A table of the fame kings, with the years of their reigns, according to other oriental authors.

The first race.

1. Kejomaras or Cajoumaras Siamek, flain after a fhort reign

Kajomaras refumes the kingdom, and reigned

An interregnum

2. Hufhang or Houfchenk, furnamed Pifchdud

3. Tahmurasb

4. Gienfbid or Giamfchid

5. Dabák, Zahák, Zoak

6. Aphridûn, Phridun, or Feridoun

7. Manugjahr or Manougeher, furnamed Phirouz

8. Nedar

9. Apherafiab or Afrafiab

560

30

200

50

700

30 1000

120

500
7

12

10. Zab, Zaab, or Zoub

11. Guftafp fon of Zoub

It is evident enough from the years fet down in the two The nature tables above, that there is a great mixture of fable and uncer- thereof in tainty in the accounts we have of these princes reigns; but point of there may, notwithstanding this, be a great deal of truth in ftile, &c. these relations; and, by comparing them with what the Greek and other writers of the Perfian affairs have given us of the fame times, it may be very poffible to extract a better idea of the antient Perfian empire, than could have been had without

con

Kejoma

ras.

confulting the oriental writers at all. Reason will be everlaitingly the fupreme judge of facts; and, if an history be attended with continual improbabilities or abfurdities, men of fenfe will either doubt or reject its authority, whether its author lived in the east, or in the weft. On the other hand, where an hiftory is compofed of a series of mixed facts, fome probable, and fome romantic, the candid reader will receive thofe, though he throw away these, and will not deftroy the wheat, because there are tares amongft it. As to the ftile of the following hiftory, we have not pretended to follow the rhetorical pomp of the Perfian authors; on the contrary, we have delivered ourselves with the utmost plainness and perfpicuity, and have endeavoured, as far as in our power lay, to refcue truth out of those metaphoric clouds, which often obfcure the writings of the eaftern hiftorians. Farther remarks of the fame nature we leave to the difcernment of our readers.

KEJOMARAS, or Cajoumeras, is allowed, by all the oriental authors, to have been the first king of the firft race furnamed the Pifchdadians from Pifchdad, which fignifies a juft judge, and was the furname given to Hufhangh the fecond king of this race afterwards, however attributed to them all. The manner whereby Kejomaras afcended the throne was this: In the province of Aderbayagjan, the inhabitants, feeling the fad effects of anarchy, and finding that liberty could not be enjoyed, where every one was free to do what he pleafed, unanimously refolved to elect one, who fhould be obeyed by all, and to whofe judgment they would fubmit, as to an irrefragable law. His confpicuous virtues determined them on this occafion to Kejomaras, whom therefore they immediately owned for their monarch, invefted him with royal robes, and put a bonnet called tagi on his head, kiffing his feet, in token of fubmiffion; which cuftoms laft-mentioned were preferved in ufe by his fucceffors. His elevation had a proper effect on the mind of this new king he applied himself to every branch of his duty; he erected courts of juftice; he taught men to build houses, and to live in villages; he invented va rious manufactures, fuch as the making woolen cloth, and fpinning and weaving filk: in a word, he civilized his people, and merited, by his wisdom, juftice and goodness, that dignity, which, out of modefty, and a forefight of the cares it would be attended with, he, for a long time, refufed. The hap pinefs, enjoyed by fuch as lived under fo excellent a prince, invited the neighbouring people to put themselves under his protection. Thus his empire was extended by the fame means

iMIRKHOND proœm. hift. The felect chronicle.

Tarik. Montekheb, i. e.

that

"

that it began, viz. thro' an opinion of his worth; and he, upon their fubmiffion, treated his new fubjects with the fame care and kindness as he had always fhewn to his old. He fent his brother to take a view of thefe new-acquired dominions, and went afterwards to look upon them himself. In the province of Chorafan he met with his brother, and, embracing him tenderly, he, to perpetuate the memory of that interview, erected the city of Balch, where it happened; that word being derived from a verb which fignifies to embrace. He was alfo the founder of abundance of other cities of Perfia, particularly Kabulftan, Sigistan, Gom, &c. This prince had two fons; the name of the elder was Nazek, a young man of wonderful prudence, who addicted himself intirely to ftudy; for which reafon he withdrew from his father's court, and lived with his wife in a little hermitage, where he gave himself over to contemplation: his father, who was himself a very learned man, went frequently to vifit and converse with his fon in his cell. Once going thither on the fame errand, he found his fon dead with several wounds upon his body on a ftrict inquiry he was informed, that this cruel fact was committed by certain robbers of Tabrestan. Thefe Kejomaras purfued into their own country, defeated them, and, after putting many to the fword, made flaves of the reft, and employed them in his buildings m. The other fon of Kejomaras, or rather his grandfon, was Siamek, with whom the wife of Nazek was big when he was murdered. This child, as foon as he was born, Kejomaras adopted, bred him up with the utmost care, and, having instructed him in all the arts of reigning, he, with the confent of the people, transferred the fovereignty to him, and made him king in his life-time.

SIAMEK proved a gracious and warlike prince. Within Siamek. a fhort time after his acceffion, fome of his neighbours entered his dominions in a hoftile manner; whereupon he immediately raised an army, marched against them, and gave them battle, where, fighting valiantly, he received a mortal wound; he was carried out of the battle, and died in the arms of his wife, whom he left, as his father left his, big with child, conjuring her with his laft words, if fhe brought forth a fon, to put him continually in mind of his unfortu nate death, and to exhort him to revenge it on the people, who, in fo fhort a time, had deprived him both of his life and empire. Kejomaras being forced by this unlucky accident to afcend the throne again, the first thing he did was to

1 MIRKHOND hift. fect. I. oriental. tit. CAIAMURATH,

m D'HERBELOT. biblioth.

celebrate

Hushang.

celebrate the obfequies of his deceased son with great magnificence; the next, to take vengeance of those who had flain Siamek; after which he is faid to have reigned, with great applaufe, thirty years n: but how long he reigned before he refigned the crown to Siamek, is uncertain (B).

HUSHANG, or Houfchenk, furnamed Pifchdad, was a perfon of great parts, as well as great courage; and is equally famous throughout the eaft, for the extent of his knowlege, and his mighty feats of valour. He is faid to have given a regular body of laws to his fubjects; whence he was called Pifchdad. He alfo divided his country, and established governors throughout, encouraged the working of mines, and invented most of the inftruments of agriculture; as alfo the art of conveying water through fubterraneous paffages, for the moistening their grounds. To him likewife they afcribe the taming leopards, and other beafts of chace, and the introducing furs, for keeping the body warm in winter. he made his kingdom flourish through his wisdom, fo he extended it by his courage; and, after a reign of fifty years, was killed by the fall of a piece of rock thrown from the mountains of Damavend, by an army of barbarians, who came to invade his territories. Some are of opinion, that he made

■ SHARISTANI apud HYDE rel. vet. Perfar. c. 25. p. 175.

(B) There is nothing more uncertain than the lineage of this king, and the time in which he flourished. Some oriental writers have fanfied him Adam; and, because he was the firft king, would needs have him to be the first man alfo ; but men of better judgments, and cooler imaginations, have conceived, that this notion was owing to a mistake, and that the antient Perfians called him Adam by way of honorary furname, fignifying, that he was as much the father of their nation, as Adam of mankind. The moft judicious among the Perfian writers believe him to have been the fon of Aram, the fon of Shem, the fon of Noah; and that he chofe to erect the feat of his empire not far from mount Ararat, and the

As

countries first planted after the flood. His religion is another difputable point, fome holding him an idolater, and believing that the magnificent pile he reared for the burning of the body of his fon Siamek, gave birth to the fire-worship afcribed to the Magians. But, if we may credit graver authorities, Kejo maras, like most antient kings, was at once both prince and prophet, taught his people the true religion of the patriarchs, particularly the existence of one infinite almighty Being, and of a created evil being, the inde fatigable enemy of mankind, The romance-writers allow him a thousand years of life, and fay, that of thefe he reigned five hundred and fixty.

the

the province of Chufiftan the feat of his empire, by erecting there the famous city of Sufa or Sufhan ° (C).

• Leb. Tarik. MIRKHOND. hift. fect. 3.

(3) D'Herbrlot. art. Houschenk.