed, the Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. of Baghdad, but later on Ashraff Khan compelled him to
leave Kermanshah and to fall back upon Baghdad.
Daring the wars between Nadir Shah and the Turks (130 135), Kerman
shah was taken and retaken many times by the Turks, but remained finally
in the hands of the Persians.
From the Tarikh-i-Mujineli-bard-Nad ri, which has been published by
Dr. Mann, we learn that Mirza Mohammed Taki was Governor of
Kermanshah under Nadir Shah, who in 1154 A. H. bestowed upon him the
title of Mustowfi-ul-Mamalek. On, the death of Nadir Shah, Mirza
Mohammed Taki took the part of Ali Shah against B rahim Shah. This
latter besieged Kermanshah, which was surrendered by Mirza Mohammed
Taki, together with all the military implements and stores collected in the
town by Nadir Shah. Ibrahim Shah having been defeated and killed by
Shah-Rukh, M irza Mohammed Taki declared himself independant chief
of Kermanshah. The town was many a time pillaged by the Zends under
the oirection of Kerim Khan, then a highwayman whose stronghold was afc
Pariveh near Hersin, Kerim Khan, having taken in hand the reins of the
Government, invested Kermanshah in 1164 A. H., but had to retire
on hearing of the defeat of Ali Merlan Khan, Ali Merlan Khan was killed
near Nehavend and the siege of KermanshaH was renewed and vigorously