'Kurdistan and the Kurds' [‎36r] (71/122)

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a district nation. The men and women are of a peculiar type, being dark
with finely-chiselled features and resembling no other Kurdish race. Their
language is apparently a dialect of Kurdish, but bardly comprehensible to
Zaza and Baba Kurds or Kermanji Kurds of Diarbekr. In religion they are
probably pantheists, but the question requires investigation. They dwell
in subterranean dwellings and are miserable farmers. They carry no arms,
being very unwarlike and extremely submissive.
Other tribes who have been observed in the district of Erzerum are
the Meman, Kaskan, Zarkan and Jibran ; from Sivas also the Haydaran,
Zilan and Sebkan have been reported ; but nothing beyond their name is
known of these tribes. A list of tribes of the Russian Caucasus places
the Mehan and Jelalian near Kars, the Badilan and Jemal-ud-Din
near Kachizian, and the Chunkan near Ardaham.' These also are no more
than names at present.
Another group of Kurds is found in the district round Marash,
bounded on one side by the Euphrates and on the other by the ranges of
the Anti-Taurus and the Amanus. To the north-west of Malatia the
Sinaminli dwell; they are a tribe of 2,500 families, who speak a dialect
of Kurdish closely akin to Persian and are genuine Shi‘ites; they are very
friendly to strangers, even to Europeans. South of the same town it has
been reported that a tribe called Kurujik is to be found, but this is very
uncertain ; the name sounds unlikely and nothing further is known of the
tribe. The El-Khass, consisting of 500 families, inhabit territory in the
half circle formed by the bend of the Euphrates above Samsat. Between
Albistan and Samsat are 300 families of the Kara Hassan and 600 of the
Kodir Zor; between Marash and Samsat live the Doghanli, a nomad
tribe of 250 families, and the Dellianli, who are also nomads. To
the north west of Marash the Chughrishanli are settled; they number
500 families and are probably sedentary. A section of the Jellikanli
occupy the plain of Marash, in the direction of Aintab; they are
poor shepherds and probably have come from the neighbourhood of Lake
Van, where another branch of this tribe is found. To their south there
are two small tribes, the Dellikanli and the Bellikanli; the former are a
tribe of 200 families, leading a nomadic life ; in the summer they dwell in
tents on the slopes of the Taurus, and in the winter they move to fixed
settlements in the plain, about 30 miles west of Killis ; in their camps the
tents are surrounded by walls of stone. The men are tall and well-built,
and the women good-looking. The latter, whose numbers do not exceed
250 families, are completely nomadic in their manner of life, roaming about
the plains of Marash, although they possess no horses ; they speak the
Kermanji dialect. Lastly the Lek Kurdi are a small tribe who have
settled down to the west of Adana; it is said that they speak Turkish, though
they seem to he known to, and perhaps have affinities with, the Kurds of
Persia.
These twelve tribes are, generally speaking, nomads from distant