Mīnūdasht

Minudasht lies where the eastern Gorgan plain meets the forested foothills of the Alborz. The surrounding country was historically known as Kabudjama, a frontier district between Astarabad and the lands farther east. During the Mongol period its local ruler Nosrat al-Din was appointed governor of the wider province. In Safavid times groups of Qizilbash known as Hajilar settled in the area, giving their name to its principal settlement.