'Report on the North-Eastern Frontier of Persia and the Tekeh Turkomans' [‎116v] (24/50)

Many small streams take their rise in these mountains, and flows towards the Karu-
Kuni desert, where they are lost in the sand. These small streams in their course
fertilize the country they pass through, and the Daman-i-Kuh is far from being the
desert which it has generally been represented. No doubt, to a person fre^h from the
green fields of England, this country might appear barren enough; it produces, how-
ever a very considerable quantity of corn and fruit, and in previous times, before it
became the home of the wild people who now dwell the re, supported a lar-e Persian
population, who have been driven out or carried away into slavery. I have met the
descendants of many Persians who had fled into Persia from the Daman-i-Kuh when
it was occupied by the Tekeh, and v\ho still cast a longing eye on their ancestral
lands, and who, now that this country has become a province of Russia, will return
and cultivate those lands. Kizzil Arvat is the first Tekeh village to the westward,
and the Akhal Tekeh country extends from that place to the Tejend river. Between
the Tejend river and the Merv Tekeh country there is a desert, which has cau-ed a
geographical separation between the two parts of the tribe.
All Tekeh Turkomans, whether living in the Akhal or the Merv country, are firstly
divided into Otamish and ! ocktamish. Otamish and Pocktamish weie two bro.lurs,
from which these two divisions claim descent.
These ore again divided, the Otamish into Suchmuz and Bukshi, and the Tock-
tamish info Wakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator. and Beg. It is important to remember these four Tekeh clans.
Suchmuz and Bukshi, Wakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator. and Beg, for all the politics of this part of the world
hang upon the alliances or disunion of these four subdivisions of the 1 ekeh tribe.
In the Daman-i-Kuh, where the fighting against the Russians has necessitated the
election (fa single chief with supreme power to control the whole of the population,
Mukdum Kuli Khan, who is of the Wakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator. subdivision, has been chosen chief, and
given the power of life and death, which power he exercised repeatedly during the .
siege of Yangi Shahr. He is the son of Nur Verdi Khan, who was a most powerful
chief both in the Akhal Tekeh and Merv Tekeh country. Nur Verdi Khan only
died a few years ago. He married an Akhal Tekeh wife, by whom he had Mukdum
Kuli Khan* He also married Jamal Baie, a woman of the Beg clan, living in the
Merv country, and bv this lady had a son named Mahomad Yusuf Khan, w ho is at
present the chief of the Wakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator. subdivision in the Merv country. This family is,
therefore, much the most influential in the whole country. In the Akhal Tekeh
country, beside Mukdum Kuli Khan, who w'as the paramount chief, there was a
fighting chief, Awaz Murad, called Takmeh Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. . r l his man is a notorious free
booter, and leader of alamans, as their plundering parties are named. He formerly
marie a name by leading forays and kidnapping many slaves, on the great qaravan
road betw een T< heran and Ma>h-hari, near Miandasht. He is the man who once carried
off an Oude princess. He is undoubtedly an intrepid leader of alamans. Some years
ago he entered the service of Rus:da, and commanded a party of Turkoman horse in
the service of that Power. However, on the defeat of General Lomakine, near Geok
Tepe, in 1879, he deserted the Russian service, and joined Mukdum Kuli Khan.
Mukdum Kuli Khan at fir>t bad some idea of putting him to death, but. on second
thoughts, he determined to forgive him and employ him himself. He was, I believe,
partially persuaded to take this course in consequence of a btter he icceived from
Abbas Khan, the British Agent at Mash-had, v ho wrote to him iccommending him to
forgive Takmeh Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. , as, putting to death so renowned a leader, would cause dis
union amongst the r l ekeh tribe. Abbas Khan wa§, himself, when a boy, can ed off
by the Turkomans, and kept a prisoner in the Akhal Tekeh country until ransomed
for a large sum, so he is a< quainted with 1 urkoman ways.
Awaz Murad, called Takameh Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. , is the man who has now again joined the
Russians, and headed the deputation of Akhal Tekeh who have visited St. Petersburg
and seen the Emperor of Russia. He is also the man who is said to have made a
speech to the Czar on the subject of the Akhal i ekeh, showing their taithfu ness to
Russia. The speech did not come particularly well from one who has changed sides
three times in four or five years.
1 he necessity of union to meet the Russian invasion, and the election of a single
paran ount chief, has rather broken down the clan distinctions in the Akhal 1 ekeh
count!y, 1 ut, in the Merv country, the distinctions between the four subdivisions of
the tribe are very marked.
1 will i ow describe the location of the subdivisions in the Merv I ekeh courttry.
Cn the wextern l ank of the river Murghab live the Suehmuz and the Buk.^hi sub
divisions. r J he Bukshi to the south and the 8uchmuz to the north. On the east, side
side of the Muighab live the Beg and Wakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator. subdivisions. I gather that the most