GIIILAN, or KILAN, the Gela of the ancients, is a pro vince of Persia, which stretches along the south-west shore of the Caspian Sea, from Kizilagatch to beyond Rudizar. On the south and south-east it is bounded by Irak and :Mazanderaun, on the north by Shirvan, and on the west by Azerbijan. It extends about 200 miles from north to south, and 150 from west to east. This province, which is one of the most beautiful and picturesque in Persia, is encircled with lofty and almost inaccessible mountains, and like Mazanderaun is intersected with forests and morasses. There are whole forests of oak, boxwood, mulberry, and walnut trees ; and honcy-suckles, flowers, sweet-briars, and roses, cover the vallies. The soil, which is excellent, affords hemp, hops, olives, rice, wheat, tobacco, and va rious kinds of fruit, such as lemons, oranges, peaches, and pomegranates. Grapes, though not of a good quality, are very plentiful ; and, as in Georgia, the vines which grow wild on the mountains support themselves on the trunks and branches of trees.
The manufactures and silk of Ghilan have been reckoned the best in Persia. The cultivation of silk is the principal employment of the inhabitants, and constitutes the chief trade of the province. It is annually exported in great quantities to Astracan from Resht and Lankeroon. TI.e finest kind is usually white, and is either sold to the Turks, or sent into the interior of Persia. The inferior kind, which Is yellow, is exported, to Russia.
The principal river in Ghilan is the Kizilozien, or Golden Stream. It is the Gozan of Scripture, and rises eight or nine miles to the north-west of Sennah in Kurdistan. After running along the north-west frontier of Irak, and passing under the Kufulan Koh, or mountain of Tigers, it is joined a little to the east of Meanna, by the Karanku, which has its origin in the mountains of Saltund to the west of Nleanna. Their united streams force a passage through the great range of Caucasan, and receive in their course the Shah rood. These collected currents traverse the province of Gillian, under the name of the Sifud Rood, or white river, and throw themselves into the Caspian. The road from Ilamadan to Resht is upon the edge of the deep chasm through which the river flows, and is described by Captain Sutherland as one of the grandest and most terrific scenes.
The principal town of Ghilan is Resin, on the Caspian. In rough weather, its harbour is less safe than that of Lan keroon in the district of Tails!).
The inhabitants of Ghilan are said to have a language of their own, different from the Persian and Turkish. Ghilan was ceded by Persia to Russia in 1724, taken by Catharine in 1780, and restored to Persia in t797. The nett revenue of the province is 14.9,490 tornarins, and 9058 dinars. See Kinncir's Geographical Memoir, p. 159, 160 ; and Moriel's Travels in Persia, p. 288.