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'Report on the North-Eastern Frontier of Persia and the Tekeh Turkomans' [‎117r] (25/50)

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The record is made up of 25 folios. It was created in 4 Jul 1881. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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25
fertile land is on the eastern bank of the Murghab, and 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. and Beg have more
importance politically amongst the Tekeh than the other two clans. This is partly
owin<; to their more complete subjugation to a paramount chief, and their acting
together. The strength of the Tekeh population in the Merv country is always stated
as follows:—
Suchmuz
Bukshi
Beg
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.
10,000 tents.
10,000 „
10,000 „
10,000 „
Total - - - 40,000
In this are included 5,000 tents of the Salor Turkomans, whose history is an
instructive one.
The Salor were formerly a very powerful tribe, and were settled in the country
between the Murghab and Tejend rivers long before the Tekeh appeared in the
country. They lived in the town of Sarakhs, the ruins of which can now be seen on
the eastern side of the Tejend, a few miles from the present Persian fort which bears
the same name, but which is situated on the western side of the Tejend river. Their
town was captured and a large number of them put to death by Abbas Mirza, the
Persian Crown Prince, in 1830. He carried away captive some thousands of families,
and settled them at Zohrabad, within the Persian frontier. In those days the Tekeh
were rather friendly to Persia. About A.D. 1834 the Tekeh commenced settling in
considerable numbers on the Murghab river, crossing over from the Akhal Tekeh
country, where they had been settled for about 100 years. As they gained strength on
the Murghab they drove the Saruk tribe further up the Murghab, not allowing any
Saruk to live further down the river than Yullatun. After a time they found that the
Salor Turkomans who had been settled within the Persian borders by Abbas Mirza
were a great hindrance to their plundering raids into Persia Khorasan, in the neigh
bourhood of Mash-had. They therefore determined upon a bold stroke, and, partly by
force and partly by persuasion, the whole of the Salor trihe settled within the Persian
border were carried away to the Merv country, and settled amongst the Tekeh on the
Murghab, a few families in each division. The power of the Salor, who are now
supposed to number only 5,000 tents, was completely broken.
At Yullatun, which is situated some 45 miles further up the river than the Tekeh
head-quarters, there are said to be 4,(XX) Saruk tents, and five days’ journey still further
up the Murghab river, at Punj Deh, there are said to be 7,000 more tents of this tribe.
The total population of the Merv country, or that fertilized by the Murghab river,
may thus be put down at Tekeh, 40,000 tents, and Saruk 11,000 tents, or a total of
51,000 tents. This, at five persons each, would give *255,000 persons as the popula
tion of the tract. I know that this is a very small number in comparison with the
population that this country once supported, but it is large when one considers that
there are no towns, and that these are all nomads dwelling in tents.
Having given a rough estimate of the population, and shown the position in which
each tribe or subdivision dwell on the Murghab, I will now proceed to speak of Merv.
There have been several towns or cities hearing this name, but at present there is no
such place. A great deal of confusion has been occasioned by the loose way in which
the Persians speak of and describe Merv, and the few travellers who have visited the
place have rather added to the confusion. One Merv was destroyed by the Moguls.
Tului, a son of Jengiz Khan, laid siege to it on the 25th February 1221, and captured
the place. He is said, by Ibn-ul-Ethir. to have put 700,000 of its inhabitants to death,
besides those he carried away captive.
In eastern countries a town is seldom built on its ancient site, as it is considered
unlucky ; it is also far easier to build on a fresh one. The ruins of the town destroyed
by the Moguls is situated in the country 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. clan, east and a little north of
Kala Koushid Khan. #
The next town called Merv was the one now known as the Merv of Bairam AH
Khan, from the noble defence of it made by that chief. The ruins of it are also situated
in the country 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. clan.
Shah Tamasp I., a king of the Suffivian dynasty, transferred a portion of the Kajar
tribe to Merv about A.D. 1530, and entrusted the defence of that important city to
them. The Kajars were one of the Kizzil Bash tribes of Persia, and were of Turk
origin. When Shah Ismail, the first of the Suffivian kings of Persia, obtained the
5757. 6
*

About this item

Content

The memorandum is a report authored by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Edward Stewart, Bengal Staff Corps, dated 4 July 1881. Its purpose being to convey the results of his intelligence gathering mission to the North-Eastern Frontier of Persia.

The report largely consists of a narrative detailing Stewart's journey from Tehran to the frontier, which he undertook under the guise of an Armenian horse dealer from Calcutta. The narrative details events that unfolded during the course of his journey, but also includes detailed observations on the landscape and settlements he passes through. This includes general observations on the local economy, fauna, geology, history, and politics. Military matters are also a consideration, and it therefore includes details on Persian armaments, fortifications, garrisons, and how easy an army could be transported through the region.

Much discussion is given to raids undertaken against Persia — primarily by the Biluchis and the Turkoman — and efforts by Persian authorities to defend against them. Some attention is therefore given to slave trading in the region, and how recent Russian activities have curbed the opportunities to profit from the practice. It also concerns itself with Russian expansion in the region and the extent that the Persians are willing to assist them.

On folio 106 is an extract from the Times (August 1880) concerning the Indian Prince Ram Chunder; Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart claims to have met him during the course of his mission.

Extent and format
25 folios
Arrangement

The memorandum has been arranged into twelve chapters.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at f 105, and terminates at f 129, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. Pagination: the memorandum also contains an original pagination sequence.

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English in Latin script
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'Report on the North-Eastern Frontier of Persia and the Tekeh Turkomans' [‎117r] (25/50), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/C32, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025609614.0x00001a> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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