Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/567

* SAMAKKAJSTD. 509 Cotton and rice are raised in increasing quanti- ties. Sericulture and viticulture are alsu attain- ing great importance. .Stock-raising is carried on princi])ally by the nomadic Kirghizes. Silk and woolen goods are produced l)y the luxtives, and there are a nundier of large cotton-gin mills and Hour mills. Cotton and cereals arc the prin- cipal exports. The population of the t^'rritory in 1897 was 857.847, almost exclusively Jloham- medans. The Uzbegs form over two-thirds o£ the total population. SAMARKAND. The capital of the territory of the same name in Russian Turkestan, the media'val capital of Timur, and one of the most famous cities of Central Asia, situated about 5 miles soutli of the Zerafslian, with which it is connected by a number of canals, on the Trans- caspian Railway, and about 140 miles east of Bok- hara (Map: Persia, K 2). It lies at an altitude of over 2200 feet. Samarkand consists of the native city and the new Russian town, separated from each other by the citadel. The native city is still partly surrounded by a wall, and its magnificent architectural monuments testify to its former splendor. Its centre is the vast square of Righistan, around which stand three of the madrasahs, for which Samarkand is famous. Northeast of the scjuare of Righistan stands the ruined madrasah of Bibi-khan, attributed to one of Timur's wives. It incloses a number of mosques and a mausoleum over the graves of the wives of that ruler. The mausoleum with the tombs of Timur, his teacher, and relatives, is crowned >itli a beautiful dome of blue tiles, and the in- terior of the room which contains the tombs is ornamented with arabesques and gold inscrip- tions. The finest mosque of Samarkand, and one of the finest in Central Asia, is that of Shah- Zindeh, outside of the city walls, among the bull 1- ings of the summer palace of Timur. It is held in high veneration on account of the remains of Shah-Zindeh (a companion of Timur), which it contains, and its interior decorations are prob- ably the most beautiful in Central Asia. The buildings of the citadel are now used by the Russians for military purposes. The environs of the city are full of ancient ruins. The Russian part of Samarkand is well built, having many modern public buildings. The industries of the native population are important, and their products comprise cotton and silk goods, wine, leather goods, pottery, and silver and gold wares. The bazaars are still extensive and picturesque, but the commercial importance of the city has decreased since the extension of the Transcaspian Railway to Tashkent and Andizhan. The chief exports are cotton, rice, silk and silk goods, fruit, hides, and wine. In 1897 Samarkand had a total population of 54,900. Samarkand is identified with the ancient Mar- akanda. the capital of the Persian Province of Sogdiana, which was destroyed by Alexander the Great in B.C. 329. In the seventh century it was conquered by the Arabs, under whose rule it be- came a great religious and intellectual centre. Conquered and ])illaged by C4enghis Khan in the early part of the thirteenth century, Samarkand was restored by Timur at the close of the four- teenth centur}', and attained its greatest magnifi- cence as the residence of the great conqueror. After the breaking up of the empire of Timur, Samarkand passed to the Emir of Bokhara, from whom it was wrested by Russia in 1868. SAMBATION. SAMAROW, zji'ma-rov, (iRKGOR. A p.seu- don i of the (ierman novelist Oskar .Mcding (q.v.). SAMARSKITE (namcil in honoi- of ihc Rus- sian Samarski). A mineral conipo.scd of the oxides of a number of rare metals, including cerium, yttrium, columbiuni, tantalum, etc. It has a vitreous to resinous lustre, and is of a dark or black color. It (jccurs with Ihc older rocks, and is found in the lluK'n iMounlains. in the Urals, in Norway, in Sweden, and in the I'nited States at various localities in Mitchell and Me- Dowell counties, N. C. The mineral finds some use in commerce for the mantle employed by the Welsbach light, although the dilliculty in ol)tain- ing the required oxides in a pure condition pre- vents any very great demand for it. SAMAVEDA, sii'mava'dA (Skt, tune- Veda) . The name of the third Veda (q.v.). SAMBAR (from Skt. Mtmhara. sort of deer). The largest of Oriental deer (Cervus uiiicolor). It is from 4 to 5 feet high and wears remarkably large and heavy antlers. These spread sometimes to a width of 3G inches, and have very large. A 8AMBAR STAG. much roughened beams with only two lines, one near the extremity and the other a broad tine set at an acute angle. Its range covers nearl.v the whole Oriental region, and it is everywhere a deer of the forests. Its hair is coarse and wiry, and forms a mane on the neck ; and its color is dark brown, lighter on the buttocks and ventral sur- faces. The fawns are not spotted, as is usual with deer. In the Malayan Islands there occur several small sambar-like deer, which are be- lieved by many to be related to the mainland species. One of these doubtful species (Ccmut Philippinus) belongs to the Philippine and La- drone Islands, and is scarcely 24 inches tall, and has the brow tines shorter than the terminal prongs. Another closely related Philippine deer is Gervus Alfred!, which is larger and has a coat spotted — .vcllow upon chocolate lirown — at all seasons. Consult Lyddeker and other authorities cited imder 1)i;eh. SAMBATION, or SABBATION (Heb.. from t^hribbath. Sabbath). A m.vstie river of .Tewish legend. The earliest references are found in Josephus and Pliny. The former (Rel. Jiid., vii. 5, 1) says that Titus visited such a river