National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books
|
|
Color Thumbnail -
Table of Contents -
Page Number -
Biliographic Information (Metadata) -
Caption -
Color Image -
Gray HighRes. Image -
Facing Pages -
Graphics -
| 0423 |
The Pulse of Asia : vol.1 |
Citation Information
OCR Text
the founding of Baku in its present site in the fifth or sixth
century; but Brückner, on the basis of architectural resem-
blances, considers it of Arab origin, dating from the twelfth
century. However this may be, the walls of Aboskun and
Derbent are sufficient to establish the fact that about 500
A. D., the level of the Caspian Sea was as low or lower than
it is to-day. The climate must then have been at least as
dry as it now is.
During the succeeding Middle Ages, there is unmistakable
evidence that the level of the Caspian Sea again rose, though
not to such an extent as formerly. So far as the water-spread
of the mediæval sea is concerned, it is probably possible that
the expansion of the sea may have been due to the deflection
of the Oxus and Jaxartes from the Sea of Aral to the Cas-
pian. There is evidence that such deflection took place, or,
at least, that part of the water of the rivers was so deflected.
Hence it is necessary to proceed with the greatest caution,
in order to ascertain whether the epochs of high level agree
with those of deflection, or whether the expansion of the lake
occurred independently of the river. The chief evidence,
one way or the other, is found in the works of various Arab
and Persian authors quoted by Humboldt and Rawlinson.
I shall assume that the oriental authors state the facts
correctly, unless there is clear reason for doubting their
information.
During the Dark Ages, in the seven and a half centuries
between the times of Ptolemy and of Istakhri, A. D. 920,
war and confusion prevailed in the Aralo-Caspian region.
The only addition to our knowledge of the two salt lakes is
Menander's mention of the existence of the Sea of Aral as a
1
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
12
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
22
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
32
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
42
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
52
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
62
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
72
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
82
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
92
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
102
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
112
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
122
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
132
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
142
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
152
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
162
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
172
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
182
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
192
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
202
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
212
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
222
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
232
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
242
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
252
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
262
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
272
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
282
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
292
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
302
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
312
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
322
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
332
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
342
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
352
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
362
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
372
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
382
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
392
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
402
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
412
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
421
422
423
424
425
.
|
.
.
.
.
432
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
442
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
452
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
462
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
472
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
482
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
492
.
.
.
.
|
.
.
.
.
502
.
.
505
Copyright (C) 2003-2026
National Institute of Informatics
and
The Toyo Bunko. All Rights Reserved.
