Coll 28/128 ‘Persia. Tour of 12thIndian Division Mobile Dispensary in Tribal areas.’ [‎70r] (139/145)

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large Bakhtiari element which has crept up from the south. Bakhtiari influence
had declined under Reza Shah, but is rising again and shows itself in the number
of sowars and tofangchis, who swagger about armed in the villages, and in the
attempts their Khans are making to restore their old properties, some of which
were bought by Khunsaris.
Scattered among Turki and Bakhtiari are twenty-four Armenian and nine
"^eorgian villages, whilst at the northern gateway there is a sprinkling of Persian,
ihe Turks and Caucasians were transplanted there by Shah Abbas at the
beginning of ihe 17th century. The Turks, who still speak Turki, impress one
as being taller, “ rosier ” and healthier than nearby Persians, especially the
women, although in other ways they are little different from their neighbours.
The easy-going Georgians, whose nine villages centre round Akhureh Bala in the
west, were converted two centuries ago by the Mullahs of Shah Sultan Hussein,
since when, whilst retaining their language, they have lost much of their
individuality by inter-marriage with Moslems of other races. However, many are
rosy-faced with a sprinkling of fair and blue-eyed, and some of their carpets are
distinctly Caucasian in design. Their homes are substantially built and well
embellished with woodwork, some of which is carved. Some of their Khans are
men of influence and have a backing of sowars. Akhureh Bala serves as a market
centre for the Bakhtiari tribes to the south, and has until recently harboured a
Bakhshdar and a large garrison. An account of the Armenians in the Fereidan
is being appended to the next report.
Fereidan is a rich granary and supplies Isfahan with part of its needs. 1 he
Government share of the crop is being collected by contractors, all of whom are
local landowners, some with an armed backing like the Salar Shuja and Mohamed
Ali Mardani; hence the usual tales of injustice and partiality are heard. By
bribino- the collectors some owners are able to retain most of their wheat, hoarding
and selling it at a handsome profit in the bazaars if it can be smuggled to
Nejafabad or Isfahan. To offset this tendency those who bring forward their
wheat are rewarded by a proportionate allotment of monopoly goods such as tea
and sugar at the more reasonable Government prices, and illicitly retained wheat
(in theory) is confiscated by the Government without payment. „ ,
Carpets are woven in’every village, and a high quality arak is distilled by
the Armenians from sour green grapes and exported as far as India, hxcellen
potatoes are cultivated and consumed by the well-to-do and by Armenians, but the
Moslem population is prejudiced against them, which is a pity as any amount
could be °Town. A similar reluctance is shown by Moslems to adopt oxen for
drawing carts, a system of transport which is successfully exploited m most
Armenian villages.
(c) Gulpaigan and Khunsar.
Ylthoikh Gulpaigan is the seat of a farmandar who governs a small district
in which Khunsar is included, the latter is more important both in size of
population and in the influence and power of its merchant landowners. Ihe
Khunsaris, who resent being governed from Gul P a 'San, point out that the
Guljaig'ni. was comforting himself with the usual complaints that the votes had
been tampered with. villages lie among fruit gardens in an otherwise
exposed plafn'which suffers from^Jorta^ of ^^^hkdh'some^cottoH
negated ditches’ leviesa toll on the inhabitants
which is greater than a 6 ’°f srtunl out amidst orchards and
Khunsar, ^ ^ and ‘ well-watered valleys in Persia,
greenery, in one oi t Khnnsar ran^-e through a gap in which a
separated from Fereidan by the „ < ex p or ts are dried fruits, nuts, timber,
well-trodden trade route passes. 0 j] The gaz, a form of manna, is
gaz, wooden spoons carpets, in ' f , t . ima risk hush from"which it exudes and is
collected from the lea 'y r of J J. ’" s 7ar pTst7hios and a little white of egg. it
shaken off in autumn. Mixed with h t f Persia. The sherbet
is made into a sweetmeat which 'W ^ ot^i part ^ ^ are now of
th7crudes^ e wcutaianship' V0< Wood carving and painting, like other arts, has