'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III. PART I: A to K' [‎432r] (868/1278)

ili—IlI
425
“ The Iliats are not originally Persians, but may be compared to foreign
shoots grafted on the main stalk. The original Persian is to be found In
the cities and in the old established towns and districts of the provinces.
The accretion of new population flowed in both from the east and from the
west. Until th3 conquest of Persia by the Saracens, her people might be
said to be unmixed ; they, having conquered the country, spread themselves
even to Balkh, Bukhara, and Marv, were incorporated with the Persian
nation, and, it is said, first innoculated it with roving propensities. The next
tribe of wanderers was brought from the east in 1234 with Jangiz Khan,
which was followed by Timur, who crossed and re-crossed Persia so fre
quently that many of his hordes were left in Turkey. Such, in general
terms, may be called the origin of the Iliats, but each tribe has its own
particular history, recording whence it came and by whom it was introduced
into Persia. Many have become inhabitants of cities and villages ; there
fore the tribes are classed into what are called Shahr Nishin, or dwellers in
cities, or Sahrd Nishin, or dwellers in the field. A few only have adhered
to their original modes of life, and abide all the year round in tents, in the
winter keeping to the plains, and in the summer seeking the pasturage of the
mountains. In their own estimation they look upon the Shahr Nishlns as
degenerate, applauding the hardihood and simplicity of manners of those
who have no other dwelling place than the tent, and reviling those who
recur to the luxuries of a house and the protection of a city.
“ The principal tribes are as follows : 1, KajAr ; 2, Afshar ; 3, ’Arab ; 4,
Lak ; 5, Fail!; 6, Bavat; 7, Kurd ; 8, Ku d Bachah ; 9, Aimak ; 10,’ Hazareh ;
11, Baluch ; 12, Bajilan ; 13, Khuda Bandehlu ; 14, Bakhtiari; 15, Shakhagi;
16, Shah-Sivan ; 17, Mamassani. It does not appear that any of the tribes
have written records, and it must be confessed that the information here
acquired concerning their numbers must be held as very uncertain. The
traditions of the tribes are oral, and whenever they pretend to great anti
quity, they immediately ascend to the fabulous ages of their historians, where
all is darkness, and they do not possess any popular ballads, which can
throw light upon their history. Each tribe has a patois of its own, bearing
more or less affinity to the Persian, but whatever books they possess are in
the Persian language.
“ The different tribes are now so much spread throughout the provinces
that they have almost lost that union which could render them formidable.
It is evidently the policy of the Government to disperse them, and it does so,
keeping their chiefs as hostages about the person of the king. Great efforts
have been made to disperse the Arab tribes, but ineffectually ; consequentlv
their chiefs are feared, and precautions taken to secure proper hostages for
their good behaviour. .
“ Such of the tribes as have become inhabitants of cities are subject to the
laws and regulations which rule the community they have adopted :
generally speaking, they are employed as servants, attached to their
Khans, either in a military or domestic capacity.
“ The Sahrd Nishins, although taxed in various ways and made to contri
bute to the military exigencies of the state, are comparatively less molested
than the other inhabitants. Their wealth consists principallv in cattle,
which yield them a considerable revenue, and which they prefer to that