Astrabad'

Astrabad', a town in the north of Persia, at the foot of the Elburz Mountains, 30 miles SE. of the Caspian. It was long the residence of the Shah's ancestors, the Kajar princes, but owing to its remoteness the court was removed to Teheran; and since then its importance has declined, whilst the population is said to have dwindled from 75,000 in 1808 to 10,000 or even 5000.