'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎75r] (154/1278)

ABA—ARA
69
from the Arab tribes from the neighbourhood of Shush (Susa), to the west
of the Ab-i-Diz. The head of these is the Shaikh Mushattat, while a Lur
chief, named Karim Khan, who owns land near to them, would be of assist
ance to a purchasing officer.
“ But, speaking generally , there cannot be said to be any market to
working mules at Dizful, and any sudden demand from India for any
number exceeding 200 could not be easily met.
“ As the market for young stock, however, up to 2| years, Dizful probably
holds a position of its own. The mule-breeders of Western Persia are the
Lurs, of whom there are several important tribes, notably the Sag wand,
Bairanawand and Dirakwand, who in turn are broken up into numerous
tdifehs or divisions. It may be here noted that while all Bakhtiari are
Lurs, all Lurs are not Bakhtiari.
“ {d) Lur Ilidts. (i) Sagwand. —The Sagwand are the largest breeders
among the Southern Lurs, and the dealings of a purchasing officer would be
limited at present to them. The present head of this tribe is Fazil Khan,
who is represented in the neighbourhood of Dizful by his two nephews,
Khanjan Khan and Hasan Khan. These two chiefs, the former especially,
are intelligent men of some business capacity and seem anxious to assist an
Englishman in any possible way. The Taifeh-i-Saadat (Saiyids), one of the
divisions of the Sagwand, especially devote themselves to the breeding
6f mules, and are said to own young stock to a number of over 2,000 at the
commencement of their selling season, viz., December. They come down
into Dizful yearly from the mountains to dispose of their stock to buyers
from all parts, notably the Bakhtiari, who find their market later on in the
neighbourhood of Isfahan, while the Behbehanis purchase for the Shiraz
market.
“ (ii) Bairnawand and Dirakwand. —With these tribes there is for the
present difficulty in having any dealings ; nor is it prudent for a European
to enter Luristan from the south for the time being. This state of affairs
is not likely to improve in the near future, unless some energetic action is
taken by the British Government in reference to the arrangements lately
entered into for the opening up a road from Dizful to Kirmanshah by
the new British Road Company. ”
Summary of mule supply.' —I would summarize the capabilities of
supply of all the districts dealt with in this report as follows :—
Mules.
District.
years and
upwards.
18 months to
2i years
(a) Shushtar . .
f To be taoped from the Chehar
25
Nil
(6) Wkhtlan Iliat
< Mahal during the months June
C —August.
^ Nil
300
(c) Dizful
200
] 1,0C0
(d) Lur Iliats
Nil
Total
225
1,300