'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia: About 1889-1890' [‎257r] (533/1486)

TEHERAN. 5
2. Only recently a small business has been done in copper buttons.
3. Tin (in blocks): 400 to 500 blocks, of 10 shahmans (130 lbs.) a
block, come annually from Bombay and Batavia.
4 . Spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and ginger, are
imported from India.
Amongst articles of export, opium occupies the chief place. The Exports,
yearly crop in and around Ispahan may be estimated now at about Opium.
40,000 shahmans, equal to about 232 tons; and the planting of opium
and its getting in gives occupation to a very great part of the popula
tion. The poppies are not cut before the beginning of June, and the
juice is then brought to the market in copper vessels. As a rule,
opium changes hands twice, and even oftener, before it comes into the
hands of the exporter, and varies very much in quality, according to
the soil in which it is grown—one of the most renowned districts being
the village of Kupa, at a short distance east of Ispahan. London and
Hong-kong are the chief customers, and the merchants prepare it
according to the wants of those markets. Of late years the planting of
opium has more and more encroached on the grounds available for cul
tivation, owing to its yielding heavier profits to the cultivator than
corn and other cereals. The quality of Ispahan opium is now much
appreciated in foreign markets, and more attention is being paid to its
preparation than formerly. We may take the annual exportation now
to be about 2,500 cases of 10 to 11 shahmans each, which, at an average
price of 200 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. , gives the respectable total of 500,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. ,
about 170,000/. Of course prices vary very much, according to supply
and demand. Last year the average price was about 21 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value.
(nearly 11.) for 1 shahman (13 lbs.) of prepared opium, whereas at the
beginning of this year the price was 17 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. (5/. 10s.) for 1 shahman
(13 lbs.), and now has risen to 19 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. . The fluctuations in the
prices are occasionally enormous. In one particular season (two or
three years ago) prices rose from 17 to 25 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. for the prepared
drug, which means about 9 to 13 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. in the raw or unprepared
state. Persian opium now competes successfully with other descrip
tions (Turkey, Asia Minor, Ac.) in London and llong-kong, and it is a
source of great wealth to this part of Persia. From Ispahan opium is
also sent to Shiraz and Yezd, where it is mixed with the native drug
grown in those parts, and thence exported to India and China. About
a quarter of the Ispahan opium is exported by English firms.
Second in importance as an article of export is tobacco. This Tobacco,
article is grown extensively in and around Ispahan, and exported by
English and Persian houses to Bagdad, Beyrouth, Aleppo, &c.
"it is reckoned that in an average year about 80,000 bales, of
7 -K shahmans each bale, are grown in this district, of which about
60,000 bales are exported to the places above mentioned, and also
about 20,000 bales to Tabreez. A certain quantity is also sent by way
of Kermanshah to Bagdad. The average price of tobacco is about
3 krans per man ■with the leafstalks, or clean (i.e., minus the stalks,
which are not used) about 4 krans for 1 shahman. The quality of
Ispahan tobacco is inferior to that of Shiraz.
The soil here produces, besides the above-mentioned articles, corn,
wheat, barley, vegetables, fruits, &c.; but none of these, with the
exception of dried fruits to a small extent, are exported. Export of
grains, which is generally forbidden by the Persian Government, is
occasionally allowed in Bushire and the district around it. The culti
vation of the soil here, as elsewhere in Persia, is of course limited to
the amount of water obtainable; but with a good system of irrigation
much might be done in this respect. The last two years’ cereals, and