"دليل بلاد فارس، المجلد I ويشمل محافظات أستراباد، شاهرود-بوستان، خراسان، وسيستان" [ظ‎‎٤‎٦] (٧٢٢/٩٧)

The Shahdillu tribe may be reckoned also as able to turn out at the bid
ding- of their chief about 3,000 armed men. The villagers are almost inva
riably of line physique, armed with good guns of native make, and accus
tomed to a life of almost constant warfare. The people of the outlying
tracts may, in fact, be regarded as always under arms; for they have regular-
picket duty on the mountain passes leading into their valleys, and are fre
quently summoned to aid in repelling attack or to join the llkhani in his
raids on the Turkman “obahs.” On these occasions their duty is to stop
pursuit by holding the heights on either side of the glen which the mounted
body may select for their retreat.
Jah Jarm is an intermediate post between Bujnurd and Nardfn, and has
Jab Jarm. a h ^ d y ? f 100 to 150 horsemen and two light guns
under the command of the Ilkhanhs deputy, Muza
Rahim Khan, who has also charge of the town and three villages. The
horsemen of Jah Jarm are of various tribes, and equally well armed W
equipped with those of Bujnurd.
The duties required of the llkhani with his force of 1,000 horse and 300
foot are in the first place to cover the districts in
hisiear, Bustan, Sabzawar, and Juvam ; and for this
purpose it is necessary for him to watch and close
on the first alarm all the passes from the right flank of Nardin i e from
Jah Jram border- tb * Morltai Ali Maidan to the Darbandd-His-
sar or Chardeh; a line of about 40 to 50 miles in
length.
There are in this distance four passes practicable for a large number of
horsemen, and many paths over which a few men
may scramble with difficulty and by stealth only,
the flank of Nardm line of posts to the Chukali
mountains is left to the men of Jah Jarm,
whose numbers are insufficient to do more than give
timely warning of danger.
The three passes, Gudar-i-Kuhsar, Tang-i-Kazi, and Dahana-i-Gulbin.ean
e passe jy 101 semen oi the most part at speed, and are consequently taken
by the larger plundering bodies who are able to defy any efforts of the weak
detachment usually m the fort of Jah Jarm. This is therefore the weakest
part of the whole border line.
The passes to the east, round the flanks of the Kuh Bahar, are guarded
Shaughan border. V. a detachment at Shaughan; and for seven or
years no large body of Turkmans has been
able to pass that way.
The line of uninhabited country from Shaughan, right round by Simal-
Bujnurd border. ^ an to ^ le Atak, has also to be guarded for the
, ,, , proteetlon of the till jiuird villages; ami this task is
naturally most efficiently performed by the Shahdillu, aided as they are by
the impi acticable nature of their country.
The llkhani is expected also, by retaliating raids on the Tekke “obahs,”
Offensive duties of Shahdillu. ^dsh-Khana, that is of the Yangi-Kala
• ii i- , ■ e t-i , to force them to restrict their operations
i d ^ l C 'v ° 't a 1 ^ ar f 1 Bardin, and in the same manner to keep
in check the 1 amuts on the Gurgan and Atrak. This being a most
Positions to be guarded hy the
llkhani.
Weak point of the line.
The whole line from
Chukah.