by Robert Byron
We should have liked to accept Seyid Jemal’s invitation. It would have been amusing to have walked over to the Landi Kotal barracks next day and revealed casually that we were staying down the road with our chauffeur. But even now we are not sure if we shall catch the Maloja at Bombay. With his usual good-humour Seyid Jemal forsook his family and took us on. The hills opened out, disclosing the level tree-scattered eternity of India. At half-past seven we were drinking gin fizzes in the marble lounge of Dean’s Hotel.
We said goodbye to Seyid Jemal with real regret. Between Mazar and Peshawar he had driven us altogether 840 miles. He was never ill-tempered or depressed by obstacles, but always calm and amused, punctual, polite, and efficient. During the whole journey, over the most difficult roads a motor could tackle, we did not once see the tool-box opened or a tyre changed.
The lorry was a Chevrolet.
The Frontier Mail, June 21st.—We stopped the night at Delhi, and next morning, before the sun was up, were standing beneath Lutyens’s memorial arch. A few novelties have been added since the Viceroy went into residence: Jagger’s Assyrio-Cartier elephants, a plan of the city in gold on the base of; the Jaipur Column, and statues of Irwin and Reading, which commonise the Great Palace. I suggested to Lord Irwin he should be done by Epstein. He answered, “I thought you’d say that”, and sat to Reid Dick. As for the gradient of the King’s Way, it won’t be my fault if Baker is not remembered for calculating malevolence.
It was curious at the Kutb to see ornament in the Seljuk style carved out of stone instead of stucco. The virtue goes out of it in this other material; it becomes Indian and painstaking, and loses its freedom.
This train left Peshawar only fifteen hours after we did, so that we had not much time.
S.s. “Maloja”, June 25th.—A big boat of 20,000 tons, pitching through an inky sea. Clouds of spray; salt and sweat and boredom everywhere. The sound of retching and an empty dining-room.
After previous experience of a really cheery voyage by P. and O. in the crowded season, I came on board with dread. But that was four years ago, when Italian competition had only just begun. Now I detect a change for the better in manners and obligingness. Also the boat is only half full, so that we escape the communal life of a boarding-house. None the less it is an appalling penalty: a fortnight blotted out of one’s life at great expense.
S.s. “Maloja”, July 1st.—We have made friends with Mr. and Mrs. Chichester and Miss Wills. Seeing Christopher slopping about the deck in a pair of shorts and that red blouse he bought at Abbasabad, Miss Wills asked: “Are you an explorer?”
“No,” answered Christopher, “but I’ve been in Afghanistan.”
“Ah, Afghanistan,” said Chichester, “that’s in India, isn’t it?”
Savernake, July 8th.—I left Christopher at Marseilles. He was going to Berlin to see Frau Wassmuss. England looked drab and ugly from the train, owing to the drought. At Paddington I began to feel dazed, dazed at the prospect of coming to a stop, at the impending collision between eleven months’ momentum and the immobility of a beloved home. The collision happened; it was 19½ days since we left Kabul. Our dogs ran up. And then my mother—to whom, now it is finished, I deliver the whole record; what I have seen she taught me to see, and will tell me if I have honoured it.
INDEX
Abadeh, 151
Abbas, Shah, 79, 105, 106, 130, 132, 149, 197–198, 225, 226
Abbasabad, 78–79, 235
Abbott, J., British officer, 94
Abdul Rahim Khan, Governor of Herat, 86, 96, 104, 111, 260
Abdullah, Emir of Transjordania, 36
Abdullah Ansari, Khoja, 105–106
Abdullatif, son of Ulugh Beg, 255, 256–257
Abdurrahman, Emir of Afghanistan, 98
Abu Bakr, first Caliph, 34
Abulkasim, Babur, son of Baisanghor, 257, 296, 297
Abu Nasr Parsa, Khoja, 296
Abu Said, Sultan, 257, 296
Abul Ghanaim Marzuban, 197
Afghanistan, 87–88, 89, 90, 95, 96, 97, 130, 138–139, 140, 141, 211, 212, 213, 236, 237–238, 268, 282, 291, 293–295, 318
Agacha, Khoja, 297
Ak Bulagh, 61, 62–63
Akcha, 280, 283
Ala-ad-Daula, son of Baisanghor, 255, 256, 257
Alexander the Great, 20, 187, 190, 267
“Alexander’s Wall”, 231
Ali, ex-King, 36
Ali, Hazrat, fourth Caliph, 285–286
Ali Shir Nevai, 90, 93, 109–110
Ali-ar-Riza, see Riza, Imam
Allenby, Lord, 23
Amanullah, King of Afghanistan, 39, 86, 88, 95, 111, 114, 145, 293, 295, 327, 328
Amiriya, 76, 233
Amu Darya river, see Oxus
Anau, 298
Andkhoi, 275, 278, 280
Aprsam, minister of Ardeshir, 174
Arch of Ctesiphon, see Ctesiphon
Ardarun V, 174
Ardekan, 208
Ardeshir, 162, 164, 165, 173, 174
Ardistan, Mosque, 208
Arnold, Matthew, 290
Artaxerxes, 42
ASHRAF, 225, 226
Palace, 225–226
Assadi, Mutavali Bashi of Meshed Shrine, 218, 238
Asterabad, 137, 225, 227
Avicenna, 322
Ayn Varzan, 76
Ayrum, Chief of Police in Teheran, 175, 192, 213
Azerbaijan, 54, 60, 67
Baalbek, 30–33
Babur, Emperor of India, 90, 91-92, 93, 94, 100, 101, 102, 105, 110, 324
Badakshan, 305, 328
BAGHDAD, 35, 36, 37 Museum, 38
Baglan, 312
Baglan plain, 310, 312, 326
Bahramabad, 204
Baisanghor, son of Shah Rukh, 244, 254, 255, 257, 258
Baker, Sir Herbert, 332
Bala Murghab, 261, 263, 266, 267–269, 270, 287, 294
Balfour, Lord, 23, 153
Balkh, 237, 283–285, 286, 295, 296, 297
Shrine of Khoja Abu Nasr Parsa, 284, 296, 297
Shrine of Khoja Agacha, 297
Bamian, 309, 310, 314–315, 317
Buddhas and caves, 314–317
Bandar Shah, 226, 232–233
Band-i-Turkestan, 118, 124, 266
Barfak, see Tala-Barfak
Barnabas, 6
Bassewitz, Graf von, 86
Bathe, K. de, 67, 138
Bazl, Farajollah, 47
Bell, Gertrude, 38
Bella Paese Abbey, 8
Bethlehem, 17, 22
Beyrut, 28–29, 107, 177
Bihzad, 93, 94, 102
Bisitun, 43
Blücher, German Minister to Persia, 144
Bokhara, 245, 256, 269, 277, 295, 298
Bokhara Kala plain, 274
BOSTAM, 133 Mosque of Bayazid, 133
Bouriachenko, M., Russian Consul at Mazar-i-Sherif, 298–301, 302
Bretschneider, E., 93
Bujnurd, 227, 232
Burnes, Sir Alexander, 94
Byron, Lord, 45
Catherine Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, 7
Chardin, Jean Baptiste, 132
Charikar, 318, 319
Chayab, 292, 309
Chinaran, 239
Clavijo, Gonzalez de, 252
Conolly, Arthur, 94, 98
Constantinople, 108, 115, 169, 183, 254
Coste, P., 174
Cotton, Sir Dodmore, 225
Ctesiphon, Arch of, 37–38, 42
Cyprus, 6–13
Cyprus, Archbishop of, 8, 13
Cyrus, 190
Dacca, 329
DAMASCUS, 26, 34–35
Omayad Mosque, 27–28
DAMGHAN, 77, 78, 170, 233, 234, 322
Pir Alam Dar, 202
Tarikh Khana, 77
Dar-al-Aman, 327–328
Darbend, 146, 210
Darius, 42, 44, 187, 224
Dash Bulagh, 62
Datiev, Russian Consul in Teheran, 143, 144
Daulat Shah, 99
Dehdadi fort, 293
DELHI, 331–332
King’s Way, 332
Kutb Minar, 97, 109, 332
Viceroy’s House, 331
Delijan, 147–148
Demavend, 46–47, 77
Dick, William Reid, 331
Dieulafoy, Marcel, 155, 165, 167, 168
Diez, Professor Ernst, 95, 99, 227, 248
Diver, Maud, 94
Dost Mohammad, Emir of Afghanistan, 105, 268
Doughty, Charles, 35
Durah pass, 309
Durand, Major E. L., 253
Egypt, 33
Einstein, Professor, 23
Elburz mountains, 44, 46, 76, 77, 146, 224, 228, 230
Ellenborough, Lord, 324
Emir-i-Jang, 47, 137
Enver Pasha, 295
Faizabad, 279
FAMAGUSTA, 10–12
Cathedral, 11, 12
Citadel, 11
Martinengo bastion, 12
“Othello’s Tower”, 12
Palace, 11
Feisal, King of Iraq, 24, 36, 38
Ferishta, 324
Ferrier, J. P., 94, 98, 106, 282–283
Firdaussi, 49, 83, 84, 322
Firuza Begum, 296
FIRUZABAD, 152, 155, 160, 162, 163–164, 165, 197
Kala-i-Dukhtar, 162, 170–172, 173
Kala-i-Pisa, 162
Palace of Ardeshir, 152, 162, 164–165, 166, 167–169, 316
Firuzkuh, 224, 232
Flandin, E., 174
Flury, S., epigraphist, 322
Foucher, Alfred, 298
Garland, Archdeacon, 150
Ghazi, King of Iraq, 73
GHAZNI, 322–326
“Towers of Victory”, 322–324
Ghiyas-ad-Din, Emir, father of Gohar Shad, 253
Ghiyas-ad-Din, son of Sam, Ghorid Sultan, 109
Giraldi, painter employed by Shah Abbas, 106
Godard, A., director of the Persian Antiquities Service, 191, 217
Gohar Shad Begum, wife of Shah Rukh, 99, 100–101, 102, 132, 218, 241, 244, 252–256, 257, 258
Golden Swimmer, river of the, 54
Gordon, Joshua, 23, 24
Gulhek, 45–46
GUMBAD-I-KABUS, 227, 230–231, 232
Tower of Kabus, 230–231, 245, 248, 323–324
Gur, 164
Gurgan river, 229, 231
Gytheion, 6
Habibullah, Emir of Afghanistan, 327
Hackin, J., 315, 316
Hafiz, Tomb of, 154
Haibak, 288, 292, 300, 301, 302
Hajiabad, 249
HAMADAN, 42, 142, 217
Gumbad-i-Alaviyan, 43–44, 48, 133
Hannibal, descendant of Peter the Great’s negro, 48–49
Hari river, 114, 115
Harun-al-Rashid, Caliph, 81, 131
Hassan, Hazrat, 147
Hazaras, 79, 277, 307
Hazrat Imam, 291, 292, 309
Henry VIII, King of England, 6
HERAT, 85–88, 89–90, 92, 93, 94–95, 98, 109, 111–114, 115, 127–128, 237, 248–249, 250–251, 252, 256, 257, 258, 280
Bridge of Malan, 114
Citadel of Ikhtiar-ad-Din, 87, 103–104, 256, 257
College of Gohar Shad, 100, 101, 253–254, 256
Friday Mosque, 108–109, 110–111
Gazar Gah, 105, 106, 251
Mausoleum of Gohar Shad, 89, 97, 99, 100–101, 106, 252, 254–255, 256, 257, 258, 286, 296
Musalla, 89, 90, 93–94, 97–102, 130, 132, 202, 238, 245, 249, 251, 253, 286
Stone of the Seven Pens, 102
Takht-i-Safar, 106–107
Herzfeld, Professor Ernst, 44, 70, 71, 73, 152, 154, 174, 175–176, 178, 182, 184–187, 189–190, 191, 315
Hitler, Adolf, 33, 144, 179
Hoare, Sir Reginald, 175
Holdich, Sir Thomas, 275
Huan Tsang, 315
Hulagu, 37, 57
Humayun, Emperor of India, 94, 105
Humphreys, Sir Francis, 10
Hussein, King of the Hejaz, 34
Hussein Baikara, Sultan of Herat, 93, 97, 101, 102, 106, 109, 110, 286, 297
Ibn Battuta, 324
Ibrahim, son of Ala-ad-Daula, 257, 324
Ibrahimabad, 161, 166, 175
India, 33, 329–332
Inyatullah, brother of Amanullah, 86
Ionian Islands, 5
Iran, see Persia
Irwin, Lord, 331
ISFAHAN, 94, 132, 143, 148, 149, 150, 190, 191, 192, 194, 195–196, 197, 208, 226, 245, 248, 258, 322
Ali Gapu, 148, 198
Bazaar Gate, 148
Bridge of Ali Verdi Khan, 149
Char Bagh, 149, 150, 194–195
Chihil Sutun, 148, 193, 194
College of the Mother of the Shah, 149, 195
Friday Mosque, 149, 196–197, 198, 208, 245
Kuh-i-Sufi, 195
Maidan, 148, 149, 191, 197, 198
Masjid-i-Shah, 148
Mosque of Sheikh Lufullah, 148–149, 198–200, 238, 245
Royal Mosque, 197
Islamkillah, 128, 250
Ismail, Shah, 94
Ismailabad, 161, 166
Jaffa, 15
Jagger, Charles, 331
Jam, Mahmud, Persian Minister of the Interior, 47, 227
Jami, poet, 93, 296
Jamshyd, 42
Jannabi, historian, 231
Jeffery, George, 8–9, 11
Jelallabad, 329
Jenghis Khan, 253, 284, 286
JERUSALEM, 10, 14, 16–17, 24, 25, 26
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, 17–21, 25–26
Dome of the Rock, 17, 21–22
King David Hotel, 15–16, 184
King David Street, 16
Weeping Wall, 21
Jews, of Central Asia, 119, 121, 236–238, 268, 294–295
Joseph of Arimathaea, 20
JULFA, 45, 151, 193, 194
Armenian Cathedral and museum, 151
Kabul, 319, 320, 321, 326
Kabul river, 329
Kabus, 230–331
Kadam Gah, 79–80
Kaffirs, 307
Kala Julk, 60–62
Kala Nao, 117, 119–123, 258, 261, 262, 265, 277, 294
Kalamata, 5
Kampirak pass, 312–313
Kangovar, 43
Karind, 42
Kariz (Afghanistan), 272–274
Kariz (Persia), 128, 245, 246, 248, 249, 250, 251
KAROKH, 115, 116–117, 124, 125–127, 258
Shrine and Tomb of Sheikh-al-Islam, 115–116
Karokh Sar, 125
Kashgar, 269
Kasr-i-Kajar, 209
Kasr-i-Shirin, 42
Kassan, Mausoleum at, 317
Kataghan, 305
Kavam-ad-Din, architect, 99, 241
Kavam-al-Mulk, 137, 203
Kavar, 156, 158, 159–160
Kazaks, 79, 118
Kazerun, 176
KAZVIN, 49, 217
Friday Mosque, 217, 317
Ken, Bishop, Ion and William, nephews of, 6–7
Kerat, minaret, 248
Khanabad, 301, 306, 308–310
Khanikin, 41
Khanikov, Nikolai, 94–95, 101, 106
Khoja Duka, 282
Khondemir, historian, 93, 98, 100, 110, 114, 256
Khorasan, 93, 110, 130, 131, 235, 237, 256, 286
Khosrugird, Minaret of, 79
Khyber pass, 329–330
KIRMAN, 143, 204
College of Ganj-i-Ali Khan, 205–206
Friday Mosque, 204
Jabal-i-Sang, 204
Kuba-i-Sabz, 205
Kirmanshah, 41, 42, 146
Tak-i-Bostan, 43–43
Kiti, 8, 13
Krefter, 44, 175, 177, 178, 184, 186, 189
KUM, 146
Shrine, 147147
Kunduz, 302, 305, 307
Kunduz river,
306–307, 310, 312, 313–314, 318–319, 326
Kushk, 96
KYRENIA, 8
St. Hilarion’s Castle, 8, 9
Lal, Mohun, 94, 106–107, 252, 254
Laman, 122, 123, 124, 125, 259, 261
Lambskins, 154, 236–237, 263, 280–281
Landi Kotal, 330–331
Larnaca, 6, 12–13
Lazarus, 6
Lebanon, 32, 33 Lenin, 3–4
Lutfullah, Sheikh, 198
Lutyens, Sir Edwin, 331
Maconochie, Sir Richard, 320
Mahmud, Abulkasim, Ghaznavide Sultan, 322, 323, 324, 325
MAHUN, 205, 206-207
Shrine of Niamatullah, 205–206
Maimena, 265, 269, 275, 276–278, 279, 287
Malek Shah, Seljuk, 149
Mamun, son of Harun-al-Rashid, 131
Mar Shimun, 10, 52
MARAGHA, 55, 57, 58–59
Observatory, 57–58
Red Tower, 58, 197
Tower “of the Mother of Hulagu”, 55–56
Masson, Charles, 315
Masud III, Ghaznavide Sultan, 322, 323, 324
Matapan, Cape, 5–6
MAZAR-I-SHERIF, 237, 249, 265, 278, 280, 285–286, 287–288, 291, 295, 297–301, 302–303
Shrine of Ali, 286–287
Small Shrines, 286
MERV, 93, 131, 267
Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, 83–84
MESHED, 63, 74, 79, 81, 83, 84–85, 95, 103, 129, 130, 131, 227, 235–237, 238, 286, 287
Library of the Shrine, 254
Masjid-i-Shah, 130
Musalla, 130–131
Shrine of the Imam Riza, 82–83, 100, 131–132, 218, 238–239, 240–245, 253, 254
Shrine of Khoja Rabi, 130
Mesopotamia, 36–37
Miana, 54, 63–64
Mirkhond, historian, 93, 110
Mirza Yantz, 44–45, 47, 137, 139
Moghor, 258, 264–266
Mohammad, son of Baisanghor, 106
Mohammad Gul Khan, Minister of the Interior for Afghan Turkestan, 284, 285, 287, 288, 289, 290–292, 295
Mohammad ibn el Bassam, El Haj, 35
Mohammad Juki, son of Shah Rukh, 255
Mohammad Parsa, Khoja, 296
Mohammad-al-Muzaffar, son of Ghiyas-ad-Din Mansur, 106
Moorcroft, William, 276, 302
Moore, Mrs., 184, 192, 218–219
Mostafavi, Dr., 177, 184, 186
Muk pass, 161
Mukadasi, 114
Murghab, see Bala Murghab
Murghab river, 266–267, 268
Muzaffar, painter, 191–192
Nadir Shah, King of Afghanistan, 73, 86, 96, 293
Nadir Shah, of Persia, 94, 315