Page 40 - PERSIAN 2 1879_1883_Neat
P. 40

28    administration report or tub Persian gulp political

                                                 Supplementary Litl.
                              In addition to the above the following districts contain mules in
                          the possession of villagers, a^ few bred among the villages, but the
                          majority purchased from the Eeliyals above described. These mules arc
                          used on the several routes os well as for local work : —


                                                              Estimated num­
                                     Names of districts.       ber of mule*.  -Rbmabks.


                          Bch!>eban
                          Seerawi
                          Koodasht
                          Zaidan                                   1,300   No herds.
                          Hindiyan
                          Ida’sboor
                          Cha'ab
                          See wand                                   400
                          Dashti                                     400
                          Tangistrn                                  200     Ditto.
                          Dashti^tan                                 800
                          Arba'a                                     200


                          It will be s\*eu from the above list that the three great tribes of the
                          Ka-hkai, with its numerous subdivisions, the Bakhtyari and the Abu
                          Ghadddreh, arc the chief breeders and suppliers of mules to the rest of
                          Persia.
                              The Kashkai are of Turk origin, and are scattered pretty well
                          throughout the whole province of Fdrs; wintering in the lowlands and
                          spending the summer in the elevated tracks between Shiraz and Isfahan.
                              The Bakhtyari, also of Turk origin, are a very powerful and in­
                          dependent tribe rendering feudal allegiance to their Eel-Khani and
                          caring very little for the Central Government at Teheran. They are
                          divided into two principal divisions, the Haftlang and the Charlang
                          with several subdivisions. Their summer quarters are the mountain
                          pastures in the vicinity of Isfahan, the head-quarters being at Chukakore
                          in the Chharmahal district about four farsakbs from Isfahan. In winter
                          they pitch their camps in the lowlands about Shuster and Dizful, their
                          head-quarters being three stages from the former place.
                              The Abu Gbadd^reh are a Kurd tribe living near the borders of
                          Turkish Kurdistan, their head-quarters being not far from Zobab.
                              The number of mules given in the above estimates are quite
                          separate from the mules belonging to the professional muleteers, and
                          employed by them on the principal trade routes. These latter are
                          purchased from the Eeliyat tribes. They are generally purchased when
                          three or between three and four years old. The price paid varies a good
                          deal; a Chanvadar (muleteer) informed me he generally paid from SO
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