'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' [‎37r] (78/312)

and a stable inside for 20 horses, store rooms, &c. The door of the house is
in the south wall, and opens into the garden, with a second gateway in the outer
wall defended overhead with a banquette and tier of loopholes. In the lower
end of the garden is a three-storied unfinished building; a staring, comfortless
sort of place, with rows of large windows, built in the style of the Imadiah
Palace at Karmanshah.
The house and garden are recently built; and its situation, as a stronghold
for a feudal chief in this secluded valley, shut in on all sides, is well chosen.
The Dalowa Pass is the only means of crossing the mountain to the north,
and that is steep and difficult, and might be held by a few resolute men against
any number. The route towards the Mesopotamia plain is also capable of
easy defence. To the south-east towards the Kabir Kuh lies an extremely
wild, impassable country, full of deep wooded ravines and crags, while to the
north-west towards Zarna are a succession of rugged parallel ridges difficult to
cross. The position at least seems secure against anything the Persian Gov
ernment would care to attempt, and the chief may be said to be practically
independent.
Hassan Ghuli Khan. —Hassan Ghuli Khan is the principal chief of the
Faili Lurs, and makes his influence felt over the whole of Lur-i-Kuchuk.
He is known to the Arabs as “ El Faili.” He keeps up the semi-regal title and
state of Walicf Luristan, one of the former Walis of Persia— viz., Azerbaijan,
Gurjistan, Kurdistan and Luristan. These titles are now more or less in
abeyance in the three first districts.
He has here at his disposal a force of 700 well mounted horsemen and
2,000 infantry, all armed with Martini Peabody rifles bought or looted from
over the Turkish border.
He chiefly raids into the Tigris plain, and has several times been in colli
sion with Turkish troops from Baghdad. The Beni Lam Arabs and his men
are at a deadly feud.
He is a fine man, with commanding presence, with a remarkably long
beard, which obtained him the name of “ rish-i-buzurg.”
He is about 50 years old, and is now much broken down through drink.
His eldest son is 25 years old, and a Sartip in the Persian service.
Until lately he was with the Zil-es-Sultan at Isfahan, and seems to have
been kept there as a sort of hostage for the good behaviour of his father.
The climate at this, the hottest time of year, was fairly pleasant;
with the thermometer 91° in the afternoon, with
Chmate. nights and early mornings cool. Towards the end
of October it commences to rain ; the rainy weather lasting about a month,
and then snow sets in and remains on the ground 2| to 3 months, according
to the severity of the season. The tops of Manisht and the Gatcha Kuh were
covered with snow in April, but none remains all the year round on any of
these ranges. There is said to be 2 feet of snow in this valley in winter. The
tribes then move down to Hosseiniyeh and the Gusdana plain near the Turkish
frontier. “ Yailak” is the Lur word for summer quarters. It is equivalent to
the Persian “ sardsir,” and is known with the same meaning through Central
Asia. “ Zozan,” the Kermanji word further north for summer quarters, is
unknown here.
“ Querrutch ” is the Lur word for winter quarters, cc garmsir ” or <e kishlak.”
Both Kermanji (and Lur dialects are extremely guttural. The people talk or
rather shout to one another in a piercing high key, and the effect is curious.
They are fond of singing and chanting as they go along.
The Lurs are a merry, lighthearted people, very different to the pure Persians.