Qashqai chiefs of Fars (George Percy Churchill)

Kashkai chiefs of Fars

The Kashkais have sprung from the great Turkish Khalaj tribe which settled in Asia Minor during the middle ages. At the end of the fourteenth century, when Timur removed the Khalaj from Asia Minor to Central and Eastern Persia, a great number of them ran away and settled in Fars, and from this “running away” (in Turkish kachmak) the part of the Khalaj which settled in Fars was called Kashkai, i.e., fugitives. They now number about 25,000 families, subdivided into 66 tirah (branches), each with a kalantar or kedkhoda. The chief of the tribe is the Ilkhani, and his deputy is the Ilbeggi; the former generally resides in Shiraz as hostage for the good behavior of the tribe, while the latter is with the tribe.

The last Ilkhani was Darab Khan (b. 1829), son of Mustafa Kuli Khan, Sardar of the Shahilu branch. His ancestor Ismail Khan (son of Jani Aka, son of Namdar Aka, son of Muhammad Aka, son of Safar Ali Aka, son of Jani Aka, son of Kazi Aka, son of Amir Kazi, who flourished in the beginning of the sixteenth century) and his brother Hassan Khan were much trusted by Kerrim Khan Zend, and were chiefs of the tribe, but Kerrim Khan’s successors blinded Ismail Khan, his son, Jani Khan became Ilbeggi, and in 1819 was made Ilkhani. He died in 1824 and was succeeded as Ilkhani by his second son, Muhammad Ali Khan (b. 1793), who died in 1851. Muhammad Ali Khan had married a daughter of Firman Firma Husain Ali Mirza in 1826, and left three sons by other wives, viz., (a) Jahandir Khan (b. 1815), Ilbeggi, who married a sister of Muhammad Shah and was commander (Sertip) of the Kashkai Infantry Regiment until 1849, when he was appointed governor of Darab. In 1851, on his father’s death, he became Ilbeggi and was appointed governor of Kazerun. He died in 1871. His son Muhammad Hassan Khan was Serhang of the Kashkai Infantry, and some time governor of Abadeh, and lately governor of Bonat.

The second son was Lutf Ali Khan, who was Sertip of the Kashkai regiment from 1851 until his death in 1856, and left a son ― Hajji Muhammad Sadik Khan, now living in Abadeh.

His third son, hajji Nasr Ullah Khan (b. 1840), was Sartip of Kashkai regiment from 1856 to 1878, when he became Ilbeggi and governor of Kamfiruz and Chahar-dangeh. He died some years ago and left a son, Sultan Ibrahim Khan Sarhang (b. 1870).

The eldest son of Jani Khan Ilkhani was Hajji Husain Kuli Khan, who, of a quiet disposition, was thought to be incapable of succeeding his father as Ilkhani, and settled in Kamfiruz, where three of his grandsons ― Abbas Khan, Ali Akbar Khan, and Bakir Khan ― are now living. The third son of Jani Khan Ilkhani was Murteza Kuli Khan Ilbeggi; he died in 1833 of a wound which he received in an engagement with government troops sent out to seize him. He left two sons, Ali Kuli Khan and Kobad Khan. Ali Kuli Khan was born in 1815, appointed Ilbeggi in 1871, and died not long ago. He left four sons: Allah Kuli Khan, Kuhandil Khan, Aman Ullah Khan, and Habib Ullah Khan, who are now living. Kobad Khan died some years ago. He left one son, Imam Kuli Khan, now living.

The fourth son of Jani Khan Ilbeggi was Mustafa Kuli Khan Sardar, who was killed at the siege of Kerman in 1831. He left two sons: one Sohrab Khan, who was executed in 1874, and left a son, Bahadur Khan, now living; the other, Darab Khan (b. 1829), the late Ilkhani, who died a short time ago, had three sons, all now living: Abdullah Khan, present Ilbeggi, Ahmad Khan, and Ismail Khan.

The fifth son of Jani Khan Ilkhani was Muhammad Kuli Khan (b. 1809), who became Ilbeggi in 1835 and Ilkhani in 1851, and died 1867. He had one son, Sultan Muhammad Khan, who became Ilkhani in 1867, resigned in 1871, and has, several times since then, held the governorships of Ferrashband and Firuzabad.

Up to twenty years ago the Ilkhanis of the Kashkais were very wealthy; since then much of their property has been sold or mortgaged, and they have many debts.

The following are the sixty-six branches of the Kashkai tribe: ―

Urdakpai, Abu’l Hassani, Ukhchulu, Ukhchahpul, Ardashiri, Aslani, Afshar i Kermani, Amirlu, Uriat, Irakllu, Ikdir, Inaklu, Ayublu, Papati, Baranikurdlu, Ballu, Balilahvand, Pagir, Bayat, Tulli, Cahahrdahcharik, Jamahbuzurgi, Chittiz, Jarkani, Jafarbeglu, Jafarbegi, Chigini, Khalaj, Dadahkah, Derrehshuri, Rahimi, Zengeneh, Sauri, Sahmdini, Shahulu, Sheshbuluki, Safikhani, Tayyibi, Alibeglu, Alikurdlu, Amalah, Farsimadan, Fili, Karacheh, Kobadlu, Karachallu, Karaghanlu, Kutulu, Kuchehbegl, Kai, Karrai, Kermanlu, Kashkuli, Gellehzan, Kahku, Kahuvah, Mal Ahmadi, Muhammad Zamanlu, Margmari, Moghanlu, Moghani, Mosillu, Nimadi, Vanda, Yalmah.

British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, ‘Biographical Notes’, IOR/R/15/1/746, pp. 215―216.