Drangiana

1652. Cosmographie in four bookes by Peter Heylyn.

DRANGIANA hath on the South, Gedrosia; on the North and West bounded with Aria; on the East, with Arachosia; So called from Drangius, now Ilment, the chief River of it: the modern name thereof being Sigestan, from Sige, the now principall City.

The Countrey very hilly, and so closed with Mountains, that the River above named is scarce able to force its passage thorow them. Of no great beauty to invite or reward a Conqueror; yet with the rest, brought under the great Persian Monarchs; the fortunes of which Crown they have alwaies followed. So meanly planted that Ptolomy findeth in it but ten Towns of name: the chief whereof, 1. Ariaspe, mistook perhaps for Agriaspe; and if so, then the mother City of the Agriaspae, whom Curtius placeth in this Tract. 2. Propthasia, by some of the Antients called Phradag, the Metropolis of this poor Province; much boasted of by the old Inhabitants hereof who had seen no better, (as Countrey-villagers use to brag of the next market-Town) and said by Ammianus to be rich, and of high renown, the quality of the place consideted. Still of some note amongst the Natives, by whom called Sistan. 3. Arivada. 4. Pharazana, of which nothing memorable. 5. Sige, now of most credit in this Countrey, from hence called Sigestan. 6. Timocant. 7. Mulebet, the chief seat of the Kindome of Aladine, or Aleadine, who had here a Fooles-Paradise of his own, of which more anon.

The old Inhabitants hereof were the Bairii, and the Darandae, from which last, the greatest of the two, the Countrey might perhaps be called originally Darandiana, abbreviated to Drandiana, and at last corrupted easily into Drangiana. But I offer this onely as conjecturall. They were called also by some Writers by the name of Arabians, and that as Ammianus thinks, because they descended from that people: but I think rather from a branch of the River Arabius, which parteth this Countrey from Gedrosia. For I conceive the Arabians were too wise to forsake their own Countrey, and go so farre, to get so litle by the bargain. Together with the rest of the Persian Provinces, subdued by Alexander; who being in this Countrey, hapned on the discovery of the treason intended against him by Philotas, the sonne of Parmenio, the most renowned of all his Captains. After this litle memorable till these later daies, when it grew famous by means of Aladine a seditious Persian, Lord of the vally of Mulebet, spoken of before, who there made a terestrial Paradise, which he promised to all his Partizans: but the company growing too great for the safety of the Kingdome, they were quickly dispersed: and Alading, with his Fools-Paradise, both taken away together, Anno 1262. Some attribute this fiction of Paradise to Aladeules, the Mountain King of Taurus, vanquished by Selim the first. The whole story is this, out of Paulm Venstus. Aladine inhabited a valley in this Countrey, the entrance into which he fortified with a strong Castle called Tigade. Hither he brought all the lusty youths and beautifull maidens of the adjoyning Provinces. The women were confined to their chambers, the men to prison; where having endured much sorrow, they were severally cast into dead sleeps, and conveyed to the women: by whom they were entertain'd with all the pleasures, youth and lust could desire, or a sensuall mind affect. Having injoyed this happiness a whole day, they were in a like sleep conveyed to their irons. Then would Alidine inform them how they had been in Paradise, and that he could seat them there eternally, if they durst hazard themselves in his quarrels. This when they had sworn to do, they were destinated to the massacre of such Princes as were like to prove his bad neighbours; and they accordingly did execution. But neither he nor Aladeules were the first who trained up their followers in the Arts of murder. One there was before either of them, whom the Writers of those •mes call the Old man of the Mountains, inhabiting the mountainous parts of Tyre and Sidon; and from thence sending his Disciples in the like Temptations, to make away the Western Princes whom he stood in sear of, during the course of the Holy warres. For out of his School came those Wretches, who murdered the Count of Tripolis, being in the Church at his Devotions; and desperately slew Conrade Marquess of Montferrat, walking openly in the market-place at Tyre; and with like carelesseness of their own lives dangerously wounded Prince Edward (after King of England) sitting in his Tent. These the Italians call Assassines, (whence the word to Assassinate) intimating thereby a desperate Cut-throat, but the reason of that name is not yet agreed on: mistakingly by some Latine Writers of the darker times called Arsacidae, and their commander Rex Arsacidarum, as if descended from Arsaces, the founder of the Arsacidan race of the Kings of Persia.