'Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars' [‎98] (135/466)

98
The arms of tlie Bakhtians and of the Lurs generally consist of long
smooth bore guns of Persian manufacture. Besides tke
■^ rtn9 " above, slung across his left shoulder, the Lur horseman
rarries in his holsters a pair of pistols. They are excellent horsemen and
skilled in the use of their arms. They are eager sportsmen, and shoot remark
ably well from horseback (see pages 4, 5). _ .
Thev are . particularly fond of training their horses to turn sharply
. from side to side at full speed; a skilled horseman will
Cavalry training. g re to r ear at full gallop and resting on one stirrup to
shelter himself, fire to a flank, or hurl a dart or spear.
No bows and arrows were seen m their possession m 1884
The chiefs carry sporting rifles, guns, and revolvers of the best London
mal The harness in their use is serviceable; their bits, in the form of the letter
H with a circular piece of metal attached to the cross
Horse accoutrements. ^ particularly narrow and severe; their saddles
nrP nadded frameworks of wood, serviceable but uncomfortable to those not
accustomed to them. They ride with very short stirrups ; the paces preferred
are a auick walk (four to five miles an hour) and the gallop. ^
The Bakhtians pay a tribute of 20,000 tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. to Isfahan and equip a
force of 200 horse. The tribute is collected by the
Tribute. llkhani, who himself receives from the tribe a tax in
money and kind on animal and agricultural produce. At Kal'a-i-Tdl Muza
a iVin^n the chief of the Chahar Lang and son-in-law of the late Ilkham,
It may be assumed that a nomad family pays annually a tax ot about
tw0 mk™clfief wealth of the tribe consists in sheep, goats, cows, donkeys and
mnles • thev have only a sufficient number of horses to supply their own wants.
■Where wood abounds, i .e., in the interior of the mountains, south-east and
Tinrth west of Ardal, charcoal is burnt for export; rice, the sweetmeat,
PI kH and nroduc- mastic, cherry sticks, gall-nuts, tobacco, clarified butter
tions? (ffM),and skins are also articles of export. They trap
the fox and musooreh (kind of martin) in winter; the skin of the former sells
for 2 and the latter for 6 to 8 krans each. . . . . i
"Wheat and barley are not grown in sufficient quantities to meet Home
requirements. Acorn-flour in places takes the place of other flours.
A o-ood sheep is valued at one to one and a half tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. and a lamb at
half its price; goats and kids are cheaper, costing 4. to 5 and 3 krans according
to size. i •»
Their women and the Lur women generally weave carpets and yarn ;
the latter of both sheep and goats' hair; goats hair is
Tents. used in the manufacture of their tents (also the wot
of the women), which are generally of a black colour . They are readi y
pitched, struck and packed and so arranged, in strips and lengths as to ne
carried by their cows which are of a small size and sure-footed hill chmber.
These tents are of all sizes; they are high (8'to 10'in the centre) and long
tentes d'abri, their length depending on the number of poles, generally piac
at distances of 10 feet to 12 feet apart. The sides and ends are walled in
wicker-work made of reeds; by reed screens, the long blanket shed is partition
off into any number of apartments desired; as a rule, each wife, if a man )
everal, provides herself with a tent, carpets, &c., &o. A chief, who has ma )