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In 1950 the construction of Main Turkmen Canal was started under the orders of Joseph Stalin. The waterway, which would be used for shipping not irrigation, would run from [[Nukus]] on the [[Amu-Darya]] to [[Krasnovodsk]] on the Caspian Sea thus connecting the [[Amu-Darya]] and the [[Aral Sea]] to the Caspian. However the project was abandoned soon after the death of Stalin. The project was dropped in favor of the Qaraqum Canal, which runs on a more southerly route but does not reach the Caspian.<ref> Kharin, Nikolai Gavrilovich (2002). Vegetation Degradation in Central Asia Under the Impact of Human Activities. Springer. pp. 56–58. ISBN 1-4020-0397-8.</ref>
In 1950 the construction of Main Turkmen Canal was started under the orders of Joseph Stalin. The waterway, which would be used for shipping not irrigation, would run from [[Nukus]] on the [[Amu-Darya]] to [[Krasnovodsk]] on the Caspian Sea thus connecting the [[Amu-Darya]] and the [[Aral Sea]] to the Caspian. However the project was abandoned soon after the death of Stalin. The project was dropped in favor of the Qaraqum Canal, which runs on a more southerly route but does not reach the Caspian.<ref> Kharin, Nikolai Gavrilovich (2002). Vegetation Degradation in Central Asia Under the Impact of Human Activities. Springer. pp. 56–58. ISBN 1-4020-0397-8.</ref>
[[Dalip Singh Ahlawat]] writes -
'''[[Caspian Sea|कैस्पियन सागर]] ''' - दुष्यन्तपुत्र भरत, जिसकी माता शकुन्तला ने उसका पालन-पोषण कश्यप ऋषि के आश्रम पर किया था और कश्यप जी का आश्रम कैस्पियन सागर और [[Black Sea|काले सागर]] के मध्य कौकेशश ([[Hindu-Kush|कॉकेशश या काफ पर्वत]]) के निकट ऐलबुर्ज पर्वत पर था, जहां से कि फरात नदी निकलती है। कैस्पियन सागर के किनारे कश्यप महर्षि का आश्रम था इसलिए वहां के निवासी आज पर्यन्त कैस्पियन रेश के कहलाते हैं। कैस्पियन को बहर-ए-खिजर भी कहते हैं। खिजर अपभ्रंश है केसर का। तात्पर्य है केसर के रंग वाले समुद्र से।
[[Jats The Ancient Rulers (A clan study)|जाट्स दी ऐनशन्ट रूलर्ज]], पृ० 90-91 पर लेखक बी० एस० दहिया ने लिखा है कि –
::“जब [[Kashyap|कश्यप गोत्र]] के जाटों का शासन इस क्षेत्र पर हुआ तब उनके नाम पर यह सागर, ‘कैस्पियन सागर’ कहलाया। इसके पश्चात् जब [[Varik|वरिक]] (वाह्लीक) जाटों की शक्ति वहां पर हुई, तब इसका नाम ‘[[Hyrcania|हिरकानिया सागर]]’ पड़ा। वरिक को ईरानी भाषा में वरकन-वर्क तथा यूनानी भाषा में हिरकान कहा गया है। जब वहां पर [[Dahiya|दहिया]] जाटों का शासन हुआ, तब इसको ‘दहाय सागर’ कहा गया। [[Gill|गिल जाटों]] का वहां शासन होने पर यह ‘गिलन सागर’ कहा गया। गिल को फारस वालों ने गिलन तथा यूनानियों ने गिलन्ज-गेलन्ज लिखा है। बाद में जब खजर (गूजर जाटवंश) की शक्ति उस क्षेत्र पर हुई, तब यह ‘बहर-अल-खजर’ कहलाया जिसका अर्थ है खजरों का सागर।”<ref>[[Jat History Dalip Singh Ahlawat/Chapter IV]] (Page 333)</ref>


== Cities ==
== Cities ==

Revision as of 08:36, 12 December 2014

Caspian Sea Map
Map of Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. [1] [2] It has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers (143,244 sq mi) and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers (18,761 cu mi). It is an endorheic body of water (has no outflows), and lies between the southern areas of the Russian Federation and northern Iran. It has a maximum depth of about 1025 meters (3,363 ft). It is called a sea because when the Romans first arrived there, they tasted the water and found it to be salty. It has a salinity of approximately 1.2%, about a third the salinity of most seawater.

Jat clan

Origin of name

It is named after the ancient Caspians. According to Dr. Kephart the Caspian Sea derives its name from the one group of Dahae (Dahiya Jats) known as Caspi. [3] According to B S Dhillon[4], The name of this Central Asian sea, Caspian Sea, is derived from a Massagetae ("great" Getae or Jats) tribe called Caspii that lived on its western shores. According to General Sir Sykes [5], once this sea was also called sea of Gillan. The Gill clan, is probably the largest among the Jat Sikhs. In Punjabi, the word "Gillan" is the plural form of the word "Gill" "Gillan de Munde" means "Boys of the Gills".

Discoveries in the Huto cave near the town of Behshahr, Mazandaran south of the Caspian in Iran, suggest human habitation of the area as early as 75,000 years ago.[1]

In classical antiquity among Greeks and Persians it was called the Hyrcanian Ocean. In Persian antiquity, as well as in modern Iran, it is known as the Khazar Sea (Persian خزر) or Mazandaran (Persian مازندران) Lake. In Turkic speaking countries it is known as the Khazar Sea. Old Russian sources call it the Khvalyn (Khvalynian) Sea after the Khvalis (Khyalia Jat clan), inhabitants of Khwarezmia. Ancient Arabic sources refer to Bahr-e-Qazvin — the Caspian/Qazvin Sea.

The word Caspian is derived from the name of the Caspi (Persian کاسی), an ancient people that lived to the west of the sea in Transcaucasia.[6] Strabo wrote that "to the country of the Albanians belongs also the territory called Caspiane, which was named after the Caspian tribe (Kaswan, Kashyap Jat clans), as was also the sea; but the tribe has now disappeared".[7] Moreover, the Caspian Gate, which is the name of a region in Tehran province of Iran, is another possible piece of evidence that they migrated to the south of the sea.

Hyrcania (Virk Jat clan), was an ancient kingdom located in the territories of present day Golestan (Gulia Jat clan), Mazandaran, Gilan (Gill Jat clan) and part of Turkmenistan, lands south of the Caspian Sea. The name "Hyrcania" is the name attested in Greek historiographic accounts. This Greek name is a calque of Old Persian Verkâna, as it is recorded in Darius the Great's Behistun Inscription, as well as in other inscriptions in Old Persian cuneiform. Verkā means "wolf" in Old Persian (New Persian gorg) and consequently, "Hyrcania" means the "Land of the Wolves".

For the Greeks, the Caspian Sea was the "Hyrcanian Sea". In medieval times, the same body of water was the "Mazandaran Sea".

Virk is one of the most important Jat clan whici is associated with "Hyrcania". It is mentioned by Panini and V.S. Agrawal has identified Virk with the Jats. The same identification has been mentioned by Buddha Prakash. [8] Mahabhasya mentions Vrika and its derivative Varkenya, the Varkan of the Persians, and Hyrcan of the Greeks. The Caspian sea was once called the Sea of Vrkans (Hyrcanian). The identification of Hyrcan with Varkan has also been mentioned by Rawlinson in his History of Herodotus, he mentions that even in the thirteenth century, their country in Central Asian was mentioned as Urkanich in Yakut. According to Herodotus they fought in the battle of Thermopylae under their leader named Megapanus, who was afterwards Satrap of Babylonia. [9]

History

The earliest human remains around Caspian are from Dmanisi dating back to around 1.8 Ma and yielded a number of skeletal remains of Homo erectus or Homo ergaster. More later evidence for human occupation of the region come from a number of caves in Georgia and Azerbaijan such as Kudaro and Azykh Caves. There is evidence for Lower Palaeolithic human occupation at south of Caspian from western Alburz. These are Ganj Par and Darband Cave sites. Neanderthal remains also have been discovered at a cave site in Georgia. Discoveries in the Huto cave and the adjacent Kamarband cave, near the town of Behshahr, Mazandaran south of the Caspian in Iran, suggest human habitation of the area as early as 11,000 years ago.[10][11]


In 1950 the construction of Main Turkmen Canal was started under the orders of Joseph Stalin. The waterway, which would be used for shipping not irrigation, would run from Nukus on the Amu-Darya to Krasnovodsk on the Caspian Sea thus connecting the Amu-Darya and the Aral Sea to the Caspian. However the project was abandoned soon after the death of Stalin. The project was dropped in favor of the Qaraqum Canal, which runs on a more southerly route but does not reach the Caspian.[12]

Dalip Singh Ahlawat writes -

कैस्पियन सागर - दुष्यन्तपुत्र भरत, जिसकी माता शकुन्तला ने उसका पालन-पोषण कश्यप ऋषि के आश्रम पर किया था और कश्यप जी का आश्रम कैस्पियन सागर और काले सागर के मध्य कौकेशश (कॉकेशश या काफ पर्वत) के निकट ऐलबुर्ज पर्वत पर था, जहां से कि फरात नदी निकलती है। कैस्पियन सागर के किनारे कश्यप महर्षि का आश्रम था इसलिए वहां के निवासी आज पर्यन्त कैस्पियन रेश के कहलाते हैं। कैस्पियन को बहर-ए-खिजर भी कहते हैं। खिजर अपभ्रंश है केसर का। तात्पर्य है केसर के रंग वाले समुद्र से।

जाट्स दी ऐनशन्ट रूलर्ज, पृ० 90-91 पर लेखक बी० एस० दहिया ने लिखा है कि –

“जब कश्यप गोत्र के जाटों का शासन इस क्षेत्र पर हुआ तब उनके नाम पर यह सागर, ‘कैस्पियन सागर’ कहलाया। इसके पश्चात् जब वरिक (वाह्लीक) जाटों की शक्ति वहां पर हुई, तब इसका नाम ‘हिरकानिया सागर’ पड़ा। वरिक को ईरानी भाषा में वरकन-वर्क तथा यूनानी भाषा में हिरकान कहा गया है। जब वहां पर दहिया जाटों का शासन हुआ, तब इसको ‘दहाय सागर’ कहा गया। गिल जाटों का वहां शासन होने पर यह ‘गिलन सागर’ कहा गया। गिल को फारस वालों ने गिलन तथा यूनानियों ने गिलन्ज-गेलन्ज लिखा है। बाद में जब खजर (गूजर जाटवंश) की शक्ति उस क्षेत्र पर हुई, तब यह ‘बहर-अल-खजर’ कहलाया जिसका अर्थ है खजरों का सागर।”[13]

Cities

Ancient Cities:

Modern Cities: Azerbaijan: Astara, Baku, Gobustan, Khudat, Khachmaz, Lankaran, Nabran, Neftchala, Shabran, Siyazan, Oil Rocks, Sumqayit,


Iran: Ali Abad, Amol, Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh, Astara, Babol, Babolsar, Bandar Anzali, Bandar-e-gaz, Bandar Torkaman, Behshahr, Chaloos, Fenderesk, Ghaem Shahr, Gonbad-e Kavus, Gorgan, Jooybar, Kordkuy, Lahijan, Langrud, MahmudAbad, Neka, Nowshahr, Nur, Ramsar, Rasht, Rudbar, Rudsar, Sari, Tonekabon,


Kazakhstan: Atyrau (formerly Guriev), Aqtau (formerly Shevchenko),


Russia: Astrakhan, Dagestanskiye Ogni, Derbent, Izberbash, Kaspiysk, Makhachkala,


Turkmenistan: Türkmenbaşy (formerly Krasnovodsk), Hazar (formerly Çeleken), Esenguly, Garabogaz (formerly Bekdaş),

External links

References

  1. ↑ Caspian Sea » General background. CaspianEnvironment.org
  2. ↑ ESA: Observing the Earth - Earth from Space: The southern Caspian Sea
  3. ↑ Kephart, C., Races of Mankind: Their Origin and Migration, Peter Owen Limited, London, 1960, pp. 488-489, 522-525
  4. ↑ History and study of the Jats. By Professor B.S Dhillon. ISBN-10: 1895603021 or ISBN-13: 978-1895603026. 106
  5. ↑ Sykes, P. (Brig. Gen. and Sir), A History of Persia, MacMillan & Co. Ltd., London, 1958, pp. 26-27 (Vol. I), first published in 1915.
  6. ↑ Caspian Sea. (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August 13, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9110540
  7. ↑ Strabo. Geography. 11.3.1
  8. ↑ ibid , p. 251
  9. ↑ ibid. bk. VII. ch . 62
  10. ↑ "Major Monuments". Iranair.com
  11. ↑ Safeguarding Caspian Interests. iran-daily.com
  12. ↑ Kharin, Nikolai Gavrilovich (2002). Vegetation Degradation in Central Asia Under the Impact of Human Activities. Springer. pp. 56–58. ISBN 1-4020-0397-8.
  13. ↑ Jat History Dalip Singh Ahlawat/Chapter IV (Page 333)

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