BALK, the capital of the above-mentioned province, situated on the frontiers of Persia, in E. Long. 65. 20.
N. Lat. 36. 45. It is probably the ancient Bactra, capital of the kingdom of Bactria; and is said by the Persians to have been founded by Kay-umaraz the first king of Persia, because he met his brother upon the spot where it stood, after he had been lost for a long time; balkhiden, or balghiden, in the Persian language, signifying to receive and embrace a friend. The first kings of Persia, who resided in the province of Media or Aderbijan, considered this city as one of their principal frontiers on the side of Scythia. In the 27th year of the Hegira, of Christ 647, Balk was reduced by the Arabs, under the command of Abdallah Ebn Amer. It continued subject to Arab princes till the year of the Hegira 432, of Christ 1041; when it was reduced by Togrol Beg, the Tangrolipix of the Greeks, and prince of the Seljukian dynasty. It was taken by Jenghiz Khan, A. D. 1221, who with his usual and unparalleled cruelty caused all the inhabitants to be brought without the walls, and massacred without mercy. In 1369, Sultan Hosein, the last of the race of Jenghiz Khan, was driven from Balk by Tamerlane, whose successors were driven out by the Uzbecks in the 15th century. It was afterwards redeemed by Shah Ismael Sufi; but finally wrested out of his hands by the Uzbek Tartars, between whom and the Persians it is the occasion of almost continual wars. It was not long since the residence of a khan of Tartars. It is the most considerable city possessed in these parts by the Mahometan Tartars, is large, well built, and populous, the houses consisting for the most part of stone or brick. The fortifications consist of bulwarks of earth, fenced without with a strong wall, high enough to cover the soldiers employed in defence of those fortifications. As this place is the resort of all the business transacted between the Indies and Great Bukharia, trade flourishes extremely at Balk; especially as it has a fine river passing through its suburbs, which is of vast service to the town. This river falls into the Amu, in N. Lat. 38. 30. upon the confines of Great Bukharia and Kowarazm. The khan's palace, or castle, is a large edifice built after the oriental manner; and consists almost entirely of marble, of which there are fine quarries in the neighbourhood. The khan of Balk was obliged in 1739 to submit to the Persians under Khoulou Kan; but since that time the country has been separated from Persia, and is now subject to the kingdom of Cabul.