'Military Report on The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company's (South Iranian) Oilfield Area' [‎10v] (27/150)

8
more primitive state, and are better fighting men. It is doubt
ful whether by themselves the Bakhtiari would stand up against
any organized military force or even against their more warlike
tribal neighbours, unless in greatly superior numbers. As a
fighting force, they are no menace to a Central Government
which has any power in the provinces.
On the other hand, the Bakhtiari still possess much inde
pendence of character, and are capable of great endurance for
short periods in their hill country. Although their fighting
qualities are questionable and barely 2,000 would be armed,
their predatory instincts, their physical endurance and then-
large numbers would make them a source of anxiety in the
oilfields, if there were any loosening of control over them by the
Central Government, particularly as the power of their Khans
has been destroyed.
With training and leadership, the Bakhtiari might prove
useful auxiliaries.
Sec. 2. The Kuhqalu, like their neighbours the Bakhtiari
are a division of the Lur race. They inhabit the mountains
immediately west and within easy raiding distance of the
I A. I. O. C. Southern Area. A few live actually within the Sou
thern Area. They are estimated to number 15,000 families, or
roughly a total of 75,000 souls.
They on - l^lt -“ a -^ t - J1 * innf ’ n»^-nrft-.en only frWB,
the Taller i tti thn UMighlMniring —slopes. They are
«- divided into two main sections, which are each farther sub
divided into five sub-sections. Unlike the Bakhtiari, they were
not under a central tribal authority, each sub-section being
independent and often at enmity with one another.
They are wild and lawless, more primitive, and definitely
better fighters than the Bakhtiari. Their fighting strength is
estimated at about 12,000 men, but, owing to inter-tribal
feuds, combined action by the tribes as a whole is unlikely in the
extreme. They were largely disarmed by the Iranian Gov
ernment in 1930 and have given little trouble since. The
number of rifles still in their secret possession is believed not to
amount to more than a few hundred.
The sub-divisions of the Kuhgalu are given in Appendix I.
Sec. 3. The Arab Tribes in or near the area of the com
pany’s operations number about 195,000 souls. They are
divided into six main tribal groups west of the Kanin river, two