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But
I suppose that at least there were three other mastiffs in
ancient Persia (5000-2500 years ago) as:
(1)Assyrian
mastiff (2) Indian mastiff (3) Alaunt.
One
of the best known dogs at that times was the "Assyrian dog"
which were used as hunting and guardian dogs. When the Assyrian
empire crumbled the Medes and the Persians (the first rulers
of ancient Iran) and all the hunts-men kings of the orient,
paid enormous sums for these magnificent dogs whose role seems
to have been as important as that of the greyhound in the
history of the canine race. At "Shush Fortress" in south western
of Iran there is a form of these dogs (with black color) that
gallops for hunting with some riders.
In
army Persians used Indian dogs (mastiffs) but just for guarding
and not suicide jobs. Herodotus (7.187) says in his book that
heavy powerful dogs "Indian mastiffs" were introduced in to
Greece by Xerxes 1 when he marched toward this country (486-465
BC). (Alexander the great on his return from India, brought
back a very similar type of dog). Grattius called these Indian
dogs as "Tibet dogs". Even in this time one of the biggest
"Satraps" of Persia in Babylon paid all of its taxes for the
expences of breeding and to take care of these dogs (Herodotus,
1.192) that guarded the soldiers camps and captured enemies
prisoners.
In
"Iran bastan Museum" in Iran there is a statue of a great
mastiff dog of black marble stone (The photo in top of this
page), from 2500 years ago in Persia. This dog may be is one
of these ancient mastiffs that we alluded above. In some points,
it seems as an animal of "cat families", but some experts
believe that it's a canine for sure. This black dog is similar
to "Canis Pugnaces" too.
Either
there is an interesting story about ancient Persian mastiffs
from this period. An old story says that the massive Hyrcanian
dog (Hyrcania was a district in northern Persia, which name
"gorgan" in the Mazandaran province of today) was the result
of a mating between a tiger and a bitch of this area. This
area was famous for its tigers. Grattius tells how bitches
dogs shun the male dogs and go into the woods to mate with
tigers! to produce nobler offsping. Although the pedigree
of the Hyrcanian dogs may be discounted, Grattius describes
the breed as prone to killing livestock, but redeeming itself
as a "great fighter" Magnus pugnator in the forest. What is
interesitng that even todays, there are some big dogs in this
area of Iran that named: Sage-Siah (black dog). There are
another evidence for "Cat like" dogs. Evliya Elebi in his
famous book "Siyahat Namee" betokens the "Samson dogs" Of
the Ottomans Army in 17 C. Which are very big and massive
dogs just like "LIONS" that needed 2 or 3 men to hold each
of them.
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