"أراضي الخلافة الشرقية في بلاد الرافدين، بلاد فارس، وآسيا الوسطى من الفتح الإسلامي إلى عصر تيمورلنك" [‎٤‎٣‎١] (٥٨٦/٤٧٤)

XXX]
KHURASAN.
431
and north-east, the road went to Mashhad and Tus, and from
here by Mazdaran to Sarakhs, at the crossing of the Tajand
river. From Sarakhs the desert was crossed to Great Marv, and
thence by the desert again the road reached the Oxus bank at
Amul (or Chahar-JHy), whence, after leaving Khurasan, Bukhara-
was the terminus. This stretch of the Khurasan road from
NaysaMr to Amul of the Oxus passage is given with but slight
variations by nearly all the Itineraries, and most of its stages still
exist at the present day under the old names 1 .
As already said, the Khurasan road branched to the right, one
stage beyond NaysaMr, whence Herat was reached. At Sarakhs
and Marv there were also bifurcations to the right, these roads
both going to Marv-ar-RM, and to this city also a road led north
from Herat. From Marv-ar-RM the main road then led north
east to Balkh, beyond which it crossed the Oxus to Tirmidh.
Taking first the Herat road, from the bifurcation at the Castle of
the Wind, it was four stages to Btizjan, and a like distance on to
Bushanj, whence to Herat was a day's march. This road is
given by Ibn Rustah and the geographers of the 4th (10th)
century, also by Mustawfi. From Biazjan and from Btishanj roads
respectively went off to the south-west and west, which centred in
Kayin, and the distances between the various cities of Kuhistan
are given by Istakhri and others. At Kayin also centred the roads
coming from Tabas and Khtir on the borders of the Great T3esert 2 .
From Herat southwards the road went down to Zaranj, passing
through Asfuzar, and crossing the Sijistan frontier between that
town and Farah (see above, p. 341). This road is given by Ibn
Rustah and the three geographers of the 4th (10th) century.
From Herat eastward, up the valley of the Han Rtid to the Ghilr
frontier, the names of the towns one day's march apart are given
by the same three authorities. From Herat through Kartikh the
distances are also given by the geographers of the 4th (10th)
century, in days' marches to Shurmm and Abshin in Ghurjistan,
whence down the Murghab Marv-ar-RM was reached. And to
Marv-ar-RM or Kasr Ahnaf (Martichak) the roads are given
1 I. K. 24, 25. Kud. 201, 202. I. R. 171. Ykb. 279. Muk. 348, 351.
Mst. 196 (as far as Sarakhs).
2 I. R. 172 (with details of road but no distances). 1st. 283, 284, 286.
I- H. 332, 333, 335. Muk. 351, 352. Mst. 197.