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GILAN (GUILAN, GUILAN)

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Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 6 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GILAN (GUILAN, GUILAN) , one of the three small but important See also:Caspian provinces of See also:Persia, lying along the See also:south-western See also:shore of the Caspian See also:Sea between 48° 50' and 500 30' E. with a breadth varying from 15 to 50 M. It has an See also:area of about 5000 sq. m. and a See also:population of about 250,000. It is separated from See also:Russia by the little See also:river See also:Astara, which flows into the Caspian, and bounded W. by See also:Azerbaijan, S. by See also:Kazvin and E. by See also:Mazandaran. The greater portion of the See also:province is a See also:lowland region extending inland from the sea to the See also:base of the mountains of the See also:Elburz range and, though the Sefid Rud (See also:White river), which is called Kizil Uzain in its upper course and has its See also:principal See also:sources in the hills of See also:Persian See also:Kurdistan, is the only river of any See also:size, the province is abundantly watered by many .streams and an exceptionally See also:great rainfall (in some years 5o in.). The vegetation is very much like that of See also:southern See also:Europe, but in consequence of the great humidity and the mild See also:climate almost tropically luxuriant, and the forests from the shore of the sea up to an See also:altitude of nearly 5000 ft. on the See also:mountain slopes facing the sea are as dense as an See also:Indian See also:jungle. Theprevailing types of trees are the See also:oak, See also:maple, See also:hornbeam, See also:beech, ash and See also:elm. The See also:box See also:tree comes to rare perfection, but in consequence of indiscriminate cutting for export during many years, is now becoming scarce. Of See also:fruit trees the See also:apple, See also:pear, See also:plum, See also:cherry, See also:medlar, See also:pomegranate, fig, See also:quince, as well as two kinds of See also:vine, grow See also:wild; oranges, sweet and See also:bitter, and other Aurantiaceae thrive well in gardens and plantations. The See also:fauna also is well represented, but tigers which once were frequently seen are now very scarce; See also:panther, See also:hyena, See also:jackal, wild See also:boar, See also:deer (Cervus See also:marl) are See also:common; See also:pheasant, See also:woodcock, ducks, See also:teal, geese and various waterfowl abound; the See also:fisheries are very productive and are leased to a See also:Russian See also:firm. The See also:ordinary See also:cattle of the province is the small humped See also:kind, See also:Bos indicus, and forms an See also:article of export to Russia, the humps, smoked, being much in demand as a delicacy. See also:Rice of a kind not much appreciated in Persia, but much esteemed in Gilan and Russia, is largely cultivated and a quantity valued at about £120,000 was exported to Russia during 1904–1905. See also:Tea plantations, with seeds and See also:plants from See also:Assam, See also:Ceylon and the Himalayas, were started in the See also:early See also:part of 1900 on the slopes of the hills south of See also:Resht at an altitude of about loon ft.

The results were excellent and very See also:

good tea was produced in 1904 and 1905, but the Persian See also:government gave no support and the enterprise was neglected. The See also:olive thrives well at Rudbfir and Manjil in the Sefid Ri1d valley and the oil extracted from it by a Provencal for some years until 1896, when he was murdered, was of very good quality and found a ready See also:market at See also:Baku. Since then the oil has been, as before, only used for the manufacture of See also:soap. See also:Tobacco from See also:Turkish See also:seed, cultivated since 1875, grows well, and a considerable quantity of it is exported. The most valuable produce of the province is See also:silk. In 1866 it was valued at £743,000 and about two-thirds of it was exported. The silk-See also:worm disease appeared in 1864 and the crops decreased in See also:con-sequence until 1893 when the value of the silk exported was no more than £65oo. Since then there has been a steady improvement, and in 1905–1906 the value of the produce was estimated at £300,000 and that of the quantity exported at £200,000. The eggs of the silk-See also:worms, formerly obtained from See also:Japan, are now imported principally from See also:Brusa by Greeks under See also:French See also:protection and from See also:France. There is only one good road in the province, that from See also:Enzeli to Kazvin by way of Resht; in other parts communication is by narrow and frequently impassable lanes through the thick See also:forest, or by intricate pathways through the dense undergrowth. The province is divided into the following administrative districts: Resht (with the See also:capital and its immediate See also:neighbour-See also:hood), Fumen (with Tulam and Mesula, where are See also:iron mines), Gesker, Talish (with Shandarman, Kerganrud, Asalim, Gil-Dulab, Talish-Dulab), Enzeli (the See also:port of Resht), Sheft, Manjil (with Rahmetabad and Amarlu), Lahijan (with Langarud, R{tdsar and Ranehkuh), Dilman and Lashtnisha. The See also:revenue derived from taxes and customs is about £8o,000.

The See also:

crown lands have been much neglected and the revenue from them amounts to hardly £3000 per annum. The value of the exports and imports from and into Gilan, much of them in transit, is See also:close upon £2,000,000. Gilan was an See also:independent khanate until 1567 when See also:Khan Ahmed, the last of the Kargia See also:dynasty, which had reigned 205 years, was deposed by Tahmasp I., the second Safawid shah of Persia (1524–1576). It was occupied by a Russian force in the early part of 1723; and Tahmasp III., the tenth Safawid shah (1722–1731), then without a See also:throne and his See also:country occupied by the Afghans, ceded it, together with Mazandaran and See also:Astarabad, to See also:Peter the Great by a treaty of the 12th of See also:September of the same See also:year. Russian troops remained in Gilan until 1734, when they were compelled to evacuate it. The derivation of the name Gilan from the See also:modern Persian word gil meaning mud (hence " See also:land of mud ") is incorrect. It probably means " land of the Gil," an See also:ancient tribe which classical writers mention as the Gelae. (A.

End of Article: GILAN (GUILAN, GUILAN)

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