'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎438v] (881/1278)

ILI—ILI
4S2
The advantage of military service consists in the protection which it affords
to the soldier’s family ; of the pay they see little, as it passes through the
hands of the Khan, the Sultan, the Mirza, etc., of the regiment to which
the soldier belongs, and each appropriates a share.
They are inured to danger and fatigue, and tenacious of the honour of
their tribes; hitherto, they have been the prop and glory of Persia. They
were ubiquitous, and, hovering round about an enemy, never allowed
him to rest.
Jealousy of their power now causes them to be less drawn upon than
formerly for recruits ; many of their number are kept at Tihran as hostages
for their loyal behaviour.
At best such troops are but lawless and savage marauders and dangerous
to a weak government.
The cavalry are more highly esteemed than the infantry simply because
every man thinks it degrading to walk and dignified to ride ; every Persian
is a good horseman, being accustomed to bestride some animal, donkey,
mule, or horse from early childhood.
Until good legislation shall turn them into peaceable and industrious
communities the fertile regious over which they wander must be vast
pasturages, adapted solely to armed shepherds and lawless freebooters.
Persian 'policy towards the llidts. —It has at times been the policy of the
Persian Government to split up unruly and dangerous tribes, and to
transport them to distant parts of the empire ; thus, the inhabitants of
Diz-i-Kurd, Deh-i-Kurd, etc., are of Kurdish origin.
Mr. Schindler considers that the proportion of souls per family among
the nomads is smaller than that of residents in towns and villages. Of
the Mussulman population 50*5 per cent are females and 49*5 per cent
males.
The Lurs of Lur-i-Kuchak are under the jurisdiction of the Governor,
resident at Khurramabad. 1
The Lurs of Lur-i-Buzurg are under that of the Governor of ’Arabistan,
resident at Burujird, and of that of Isfahan.
The Kuhgalti and Mamassani are under the government of Behbehan
(Shiraz).
The Qashqai are under that of Ears (Shiraz).
llidts of Pars, etc. —The most complete account of the Mamassani and
Kuhgalu Lurs and of the Qashqai, as well as of the other dwellers
in Ears, will be found in the works of Dr. Andreas. All these tribes were
reduced to order by Prince Farhad Mirza by a ruthless shedding of blood
(since 1877).
Border llidts. —The Iliat tribes along the border of Turkey and Persia
have ever been noted for their predatory habits; the Turk being
regarded by the Persian as an intruder on the limits of the ancient
Persian empire ; the former, the orthodox believer in ’Omar and the
omnipotent Allah ; the latter the disciple of the martyred ’Ali—the one
a Sunni, the other a Shi’ah.
The Faili Lurs occupy the Persian border from Dizful to Kirmanshah.
It is difficult to treat with the border Iliats diplomatically, they
occupying Turkish territory at one time and Persian at another.^— (Bell.)