'Kurdistan and the Kurds' [‎28v] (56/122)

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sub-tribes; they are a rough people* of a similar disposition to the
Haiduranli. At some distance to the north-west of these two tribes lie the
Berizanli, a sedentary tribe of 900 families; they are a sub-division of the
Hassananli. Their neighbours on the south are the Zirikanli, numbering
6,000 families, who were originally nomadic, but who have settled down to
a sedentary life during the last 25 years. Between these tribes and Lake
Van dwell the Hassananli, a large tribe of 3,300 families, owning 110
villages in the districts of Hinis, Melasgird, and Varto. In the triangle
lying between Melasgird, Mush and the western shores of the lake
four tribes have their homes, the Isoli, the Chukurli, the Penjiman, who
are nomads and only own a few villages in this region, and the Silukan.
To the north of Mush are the Azli ; and the district between Mush and
the Bingeul Dagh is inhabited by the Jibranli, a large and important
tribe of 2,000 families, and the leader in a confederation of eight smaller
tribes ; these are the Mukhel, the Arab Agha, the Torini, the Aliki, the
Asdini, the Shaykhekan, the Mamagan, the Shaderli, who are Shi‘ites, and
the Bellikanli; this last tribe numbers 6,000 families and is more
independent of the Jibranli than the other members of the confederacy ;
its people speak the Zaza language and are Shi'ites in religion. It is
probable that, as the traditions of the tribe relate, the Jibranli are
immigrants from Arabistan, by which perhaps the country round Diarbekr
is meant; and the tribes over whom they exercise a certain hegemony are the
original inhabitants of this part of the country. This tradition is supported
by the fact that the Jibranli, who are now becoming sedentary, were
formerly nomads. The men wear the most extraordinary clothes, buttons
of pearls, collars, and cuffs of black velvet, baggy trousers and sashes; the
richer tribesmen also wear a collar and tie; on the head they wear an
enormous tarbush of white felt, about a foot high and bulging out like a
busby, round which a very small turban of silk is wound. Another
peculiarity is that they wear long hair and carefully-trimmed whiskers on
each side of the face. The women as well as the men shave the top of
the head.
Above the Bellikan and along the western flank of the Jibranli con
federacy are firstly, the Lolanli, who consist of 480 families and who are
Shi‘ite Moslems ; secondly, above them, the Bazikli and Rashwan, both of
whom are nomads, numbering 70 families in each tribe. Lastly there are
four tribes round Erzerum ; on the north of the town are the Sheikh
Bazeini, who are divided into two groups, the larger of which numbers450
families and who are of sedentary habits ; to the north-west are the Pisianli,
a sedentary tribe of 700 families, who speak Kermanji; and on the south
west are the Girdi and the Putikanli, both of whom live sedentary lives.
Eleven of these tribes, the Hassananli, Berizanli, Jibranli, Sipikanli,
Zirikanli, Rashwan, Bazikli, Putikanli, Zilanli, Haiduranli, and Adamanli,
fall into one homogeneous group. They are a distinct and easily dis
tinguishable race of tall, heavily built men, of surpassing ugliness of face