"دليل بلاد فارس، الجزء III، وهو يتضمن محافظة فارس، لورستان، عربستان، خوزستان، يزد، كرمانشاه، أردلان، كردستان" [و‎‎٥‎٢] (٦٨٦/١٠٨)

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BAK—BAK
may rule at Isfahan, and under whose jurisdiction the tribes come. At
the present time apparent peace and amity reign throughout their hills,
and good relations exist between their chiefs the IlkhanI and Ilbegi
and the Zil-us-Sultau ; bloodshed is punished and feuds repressed.
The Chahar Lang occupy the south-east valley of the Zagros range
from Dizful and Shustar to the territory of Bihbahan. To their north
and north-east lie the Haft Lang. They are under the jurisdiction of
the Haft Lang. The Haft Lang are partly under the government
of Burujird.
We read in Hanway that at the time of the Afghan invasion of
.. ,. , Persia, in the beginning of the last century, the
Bakhtiarl chief, Kasim Khan, put 12,000 horse
into the field. Moving towards Isfahan, he was met and defeated by
the invaders with a loss of 2,000 men.
Later on the Pasha of Mosul, notwithstanding a first success, was
unable to permanently hold the country.
The Bakhtiarls who accompanied Nadir Shah to Kandahar distin
guished themselves greatly during its siege.
The Bakhtiaris in former years often disturbed the peace of Persia;
they were conquered by Nadir Shah, but not subdued. In the rei^n
of Muhammad Shah, they were first brought under subjection. Still
they are not conquered.
In the time of Nadir Shah, Rashid, second son of Zaman Khan, in
whose family the chieftainship of Chahar Lang has been vested for
centuries, held an important post at the Shah's court.
On the death of the monarch he fled from the court to his native
mountains with a considerable sum of money, by the aid of which his
eldest brother, 'Ali Mardan, became a competitor for the throne.
Muhammad Taki, who recently enjoyed the chief power among the
Bakhtiaris, was descended from Rashid. During the time of his
greatest prosperity the tribes acknowledging his authority numbered
from 18,000 to 19,000 men, the chief of whom were—Janiki Garmsir,
4,000 men; Janiki Sardsir, 2,500 men; Dinaruni, 3,000 men, &c.
The Bahmehis and Teibis, the largest of the Kuhgehlu tribes, whose ,
chiefs were related to him by marriage, were more under his control
than that of the Governor of Bihbahan, and when able joined him in
his wars.
The chiefs of the Bakhtiari, Kuhgehlu, Kashkai
marry, and thus relations are kept up amongst the
Lurs, adding much to their political power and
cohesion and making common cause.
Muhammad Taki could perhaps have collected
whom 3,000 to 4,000 were horsemen, if engaged in
tribes or with Shustar, Bihbahan or the K'ab Arabs; if opposed to
the Government, he could scarcely have collected |rds of that number ;
some would be unable to leave their villages, and others would be too
much occupied with their own intestine broils. He relied chiefly on
the Janiki Garmsir, whose matchlockmen are noted for their personal
courage and efficiency. They are also the most peaceable of the
Bakhtiaris.
and Feili inter
whole family of
their powers of
15,000 men, of
wars with other