Kazvin

KAZVIN (Qazvin), a province and town of Persia. The province is bounded on the north by Gilan and Mazanderan, west by Khamseh, east by Tehran and south by Hamadan and is pre-eminently a grain and fruit producing district, great quan tities of the latter being dried and exported. The revenue in 1926-27 was 3,012,190 krans (about L66,937).

Kazvin, the chief town, 36° 15' N. and 5o° E., is ioo miles from Tehran, at the foot of the southern slope of the Elburz range at an altitude of 4,165 ft. The population is variously estimated at 5o,00o–ioo,000. It is an important centre of roads which have been made more or lesg suitable for carriage and motor traffic—to Tehran, to Pahlavi on the Caspian, to Tabriz, and to Hamadan—and it carries on a thriving transit trade. It is especially a market for the raw silk, rice and fish of Gilan, and manufactures carpets.

The city, founded by Shapur II., was a strong place in early Persian times and flourished greatly under the Muslims. Harun

ar-Rashid built a mosque there and showed it distinguished marks of favour. Though ruined later by the Mongol invasion at the beginning of the XIIIth century, it revived again under the Safavis. Tahmasp I. (1524-76) made it his capital and Abbas I. adorned it with fine buildings, but transferred the seat. of government to Isfahan. In 1723 its inhabitants drove back the Afghans. More than once the town has been damaged by earthquakes.

KEA,

a parrot allied to the nestor (q.v.) and, like it, confined to New Zealand. Originally feeding on carrion, grubs, fruits and seeds, the kea (Nestor notabilis) came to rely more and more upon the offal of slaughter-houses on the sheep-runs. This taste for flesh has led it to acquire the habit of attacking living sheep. It is particularly fond of the kidneys, which it obtains by pecking its way through the flesh of the back.

See G. R. Marriner, The Kea (Christchurch, 19o9).