The Kaitáks are about twenty thousand men on the frontiers of Dághistán, who sometimes come to the towns of Aras and Shekí; a strange race of men like the beast of the day of judgement, with heads in the form of kettles, brows two fingers broad, shoulders so square that a man may easily stand upon them, thin limbs, round eyes, large heels, and red faces. They pretend to be Sháfítes; if they come to the market of Aras and Shekí, they come on waggons, or ride on buffaloes, because horses and asses could not carry their weight: as they pass with their turbans of the size of a cupola, saluting on both sides with great dignity, they seem to be of the race of Dejál (the Antichrist) true Oghúzians. These Kaitáks come originally from the province of Mahán, are Mogholian Turks, and therefore speak the Mogolic language, of which I could only collect a few words, as I remained but two days among them. I saw these people in the district of Mahmúdabád, and after having travelled further to the north, reached the kent Chailán on the frontier of Shirván on the banks of the river of Guílán, with six hundred houses of Turcomans and Oghúzians. Further on is the town Niázabád on the frontier of Shirván built by Yezdejerd-sháh, great ruins of its ancient magnificence are yet extant, it was ruined by the Moghols, who united with the Komúks and Kaitáks of Dághistán. In the reign of Murad III., Ferhád Páshá fixed his winter quarters here, and levelled the castle, when he left it in the spring. It is now the frontier between Dághistán and Persia, with forty quarters and as many mosques, a khán, bath and market-place, the seat of a Sultán who commands a thousand men. There are twelve magistrates; according to the statement of the Kelenter, there are more than six thousand houses surrounded by gardens. It is a pity that its strong castle lies in ruins; if God should again grant that it be restored to the Ottoman power, it might be easily repaired, and become a very strong castle. This town is surrounded by an endless plain on all four sides.
Pilgrimage of Ashár-Baba.
Ashár-Baba was one of the disciples of our great ancestor the Turk of Turks, Khoja Ahmed Yessúí; as the rites of Yessúí are liked in Persia the convent at this place is inhabited by more than a hundred Dervishes. It is a general pilgrimage, the inhabitants profess to be of the sect of Hanefí. We here took some companions and advanced to the north to the kent Ferrakhzád on the frontier of Shamákhi, and on the bank of the white river (Aksú) with five hundred houses, a mosque, a khán, a bath and a small market. The mihmándár of this place paid me many attentions. We advanced to the north amongst shady groves, dined at a hunting place of Sháh Khoda-bende, and arrived at Nílchaí, the same as blue river (Goksú), which coming from Dághistán joins the Kúr at this place.
Praise of Mount Caucasus.
The rivers which come from Mount Caucasus, on the south, flow into the Kúr, and those towards the north, straight into the Caspian Sea. Again there are rivers on the south side, which fall into the Black Sea, and on the north side into the Kúbán. Mount Caucasus is the greatest mountain in the world, its tracts are ruled by five different monarchs, and to the south the Abáza tribes are settled to the extent of eighty journies. On the east side on the border of the mountain are the Mingrelians, Georgians, Ajíkbásh, Shúshád, Kúrdíl, and Dadián to the extent of forty journies. Again there is the province of Tiflís on the Persian frontier, and the throne of the Alans (Serer-ul-allán) on the border of Mount Caucasus nineteen journies long; Dághistán, within Mount Caucasus, twenty journies long to the north. Inside of Mount Caucasus is also Circassia inhabited by the tribes Kabartaí, Bestí, Púltakaí, Khatúkaí, Memsúkh, Bozadúk, Takakú, Zana, Shefáke and other Circassian tribes, eighty-one journies. According to this reckoning the extent of all the tracts of Mount Caucasus is two hundred and forty journies. It is so high that it is seen at ten days distance. God has created on the surface of the earth one hundred and forty-eight mountains, twelve of the highest par excellence, are, Mount Caucasus, Mount Bingol, Mount Demavend, Mount Siján, Mount Kamar, the mountains in Germany at the source of the Danube; the mount Samúr, where the Zeiro and the Dniester take their origin. No man has ever reached half the height of Mount Caucasus: passing on our way through the districts of Dághistán we saw its top wrapped in clouds. But we shall now return to the description of our journey.
The kent of Kokchaí (the blue river) is a great place with a Kelenter and Mihmándár, seven hundred houses with gardens. The inhabitants are Sunnís, who pay tribute to Sháh Ismail for permission to wear beards. We continued our journey through fields to the north, for seven hours, and reached the kent Aksú, on the territory of Shamákhí, of one thousand houses, a mosque, khán and bath. The White River passes through the place and flows into the Kúr, it comes from the mountains of Shirván, waters the fields of Shamákhí and falls into the Kúr.
Description of the Town of Shamákhí.
It was first built by Yezdejerd Sháh the Persian Monarch; it is the centre of seven Khánliks, some spell it Shám Akhí (the brother of Damascus), and some Shám Ahí (the sigh of Damascus), because its first inhabitants were a colony from Damascus; forty Sultáns and forty judges are attached to it, seventy castles and thirteen hundred kents like large towns: Ulama Páshá and Pírí Páshá, two Vezírs of Sultán Súleimán took possession of it in their Emperor’s name, and Ulama Páshá was named governor of Shirván; Sháh Tahmás then besieged the town during three months, conquered it, and gave the government to his younger brother, Elkáss Mirza, who remained three years at his post, but then, being afraid of his brother, took flight with all his valuable things, came through the steppes in forty days to Kafa, embarked himself and paid his homage to Sultán Súleimán at Constantinople. In the year 954 (1547), Elkáss Mirza undertook with Lala Mustafa an expedition to Persia, and then took up his abode in the palace of Pertev Páshá at Constantinople. Having witnessed the pomp of Sultán Súleimán’s solemn entrance, he said, “How it is possible that with such power your Emperor of the Ottomans should not be at the same time the monarch of Iran?” Súleimán carried Elkáss along with him on the expedition to Wán and Azerbeiján. Lala Mustafa Páshá was named governor of Shirván, and Elkáss Mirza, his predecessor in this government, ravaged the provinces of Nakhshiván, Eriván, Genje, and Shirván. Sháh Tahmas having died, the castle of Shamákhí was taken after a siege of seven days from his son; Lala Páshá was named governor of Shamákhí, and Elkáss Mirza Khán of Mahmúdabád. He ravaged Persia as far as Isfahán in order to quench his thirst for vengeance. Shamákhí was then contested for by both powers, till in the reign of Murad III. it was conquered, and then repaired by Uzdemír-oghlí Páshá. The Persians reconquered it and lost it again to Ferhád Páshá. It remained in the hands of the Ottománs till the time of Sultán Murad IV. when the Persians took Derbend and Shamákhí by usurpation, and sent the garrison prisoners to Constantinople. It has ever since remained in the power of the Persians, and is now the seat of a Khán. The castle is on a hill on the bank of the river, the interior one is very strong, but the exterior is in decay. The town consists of about seven thousand well built houses, stone walls, and terraces, each house provided with water; there is an infinite number of gardens, and twenty-six quarters; the quarters called Meidán and Shabúrán being in the inner castle are the most elegant; there are seventy mosques, the oldest is that of Div Alí, who was one of the Kháns of Shah Tahmáss, but a Sunní; in the suburb is the great mosque of Sháh Safí, which rivals the vault of the palace of Chosroes. In the court-yard is a basin, and round it cells for students; the gates of the mosque of Ferhád Páshá are closed, because it has no endowment; the mosque of Uzdemír Osmán Páshá is a college, where the Muftí holds lectures: there is a dining establishment of Sultán Khodabende’s foundation, forty schools for boys, seven pleasant baths, the best of which is that of Shabúr, with numerous private rooms and a basin, its waiters are fine youths. Besides the public baths, there are private ones in every garden. There are forty caravánseraïs, in each of which many thousand tománs of wares are deposited. The public security is so great, that every man leaves his shop open, without the least danger, when he goes away on business; there are altogether twelve hundred shops. There is no Bezestán of stone, but nevertheless a great number of valuable articles; the coffee-houses are meeting-places for wits and learned men; the air is mild and the land fertile; rice, cotton, seven sorts of grapes, pears, and water-melons are in great perfection. The greatest part of the inhabitants are Sunnís of the Hanefirites, who perform their prayers secretly. I remained during seven days a guest of the Khán of Shamákhí, Takí Khán, a generous, liberal man, who liked society and good company. He presented us with many pieces of silk stuffs, ten tománs of Abássí, and a horse (Karajubúk). Being himself invited to the entertainment of the Khán of Eriván, he set out from Shamákhí with one thousand men. Marching to the north we came to the pilgrimage of Pírderkúh (the old man of the mountain) a great saint, a fine walking-place the view from which embraces all the buildings of Shamákhí; the inhabitants of three hundred adjacent villages are for the most part Dervishes of the order of Begtásh, belonging to the Convent of this Saint. We advanced from hence six hours to the north through a cultivated country, and reached the station of Pír Merízát, where we were treated as guests by the Kelenter. The convent of this place is called Pír Mirza by some, and Pír Mirka by others, but the proper mode of spelling the word is Merizát, which signifies incurvated, because his body is seated in one of the corners of the convent in an incurvated position, his face turned towards the Kiblah, his head recumbent on a rock. His body is light and white like cotton, without corruption at all. The Dervishes who are busy all day long in cleaning and sweeping the convent, put every night a basin of clear water at the feet of the Saint, and find it empty in the morning; his dress is thus always washed white without the least dust upon it. The brains of those who visit this place are perfumed by the scent of ambergris. Sheikh Sefí who came from Erdebíl to visit this Saint spent treasures in building this convent of Dervishes Begtáshí, which has its equal perhaps only in the town of Meshhed Mússa Riza. Its entrance fills all who visit it with a sacred awe, like culprits appearing before a great monarch as their judge. I visited it, read the Súra Yass in honour of the Saint, and made spiritual acquaintance with him. I am unable to quote the date of his death, as there is no chronostick on the gate; but one of the Dervishes told me that he was the Múëzzin of Sheikh Ibrahím Shirvání, who had arrived at such a degree of sanctity, that when he proclaimed prayers at the five hours, the skies all moved in uproar. Sheikh Ibrahím touched his back bone, which is the cause of his incurvated position and good preservation. Whoever says at his tomb the seven verses of a Fátihah may be sure to have for seven days the object of his wishes. Passing about a mile to the north of the convent, through gardens, we came to the Kent of Kharjdeh, another place of pilgrimage, which was covered with a cupola by Khodabende Sháh; in seven hours more, to the caravánseraï of Kúzlí, a great Khán, the foundation of Sháh Ismaíl; further on, to the station of six trees, a great caravánseraï with a ruined Kent, on the frontier of Derbend; and then to the pilgrimage of Khizrzende, who lies beneath a cupola in good preservation. Uzdemir-oghlí Pásha who came here hunting, built this cupola because he had great faith in the Saint. Still further northward in the district of Musekker, on the frontier of Shaburán, is the place Regál.
There is a Regál, a small Kent, near Shamákhí, but this has a mosque, a khán, a bath with gardens, and three thousand houses with terraces; it belonged formerly to Derbend and is now a dependence of Bakú, the inhabitants are for the most parts Turcomans, Kaitáks and natives of the towns of Dághistán, Enderí, Tarkhú, Koúk, and Thálibserán; they are not duellists, though many exist in these parts. We halted on the border of the river Regál, and afterwards continued our journey through the fields; all at once we saw a great troop coming from the Black Sea, which as we approached proved to be the troops of seven great Persian Kháns, viz. Eriván, Genje, Lor, Bakú, Kílán, Moghán, and many Sultáns, all in state dresses, with more than ten thousand men of Turcomans, Moghols, Kalmúks, Kodeks, Valács, and Cossacks, with a variety of dresses and arms, sounding trumpets of Efrasiáb, beating drums and kettle drums, and playing Persian tunes in a style beyond all description. The Khán of Eriván leaving the troops and advancing to meet us, the Khán of Shamákhí acquainted me with it. He saluted me first, and then the Kháns of Kílán and Bakú, and we continued improving our acquaintance till we arrived at the town of Bakú. So many salutes were fired from the walls and towers of Bakú that it seemed like a salamander in the fire of Nimrod’s pile. We met with Envoys who had arrived from the Russian towns of Astrakan, Heshdek and Terek, to compliment the Khán with presents on his feast; thus we entered the Castle of Bakú on Friday the first Moharrem of the year 1057 (1647).