A Look at the Historical Geography of Makran in Geographic Texts from the Early to the Ninth Century AH

Makran was a vast area in southeastern Iranian Plateau that stretched from Kerman in the west to Sindh in the east. This vast expanse reached Sistan in the north and the Sea of Oman in the south. Historically, this area had been called Maka, Mika, Mookran, etc. The land has a special geographical significance and its ports have for long been great trade hubs. Makran has a multi-millennial history and a rich civilization. There are multitudes of opinions regarding the lexical root of Makran, its geographical limits, and its political-administrative relations with the contiguous provinces. There are also conflicting views about cities, ports and villages of Makran. Evaluating the historical and geographical texts on Makran, this article is aimed at answering some questions.