'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia: About 1889-1890' [‎706r] (1432/1486)

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necessarily confine their trade to the Caspian ports,
and therefore to Russia, with which country those
ports are in direct steam communication. Azerbaijan,
with its capital, Tabreez, will continue to conduct its
foreign trade, partly through Erzeroum and Trebizond,
and partly through the Caucasus. Probably the
foreign trade of Kermanshah will continue to pass, as
it does now, by way of Baghdad and the 1 igris.
There is therefore almost a complete circle of
provinces on the western, northern, eastern, and
southern frontiers of Persia whose trade will be
little if at all affected by the opening up of the Karun
river. There remains, however, nearly the whole of
Central and South-western Persia, where the effect
of a new opening by way of the Karun may be
expected to be very considerable. In this region the
principal cities and trade centres are Teheran, Ispahan,
Kashan, Koom, Ramadan, Sultanabad, Dowletabad,
Burujird, Shushter, Dizful, and Mohammerah.
Teheran, the capital, is a city of at least 120,000
inhabitants, where much of the wealth of the country
is accumulated, and where a good deal of it is spent
on Pluropean manufactures of all kinds. The bazaars,
which are spacious and well built, are always crowded,
and show every sign of great commercial activity.
English cotton goods, which formerly monopolised
the market, still predominate, although those of
Russian origin have of late years made great way.
Woollen cloth comes chiefly from Austria, while
Russia has practically the whole trade in sugar,
candles, pottery, brasswork, and hardware generally.
The gradual supersession of English by Russian
manufactures which has been going on for some