'Reconnaissances in Mesopotamia, Kurdistan, North-West Persia, and Luristan from April to October 1888. By Lt F R Maunsell, Intelligence Branch. In Two Volumes. Volume I: narrative report, description of larger towns and routes leading from them. Simla: Intelligence Branch, Quarter Master General's Dept, 1890' [‎23r] (50/312)

In Azerbaijan and North-West Persia this plateau ascends to the westward
till it merges in the still higher mass of rolling hills round Lake Van.
In Ardelan the plateau is bounded on the west by the several lofty ranges
of Turkish Kurdistan.
In Luristan the plateau falls away towards the Tigris plain in a succes
sion of parallel ranges, known generally as the Pusht-i-Kuh.
Overlooking Khuzistan the plains of Shustar and the Karun river are the
Bakhtiari Mountains, forming the edge of the plateau in that direction, and
in Farsistan and the Mekran coast the ridges forming the southern boundary
of the plateau reach down to the sea coast.
Luristan is roughly divided into two portions by the River Diz, the
country to the north-west being known as Lur-i-Kuchuk, and that to the
south-east as Lur-i-Buzurg. This river also separates the two great divisions
of Lur tribes; the Faili who inhabit Lur-i-Kuchuk, and the Bakhtiari, Lur-i-
Buzurg.
Lur-i-Kuchuk is further divided in Pish Kuh and Pusht-i-Kuh. Pish Kuh
includes the districts more immediately under the control of Burujird and
Khorramabad, extending to Hulilan on the Kerkhah.
Pusht-i-Kuh is the more mountainous country to the westward of
Hulilan as far as the Tigris plain. The tribes of the Pusht-i-Kuh are under
the direct control of Hassau Ghuli Khan, the chief of the Faili, and practically
independent of the Persian Government. The district is far more inaccessible
than the Pish Kuh, contains no large towns, and is less under the control of
the central Government. Hassan Ghuli Khan still retains the title of Wali of
Luristan.
The Pish Kuh tribes are without a supreme chief of the various tribes,
each having its own particular head, or “ Tushmal. ' 3 In the Pusht-i-Kuh
and the more mountainous portion of the Pish Kuh, the authority of Hassan
Ghuli Khan is supreme ; who is a powerful and vigorous ruler, independent
in the impregnable position he has taken up among the mountains. In
Pish Kuh the tribes are mostly sedentary, while in the Pusht-i-Kuh they are
entirely nomad.
Layard in 184-6 says several subdivisions left the Pusht-i-Kuh owing
to acts of oppression of the 'Wali and settled in the plain country round
Dizful. Similar acts of oppression on the part of Hassan Ghuli Khan have
also driven large numbers to settle along the Tigris in Turkish territory;
and consequently the district is now almost depopulated, and numerous
divisions and tribes ^iven by Layard are non-existent, or nearly so.
The people in Pusht-i-Kuh, where we came across them, were quiet and
peaceable, and did not seem to deserve the bad name given them by Layard and
Rawlinson. The Sagwand Lurs to the south-east have a bad reputation.
Travellers should always procure letters to the principal chiefs.
Besides the large encampment at Hassan Ghuli Khan’s place at Dehbala
only one or two small camps were seen through the whole of the Pusht-i-Kuh
during a four days’ journey.
Luristan Mountains .—In describing the mountains of the Pusht-i-Kuh,
the chief feature to be noticed is the parallel character of the ridges forming
the main chain, which run in a general direction north-west and south-east.
The ridges are steep, lofty masses of limestone, the strata being in some
places vertical with huge cliffs and precipices, and steep impassable summits
like a Spanish sierra.
Between these ridges are enclosed numerous small plains and narrow
valleys generally of the richest soil, well watered with numerous springs,