A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 02: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 02: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
language. I have been very brief in relation to Germany, as that country
is in our neighbourhood, and is therefore well known to many, on which
account it would have been both superfluous and tiresome to have given a
minute description of what every one knows.
[1] This almost certainty a corruption of Troki--E.
[2] Though this place must assuredly be a town in Germany, between
Frankfort on the Oder and Nurenburgh, its name is so disguised as to
be quite unintelligible.--E.
SECTION X.
_Recapitulation of some circumstances respecting Persia._
The empire of Uzun-Hassan is very extensive, and is bounded by Turkey and
Caramania, belonging to the Sultan, and which latter country extends to
Aleppo. Uzun-Hassan took the kingdom of Persia from _Causa_[1], whom he
put to death. The city of Ecbatana, or Tauris, is the usual residence of
Uzun-Hassan; Persepolis, or _Shiras_[2], which is twenty-four days
journey from thence, being the last city of his empire, bordering on the
Zagathais, who are the sons of Buzech, sultan of the Tartars, and with
whom he is continually at war. On the other side is the country of Media,
which is under subjection to _Sivansa_, who pays a kind of yearly tribute
to Uzun-Hassan. It is said that he has likewise some provinces on the
other side of the Euphrates, in the neighbourhood of the Turks[3]. The
whole country, all the way to Ispahan, six days journey from Persepolis,
is exceedingly arid, having very few trees and little water, yet it is
fertile in grain and other provisions. The king seemed to me about
seventy years of age, of large stature, with a pleasant countenance, and
very lean. His eldest son, named Ogurlu Mohamed, was much spoken of when
I was in Persia, as he had rebelled against his father. He had other
three sons; Khalil Mirza, the elder of these was about thirty-five years
old, and had the government of Shiras. Jacub beg, another son of Uzun-
Hassan, was about fifteen, and I have forgotten the name of a third
son.[4] By one of his wives he had a son named _Masubech_, or Maksud beg,
whom he kept in prison, because he was detected in corresponding with his
rebellious brother _Ogurlu_, and whom he afterwards put to death.
According to the best accounts which I received from different persons,
the forces of Uzun-Hassan may amount to about 50,000 cavalry, a
considerable part of whom are not of much value. It has been reported by
some who were present, that at one time he led an army of 40,000 Persians
to battle against the Turks, for the purpose of restoring _Pirameth_ to
the sovereignty of Karamania, whence he had been expelled by the
infidels.[5]
[1] Uzun-Hassan, as formerly mentioned, was prince of the Turkmans of the
white sheep tribe, and acquired the dominion of western Persia, by the
defeat of Hassan-ali prince of the black sheep Turkmans, who is
probably the person named Causa in the text.--E.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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