'MILITARY REPORT ON PERSIA. VOL. IV, PART II.' [‎40r] (84/212)

Persia They are Lurs, not unwarlike, of a good physique, and'
great agriculturists in the inland districts. Those from the ports
are much m demand as coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. in ports even as far a held as
Karachi and Basra. They are skilled sailors and fishermen
professions which maploy a substantial proportion of their
number; and, when trained and subjected to discipline they
would be in many respects superior to lascarsfor work on board-
ship. Ihe crews of the Customs launches and of the Persian
gunboat “ Persepolis ” are drawn from this source, and seem a
useful and handy lot of men.
• , Th L ^'l hqai ” omads are of Turkish origin and monopolize
with the Khamseh the lion’s share of political influence in Pars
They are sufficiently powerful to disregard the Persian Govern
ment, if it suits them to do so, but have been prevented hitherto
by dissensions among their chiefs from showing a united front •
nor is there any sign that this state of things is likely to alter in
the future. Physically they are perhaps the finest of the tribes
of south-west Persia, except the MamassanT, who are said to be
physically fine men.
Q&shq&l!
t u?- ^ Kha T Seh 1 ’ ° f five tribes onI 3- two > Shaibani and Khamseh
Jabbareh, are of undoubted Arab origin and form the so-called
Arab tribe. They aggregate 15,000 tents and are immigrants of
the 7th Century A. D. from Arabia; they still retain their
ancient tongue. The origin of the remaimng tribes is doubtful:
all alike are marauders.
Lastly comes the sedentary population ; north of Shiraz Persians,
this is predominantly of old Persian stock ; lacking enterprise,
personal courage and the power of co-operation, these wretched
villagers have ever been the prey of the nomads, who so despoil
them of their livestock and crops as to make it almost impossible
for them to keep body and soul together; these remarks also
apply, though in less degree, to the population of the Fasa,
Sarvistan, Kavar and Khafr districts. South of Jahrum and
Shiraz the villagers are more virile, with a strong admixture of
Lur or nomad blood, and in Laristan the villagers are not less
savage and predatory than the nomads.
The populations of the towns of Bushire and Shiraz are
again well-defined types, and recognized as such all over Persia,
t hat of Bushire is much mixed : Arabs, Persians, Lurs, and tribes
of mixed blood, such as Behbehanis, have settled in the town
and intermarried, forming a peculiar type; they wear peculiar
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