'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎82] (117/466)

82
For a description of that lying to the
Shustar see Part IV, Bead Report No. 4
Sad'at and the Tekdh-pass, and Appendix
between Isfahan and Shustar and that le
The geological characteristics of So
in Appendix C.
The lliyats of So
Tlie peoples inliabiting the south-west of Persia are chiefly lliyats or nomads
of foreign origin, the residue of the overflowings from both the West and East;
of the Saracen conquerors and of the followers of Jengiz Khan and Taimur
(see pages 73, 84) . They constitute, perhaps, rather more than one-fourth of the
inhabitants of Persia and are now both Shahr and Deh-Nishms (settlers in towns
and villages) and Sahra-Nishins or lliyats (nomads); the former are despised
by the latter and considered by them to be degenerate and fallers-off from
the simplicity and hardihood of nomad life and recurrers to city protection.
This sentiment is but one of envy; the life of the would attract
all did not the counterbalancing fear of exactions and increased taxation serve
to force them to a mode of life less under government control. A foreign
race^ tli6y prone to rebGlIion^ and if assisted from abroad would not subinit
to Persia. i • p i r
The Sahrd-NisMns are taxed, kept dispersed, and their chiets kept as
hostages at Tehran; they are made to contribute to the military power of
the State, but are less molested than the limits of their
pastures are defined by government.
Their flocks are taxed; and if they cultivate the soil, they are taxed as
cultivators. ^ ^ ^ i nn i
A moderate fortune for an Iliyat consists in the possessio-n or 10U sneep,
3 or 4 mares, 10 asses, yielding a revenue of from 40 to 50 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. . A rich
Khan will possess ten times the above. ,
As a rule they break up their winter camps one month after the Nav-m
(new-year^s day or spring equinox) and then travel from the Garmsir or
KiMdk to the Sar-hadd or boundary of the hot and cold regions; staying
there one month, they wander on to the cc Yaildk or Sard sir and remain theie
70 days. Returning to the Sar-hadd they again stay there 1 month before
returning to the Kishldk for the winter [see pages 257, 263). — Morier.
They possess a fine race of dogs ; sheep constitute their chief wealth
pages 3, 98), They arrange that the ewes shall bear about naw-ruz. They
sheer twice a year.
They are good raw material for troops, but difficult to discipline.
The Persian irregular cavalry is chiefly recruited from the lliyats. W'
dividually they are excellent horsemen, expert in the u se
iya a\ary. of carbine, sword and lance, but they cannot act m
unison [see page 136). i
Their officers are no better trained in tactical knowledge than^ the ran
and file, and the troops, being commanded by their own local chief, ramiy
jealousies prevent a unity of feeling and aim. ,
The cavalry horses (when a force of lliyats is embodied) are sent
under a small guard to graze whenever possible; in quarters their 0°
consists of chopped straw and barley; an average daily ration is 7 lbs. bai ;
and from 14 to 20 lbs. of chopped straw.