Margiana

1652. Cosmographie in four bookes by Peter Heylyn.

MARGIANA is bounded on the West, with Hyrcania; on the East, with Bactria; on the North, with part of Tartary, from which severed by the River Oxus; on the South, with Aria, divided from it by the Mountains. So called from the River Margus which runnes throw the Countrey: but is now named Tremigen.

The Countrey environed with Mountains, and in most places of it full of sandy Desarts. But where it is watered with the Rivers, Arias, and Margus, it is very fruitfull, streching it self into a large and spacious plain, containing in the circuit neer 200 miles. The Plain once compassed with a wall by Antiochus Soter, King of Syria: more memorable for the huge stocks of Vines which are said to be in it, as big in bulk as two men can fathom, and sometimes bearing branches of grapes two Cubits long. The more to be admired in regard there is no other place neer unto it where the vine will grow. And if the Ark rested on the top of Mount Caucasus, as it is most probable it did; why may not this be some of the remainder of that first Vineyard which was planted by Noah, when he descended from these Mountains, as is affirmed by the constant tradition of the people which inhabit here.

The people mixt of Scythian and Persian breed, partaking of the fierceness of the one, and the behaviour of the other. Conform unto the Persians, in Religion, language and apparell; distinguished from them in the colour of their Turbants onely, which are commonly Green; and therefore by the Persians called Ieselbas, or Green-caps; the Turbants of the Persian being alwayes Red.

Chief Rivers of this Countrey are, 1. Margus, the peculiar River of it, which rising out of the foot of the Mountains, and passing thorow the middest of the Province, receiveth into its channell the River, 2. Arias, hastning out of Aria; and so together lose themselves in 3. Oxus, dividing the Margians from the Tartars. Out of the joint streams of which several Rivers is made a large Lake now called Sabacamber, but antiently Palus Oxiana, from the principall River.

Places of most observation in it, 1. Alexandria, or Alexandria Margiana for distinction sake; one of the fix towns built by Alexander for defence of this Countrey; called afterwards Seleucia from Seleucus; next Antiochia from Antiochus Soter King of Syria, by whom fortified with a very strong wall. It is now called Indion, and esteemed for the chief of the Countrey. 2. Jasonium, seated on the confluence of Margus with a nameless River issuing from the Seriphian Mountains. 3. Nigaea, as the printed books of Ptolomy call it; but mistook for Nissa, or Nysaea. 4. Argadina. 5. Rhea; of which nothing memorable. 6. Maran, neer to which Ismael the first of the Sophian race, discomfited the forces of Saba the Cham of Zagathay.

The old Inhabitants here of were the Massagetes, and the Parni, taking up the midlands; the Derbiceae, bordering upon Oxus; and the Tapyri, dwelling towards the East. United by the name of Margians they were subdued by the Kings of Persia, from whom won by Alexander to his Empire: who to assure himself hereof built fix Cities in it, two towards the South, and four towards the East, all situate on the tops of hills, and built at such convenient neerness that they might afford succour to each other, as occasion served. After this nothing singular in the story of them; involved in the same fortunes with the rest of Persia, till Persia was conquered by the Tartars. Since which time, though the rest of the Persian Provinces were freed from the Tartarian yoak by Gempsas, the Soldan of Parthia, and King of Persia for a time, yet part of this Province, and of Bactriana, are still subject to them.

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Ieselbas, Margiana, a part of the Province of Chorasan, in the Kingdom of Persia.

Khoemus, Margiana, a Province of the Kingdom of Persia. See Margiana.

Margiana, a large Province of the Ancient Asia, which lay betwixt Bactriana and Hyrcania: now for the most part contained in the Provinces of Khoesme and Charasan in Persia.

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Margiana, which Castaldus calls Jeselbes, a great Province of Asia, between the Bactriana and Hyrcania of the Ancients. Plinius, Ptolomaeus, Solinus, &c. mention it often. Sanson, and the other Modern Geographers affirm, That the Provinces of Rhoesme and Chorasan in the Kingdom of Persia, make up the greatest part of the ancient Margiana.