'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART II: L to Z' [‎191v] (387/988)

from the neighbourhood of Behbehan in the west to that of Firuzahad in
the east. They commence their annual migration northwards soon after the
Nauruz (21st March—). Many of the routes by which the different
sections are accustomed to move pass within 30 miles of Kazerun, they all
converge to the west of Shiraz. In the spring the tribes pass close to
Shiraz usually about the end of April and early in May, on their return
southwards they reach the vicinity of Shiraz in October and are mostly
back in their winter quarters soon after the beginning of November. When
on the move they travel very slowly, grazing as they go and often staying a
few days in a place where the grass is better than elsewhere.
Cattle, sheep and goats move over the hill-sides, men, women and children
with the baggage animals carrying their belogings keep along the tracks..
It will be understood how extremely vulnerable they are during these
migrations. They are obliged to keep to their regular routes within certain
narrow limits, as othei wise they encroach on the rights of other sections
or tribes and consequently provoke their hostility.
In addition to the fact that all their moveable property is practically
at the mercy of organised raiding parties, troops in occupation of Shiraz
and the Kazerun valley in October and November, could, by blocking their
routes, keep them up in the high ground where their cattle and sheep would
all perish for want of grazing during the winter. Similary troops at
these places in the spring could prevent their moving to their summer
grazing ground with a like result. For this reason they would probably
hesitate to engage in open hostilities with a fairly strong force moving up
to the Shiraz valley during the winter months, though they might resist
a smaller force if they thought they could block its advance. If they did
offer any resistance it should not be difficult to bring them to terms.
Armament .—The Qashqai are well armed, practically every able-bodied
man being in possession of a magazine or Martini rifle, and, in 1911, fairly
well supplied with ammunition. Saulat-ud-Dauleh was permitted by the
Persian Government to import some 200,000 rounds, early in 1911, for the
use of his tribesmen in protecting the roads; all this and a good deal more
besides, were expended during the autumn of 1911 at Shiraz. During 1912
there was more fighting among the Qashqai, and about the same time the
blockade of the Fars coast was undertaken by the navy, thus curtailing the
supply. Though the tribe is rich, and during winter live close to the coast,
they must now ( 1912 ) find it difficult to maintain an adequate supply of
ammunition.
In the year 1900 the Qashqai tribe did not possess more than 200 rifles,
but in 1912 they had 15,000 magazine rifles, and perhaps 8,000 of older
pattern.
In 1910 Saulat-ud-Dauleh was presented with a 7 centimetre gun by the
I ersian Government; but its weight would prevent it being used for any
thing but an attack on Shiraz.
Administration.
The province of bars is administratively divided into a number of Gov
ernorship (Hukumat), Sub-Governorships (Naib-ul-Hukumeh) and districts
(Buluk), of which the last-named arc very ill-defined. A large number of