The Geography of the Puranas c7.s4.20

c7.s4.20

But beyond its acceptance in astronomy, the word 'climate' received among the Persians (and later among other nations), the signification of empire and nation. We know that like the Indians the Persians believed in the existence of seven earths separated from one another by seas and that while the Indians gave the name of Jambū Dwīpa to the inhabited earth, the Persians called it 'Khonneretz-Bami'. The Khonneretz, according to the Persians included Iran-Verj, Kang-dez, Jamgard and Kashmīr.6 The Persians, later divided the world into seven empires or rather seven nations which they sometimes called by the indigenous name of kishwars and at other times by the name of 'climates'. These seven empires, as mentioned in the Zend Avestā, are: the Tazi or Arabs, Irān or Persia, Mazendran or the Slav races, Turān or the land of Turks, Rum or Roman Empire, Sind and India and lastly Chinistan or China.7 In the Chahnāmā, the seven kishwars are—China, India, Turān or Turkistan, the Roman Empire, Africa, the land of the Slavs and Irān. We find the name of the Romans included in this scheme, which leaves no room for doubt that this division was not made earlier than the Christian era. As regards the word Irān and Turān, it is known that these are the two denominations which have been employed by the Persians since remote antiquity, the first indicating Persia and the second indicating in a general manner the nations established at that time north of the Oxus.