'IRAQ AND THE PERSIAN GULF' [‎251v] (507/862)

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378 DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION
of the Khabur and Zab north of the Chia Matin hills, and the
Barwar-i-Zir who inhabit the basins of the rivers south of the Chia
Matin, have no paramount chief; the Bala sections have retained
more of their tribal organization. There are sedentary Nestor-
ian non-tribal peasants in the Barwar-i-Bala district. The Misuri
live in the upper Gomel Su valley east of Dohuk. In the foothills and
plains of the lower Khabur nomadic elements reappear, notably
among the Sindi in the Zakho plain, and the Artush, a small tribe in the
foothills south of the Khabur between Zakho and Dohuk. Their
nomadic sections together total about 6,000. In past times the Turks
have hindered their summer migration to the Turkish Chichi Rukh
Dagh beyond the Hazil Su. Also nomadic Kurds from Turkey,
such as the Goyan, may visit or take refuge in this region. But the bulk
of the Guli and Sindi tribes of the Zakho plain north of the Khabur
and of the northern foothills (Chia-i-Kaira, Chia-i-Dairi) are culti
vators. The Guli have fifteen villages and are noted for their dislike
of towns. The agricultural Sindi live in thirty-two very small hamlets
amongst which are some larger Nestorian villages sometimes reckoned
part of the tribe. They are a turbulent, violent tribe, but generally on
good terms with their neighbours, the Sihoi and Slopi who live on the
Iraqi and Turkish side of the Hazil Su respectively, and the Slivani.
The latter live astride the Tigris south of the frontier and are often
at enmity with the Turkish Goyan.
Turkomans, Persians, Indians, and Europeans
The figures for distribution by race of the minor nationalities come
from the estimate of 1932 and hence are only useful as a very general
guide.
The Turkomans of northern Iraq are distributed in a number of
towns and villages along the old trade-route which led from Baghdad
through the Assyrian plains and the northern Jazira to Anatolia Peninsula that forms most of modern-day Turkey. .
Chief of these are Qara Tepe, Tuz Khurmatli, Tauq, Kirkuk, Erbil,
Altun Kopru and, west of the Tigris, Tel Afar. These centres are
now being invaded by Kurdish influences. Tribal elements which
are by origin Turkoman are the Baiyat north-west of Qara Tepe
in the Chinchal valley and sections of the Bajlani north of Khanaqin
(p. 374). There are 75,600 Turkomans, 72,000 being in the provinces
of northern Iraq (Kirkuk, 29,400; Erbil, 12,200; Mosul, 30,700).
The remaining 3,000 were evenly divided between Diyala and
Baghdad provinces with a strong community in Mandali town.
Persians, numbering 65,000, are found mainly in the cities of the