Sykes' History of Persia - Heritage Institute

12 HISTORY OF PERSIA
before they were invented in Europe. This fact is
brought out clearly in Masudi/ where it is narrated that
the Persian slave who assassinated Omar knew how to
construct windmills. To-day in Persia these windmills
are found only in the districts where this wind blows.
The Climate of Ancient Persia.—The importance of
climate in its effect alike upon the configuration of a land
and upon its its people, government, and its is history so
great that it is of considerable interest to know whether
there has been any change in historical times.
Huntington ^ has devoted a chapter to this very
question, in which in addition to noting the changes
towards aridity in the basins of Lop, Turfan, and Sistan,
all of which he carefully examined, he has quoted my
views to the effect that Persian Baluchistan and Kerman
must have been more fertile when Alexander the Great
traversed them some 2200 years ago than they are
to-day.^ Take, for instance, one section of the Mighty
Greek's journey, from Bampur in Baluchistan to the
district of Rudbar in the Kerman province.* Throughout
the distance of one hundred and fifty miles I did not find
a single village or hamlet, and the whole country is now
only fit for occupation by nomads. It is impossible to
believe that the Greek army could have traversed the desert
as it is
to-day without great difficulty whereas Arrian
;
shows that when once the Bampur Valley had been reached
the army found enough supplies
to feed it for two months.
After this the refreshed heroes marched in comfort across
Southern Persia, by the route which our party was enabled
to traverse only by means of forage and all other supplies
laid out in advance at also
every stage. Huntington
gives other examples drawn from various sources, all of
which tend to show that the aridity
of Persia is increasing.
It is of course difficult to distinguish between deforesta-
tion caused by man and continued by his flocks and the
deforestation which is due entirely to change of climate.
In any case it is of interest to note that in the central
portion of Khorasan, termed Kuhistan in ancient times
1 Vide Chapter XLVI.
^ Ten Thousand Miles, etc., chap. xiv.
"^ The Pulse ofAsia, chap. xvi.
^ Vide op. cit. p. 144.