'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎92v] (189/312)

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There is no country in the world so tenacious of old customs as Persia and
Kurdistan—a remark which applies equally to the Christian and Muhammadan
peoples. As is natural, the old Christian customs are retained more tenaciously
in the mountains than in the Urmia plains.
The people of the latter have had much intercourse with Europe, especially
during the last fifty years, but, even they cling to their old customs most reli
giously.
It perhaps is inevitable in a Musalman country that the women should be
kept entirely in the background, although they are in a far better position
than their Muhammadan sisters. There is unfortunately little of that chiv
alrous feeling of men towards women which one finds in Europe.
Women are the drudges that are ordered about by the men to do the hard
work, carry heavy loads; whose education matters nothing, and who become
prematurely aged in their heavy task. In their dress the women to some extent
follow their Musalman neighbours. Thus, in the mountains where the
Kurdish women wear no veil, the Christian women do not veil themselves
either, but in the Urmia plain where the Musalman women completely veil
themselves from head to foot, the Nestorian women also wear a veil; thouo-h
it covers only their mouth. This is part of their headdress, and it is considered
impioper to allow their hair to be seen. For the rest, the Christian women wear
red, and very picturesque they look.
It is the men, however, who adorn themselves in fine clothes; and in the
mountains a well-dressed man is a magnificent spectacle, with all his embroidery
and antique weapons. J
Pei haps the first thing that strikes a European is the way in which every
one lives on the floor. It is only in the most European houses which have
anything in the way of a reception room. Besides carpets and cushions, beds
are laid on the floor and in the morning people roll them up, and place "them
against the wall, where they serve as a rest for the back of the guest.
At meal times a cloth (generally of some red material) is laid, or else a low
table about four inches from the ground, is brought in, when all sit round.
The Nestorians are most hospitable and never know but what their meal
may be shared by a stranger. Hot cakes of bread, almost as thin as a wafer,
are spread on the edges of the cloth and serve as plates: this is the custom in
Persian houses also.
When all the dishes are brought in and the whole meal on the table
a long grace is said and the guests fall to. Knives and forks are known only
to those who Europeanize. As a rule people eat with their fingers, taking up
the meat with pieces of the flat bread. B r
Thus, two persons will dip their hands together into the same dish, and it
is a mark of friendship to dip a piece of meat or fruit into the dish and give
it to another. This custom also prevails among the Kurds and Persians. Be
fore drinking wine a man will say to a friend or to the company o-enerally C( your
“ y ° Ur llealth ” and wil1 receive the reply “ may it be pleasant to you.”
.“ile the men are eating the women serve or are occupied in the background
with domestic occupations. They never sit down with the men, but take their
meals in private afterwards. If there are guests, the sons of the family will not
sit down to table with their father, but will serve the guests and take their
meals afterwards.
The language used in both Churches, Chaldean and Nestorian, is Syriac
Language. or Chaldean, the books being mostly in ancient Syriac
or Chaldean. It differs slightly in various districts,
e anguage, called near Mosul lahlin, is spoken over a very considerable
tract of country. J