"دليل بلاد فارس. مجلد III." [و‎‎٢‎٠‎٤] (٩٨٢/٤١٢)

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citips, or Sahra Nishin, or dwellers in the field. A few only have adhered
to their original modes of life, and abide all the year round in tents, in the
winter keeping to the plains, and in the summer seeking the pasturage of the
mountains. In their own estimation they look upon the Shahr Nishlns as
degenerate, applauding the hardihood and simplicity of manners of those
who have no other dwelling-place than the tent, and reviling those who
recur to the luxuries of a house and the protection of a city.
“ The principal tribes are as follows :— 1, Kajar 2, Afstar ; 3, ’ Arab ; 4,
Lak ; 5, Faili; 6, Bavat; 7, Kurd ; 8, Kurd Bachah ; 9, Aimak ; 10, Hazareh ;
11, Baluch; 12, Bajilan ; 13, Khuda Bandehlu ; 14, Bakhtiari; 15, ShakhagI;
16, Shah-Sivan ; 17, Mamassani. It does not appear that any of the tribes
have written records, and it must be confessed that the information here
acquired concerning their numbers must be held as very uncertain. The
traditions of the tribes are oral, and whenever they pretend to great anti
quity, they immediately ascend to the fabulous ages of their historians, where
all is darkness, and they do not possess any popular ballads, which can
throw light upon their history. Each tribe has a patois of its own, bearing
more or less affinity to the Persian, but whatever books they possess are in
the Persian language.
“ The different tribes are now so much spread throughout the provinces
that they have almost lost that union which could render them formidable.
It is evidently the policy of the Government to disperse them, and it does so,
keeping their chiefs as hostages about the person of the king. Great efforts
have been made to disperse the Arab tribes, but ineffectually; consequently,
their chiefs are feared, and precautions taken to secure proper hostages for
their good behaviour.
“ 8uch of the tribes as have become inhabitants of cities are subject to the
laws and regulations which rule the community they have adopted : general
ly speaking, they are employed as servants, attached to their Khans, either
in a military or domestic capacity.
“The /SaAra AfsAins, although taxed in various ways and made to contri
bute to the military exigencies of the state, are comparatively less molested
than the other inhabitants. Their wealth consists principally in cattle,
which yield them a considerable revenue, and which they prefer to that
produced by the cultivation of the soil. They breed camels and horses for
sale, and their sheep yield milk, which is made into raughan (liquid butter)
and sold throughout the country. The peculiar privileges of the Iliats
consist' in liberty to range over districts from which no one can dispossess
them. They ascend in the summer to cold regions called ydildqs, where
they find pasture, and in the winter keep to their qishldq tracts, which
enjoy a warmer climate. These ydildqs and qishldqs are defined to each
tribe by the Government, and whenever their limits are encroached upon
by unprivileged tribes, violent strifes and battles ensue.
“ The existence of these migratory tribes being advantageous to the Gov
ernment, they are little oppressed. They are taxed at certain established
rates upon each head of cattle, and are called upon to serve in the king’s
armies. They pay at the rate of five piastres for each camel, one piastre
for each cow, the same for mares, one ’abbdsi, or quarter-piastre, for a sheep.
When they cultivate the ground, they are fined according to the rates