HERAT is a city of Persia, and formerly the capital of Khorassin. It is the ancient Aria or Artacoana, the capital of Ariana. Herat is situated in a spacious and highly cul tivated plain, encircled by lofty mountains, and traversed by the river Herirood, which runs into the Caspian Sea near Zaweh. The city, which covers an area of four square miles, is surrounded with a lofty wall and a wet ditch, and is defended by a citadel in the western face, which is a small square castle, built upon a mound with burnt brick, and flanked with towers at the angles. On each face of the city is a gate, and two in the northern face, and from each gate a spacious and well supplied bazar leads to the centre of the town. The street which leads from the southern gate to the cattle-market, opposite to the citadel, is covered with a vaulted roof. Independent of the public fountains on either side of the Bazars, almost every house has a separate fountain of water. The principal public buildings are the residence of the prince, and the chief mosque. The former is a mean building, with a common gateway. In the front of the building is an open square, with the gallows in the centre. The mosque, which is called the Mesghed Jame, was formerly a magnificent building, and covered a space of eight hundred square yards. It is now, however, falling rapidly into decay.
Herat carries on a very extensive trade, and has there fore received the appellation of Bunder or Port. It is the emporium of the commerce carried on between Cabul, Cashmere, Bukhara, Hindostan, and Persia. Cabul sup plies the inhabitants of Herat with shawls and raw sugar, chintz, muslin, leather, and Tartary skins, which they ex port to Meshed, Yezd, Kerman, Ispahan, and Tehraun, and receive in return dollars, tea, china-ware, broad cloth, copper, pepper, and sugar-candy. Kerman furnishes dates
and shawls, and they receive carpets from Ghaen. The staple commodities of Herat, are silks, saffron, and assa foetida, which are exported to Hindostan. The gardens are filled with mulberry trees for the use of the silk worms, and the assafcetida is produced on the plains and hills near the city. The trade is principally carried on by the Hin doos, who alone possess capital and credit, and who are highly distinguished by the government, in consequence of their great commercial concerns.
The severity which sometimes characterises the winter at Herat, is often injurious to the crops; but nothing can surpass the fertility of the plain, which produces the most abundant crops of wheat, barley, and every kind of fruit known in Persia. The roses in the vicinity of the town are so plentiful, that it has obtained the name of Sargultzar, or the city of roses. The cattle are small, and by no means numerous, but the broad tailed sheep are abundant. The revenue of the town is estimated at 41 lacks of rupees. It is raised by a tax on caravanscras, shops, and gardens, and a duty on exports and imports. The town is governed by Prince Hadjy Firooze, sot) of the late king of Cabul, who pays an annual tribute of 50,000 rupees to Persia. The population of Herat is 100,000, of whom 10,000 are Patens, 600 Hindoos, and the remainder Afghans, with a few Jews. East Long. 63° 14', North Lat, 34° 12'. See Macdonald Kinncir's Geographical Memoir of the Persian Empire, p. 181-183.