"إضافات إلى دليل بلاد فارس، المجلدات II إلى IV." [ظ‎‎٤‎٨] (٣٧٠/٩٦)

16
AZARBAIJAN. Vol. II, page 40.
The people of the north-west—
These are mainly Turks, Kurds and Armenians.
TURKS.
The Turks are greatly in the ascendant, and are gradually pushing out the
Armenians, and in a lesser degree the Kurds. They belong to the same race
as the Turks on the north sideof the Aras (now Russian subjects), who occupy
the valley from Jult'a to Erivan, with whom they are closely connected by
history and marriage. They have taken the place of those Armenians who pre
viously peopled the country from Julfaand Klioi to Mount Ararat, and will
probably in course of time either deprive the Kurds of their cultivable lands,
or oblige them to settle down as cultivators of the soil. They are a hardy b:ave
race,and whether looked upon as soldiers, of whom they furnish the most coura
geous, or as peasants, pure and simple, they are amongst the best of Persia’s
subjects. Mentally they are not advanced, and offer a marked contrast to
the Armenians with whom they are brought in contact. They are bigoted
and easily led by their spiritual guides, but socially a pleasant, if stupid
people, easy to deal with and manageable. On the western border they
come into collision with the Kurds, against whom they are fairly well able
to hold their own. As a rule, they are poor, the exactions of their rulers
preventing the attainment of any degree of comfort, notwithstanding their
possession of rich scii, enabling them to raise fine crops of wheat, barley,
rice and cotton. Owing to scarcity of timber, the dwelling places are miser
able and the villages wretched in appearance. A trait to be remarked upon
is the change visible in their attitude of miud. The happy philosophy iu
which they have hitherto rested, viz., what was good enough for their
fathers was good enough for them, is now giving place to a new energy of
feeling. They see their brethren on the north side of the Aras living in
greater ease and comfort, and comparisons have not taken long to ascribe
this to a better administration.
KURDS.
The north-west frontier is occupied by no very large number of Kurd’s,
-but as they form an important factor in the social life of the frontier, some
account of them is necessary. They operate over the country west of a line
drawn between Maraud and Julfa, and extend from the Aras on the north
to near Khoi on the South. They are divided into four tribes—the Jelalis,
the Milan, the Haideranlus, the Burkiye, accounts of which will be found
under their respective headings. These people depend almost entirely for
existence on their herds of sheep and goats, the products of which they
exchange for various foods, chiefly wheat, raised by the Turkish or Arme
nian peasant. Milk in various forms is the staple article of food, eked oufc-
by a little flour and mutton (the latter only on festive occasions.) Their
dress consists of a tunic of cotton, open at the throat, rough cotton breeches
and felt bands for the legs, boots of untanned hide. In winter they wear
an extra garment, a large felt waistcoat without arms. In summer they
live in open tents, made of long strips of woollen stuff, woven by the women.
In the winter in the more desolate regions of Maku and under Mount
Agra Dagh (Ararat), they dig underground holes to the depth of some
10 feet. The largest is generally reserved for the family, the smaller for