The Gunduzlu Afshars of Khuzestan (A. H. Layard, 1846)

The Gunduzlu Afshars of Khuzestan

The tribes of Janniki Garmesir and Janniki Sardesir were originally included in the Kuhgelu. The Gunduzlu¹ is an Afshar tribe. I have not been able to ascertain the precise period of their immigration into this country. Nadir Shah found them in Khuzistan, and compelled them to return with him into the north of Persia. After his death, the Gunduzlus alone, of the numerous Afshar tribes that had quitted Khuzistan, returned to their former pastures. The Afshars occupied the greater part of the province to the foot of the great chain of mountains, and even the country now inhabited by the Cha’b Arabs, where Dorak² was their principal settlement. The Bakhtiyaris were confined to the mountains; and Afshars were generally sufficiently powerful and united to oppose them with success if they ventured into the plain.

During the period of Mahommed Taki’s prosperity the following tribes acknowledged his authority: ― Janniki Garmesir, Janniki Sardesir, Kiyunurzi, Suhuni, part of Moguwi, Gunduzlu, Dinaruni, the tribes occupying the plains of Ram-Hormuz, the inhabitants of the village of Feridun, and a small portion of the Haft Lang tribes of Doraki and Beidawand. The Bahmenis and Teibis, the largest of the Kuhgelu tribes, whose chiefs are married to the sisters of Mahommed Taki, were more under his control than under that of the governor of Behbehan, and joined him in his wars, when not prevented by circumstances from doing so. The numerical strength of these tribes may thus be estimated: ―

Tribe	Men
Janniki Garmesir	4,000
Janniki Sardesir	2,500
Kiyunurzi	800
Suhuni	1,000
Binduni and other small tribes	500
Moguwi	400
Gunduzlu	1,500
Dinaruni	3,000
Tribes of Ram-Hormuz	1,500
Bahmeni	2,000
Feili	1,500
Total	18,700

Of this number between five and six thousand are horsemen, and the whole well armed with muskets and matchlocks.

The Suhuni is a large tribe of I’liyat; the chief, Shefi Khan, is a liberal and able man, and was the wezir of Mohammed Taki. Having been long accustomed to collect the annual tribute of the tribes, and to devote his attention to their internal polity, he was better acquainted with the state and history of the Bakhtiyaris than any other man I met with in the country. Although the Chief of the tribe, he is not a member of it, but of an Afshar family long settled in the mountains. He was for some years in Teheran, and served as major in the Bakhtiyari regiment disciplined by Major Hart. The Garmesirs of the Suhuni were originally in Andakau and Shimbar to the north of the Karun, but being strongly attached to Mohammed Taki, they crossed the river and settled in Gulgir and A’smari. This tribe has both good horse and matchlock men. They cultivate corn and barley, t the growth of which the land they occupy is particularly favourable. Since the fall of Mahommed Taki, the Suhuni have recrossed the Karun, and placed themselves under Mohammed Meti and Ja’fer Kuli. Shefi, their chief, is now a fugitive in the mountains.

The Gunduzlu is, as I before observed, an Afshar tribe; many Arab families have also joined it, and while the Turkish language is still understood by them, both Arabic and Persian are generally spoken. The chief usually resides in the village of Boleiti³, adjoining the town of Shushter, to which place the tribe generally repair during the winter months; in the summer and autumn, they encamp on the Abi Gargar from Shushter to the junction of that canal with the main body of the river Karun at Bandi-Kir. Mohammed Taki had much improved this tribe, and distributed Arab mares and stallions among the chiefs to improve the breed of their horses. The experiment was attended with success, and he soon formed a body of nearly six hundred horsemen, brave and well appointed, which proved of much service to him in his wars. They were particularly useful in rencounters with the Arabs, whose mode of attack they well understood, and whom, by their superior gallantry, they were generally able, although greatly inferior in numbers, to repel. Their chief, Murad Khan, is a liberal man, and was one of the steadiest supporters of Mohammed Taki.

I have described the state of these tribes when Mohammed Taki Khan was the chief. Before I quitted Khuzistan many changes had taken place; whether permanent or not, future events must show: but I am inclined to think that Mohammed Taki, or some member of his family, will eventually succeed in establishing himself in the country. The Mo’tamid has now placed ‘Ali Riza, son of Hasan, in the chieftainship of the Kiyurnurzi and Janniki Garmesir. Sheikh Sultan has recovered the plain of Ram-Hormuz, and is to account directly with the government for the annual revenue. The Gunduzlu tribe is to be rated with Shushter, and considered as one of its dependencies. The Janniki Sardesir remains under Rustam. The Suhunis were made over to Ja’fer Kuli, who treacherously seized their two chiefs, Baba and Abulfeda, brothers of Shefi, and placed them in the hands of the Mo’tamid, by whom they were loaded with chains. Mohammed Meti Khan, however, now commands the tribe. The Dinarunis have been entirely plundered, and their Chief killed by Kelb ‘Ali Khan, also at the instigation of the Mo’tamid. The villages of Feridun were considered as forfeited to the government.

The town of Fellahiyah is surrounded by a mud wall, with equidistant towers now almost in ruins. It is a place of no strength, but has a strong barrier to invasion on the Persian side, in its many deep canals and watercourses, which would render it, if defended with any degree of firmness, utterly unapproachable by an Oriental army. The river Jerrahi, about 2 farsakhs⁴ above Fellahiyah, is divided into two branches, one of which, generally termed the Nahr Busi, runs into the sea at Khor Musa⁵ near Bender Ma’shur; the second, continuing its course through Fellahiyah, is eventually lost in irrigation, except a small artificial branch of it, which finds its way into the Karun, about 10 miles above Mohammerah. The accompanying sketch may afford an idea of the position of Fellahiyah; and the names, courses, and number of the various canals and watercourses derived from the river.

I subjoin a list of the canals, and villages near Fellahiyah: ―

Villages.

1.      Kareibah.

2.      Bonei Boneyum. (Beyyan?)

3.      Afshar.

4.      Kazi.

5.      Busi.

6.      Moseyyer.

7.      Junjeri.

Canals.

1.      Kazaliyeh

2.      Ommu-l-sakhar.

3.      Jaffal.

4.      Zerak.

5.      Sabahiyeh.

6.      Zilziliyeh.

7.      Monafiyeh.

8.      Beni Shattal.

9.      Mezerawi.

10.  Fellahiyah.

11.  Jedideh.

12.  Mobaderi.

13.  Shakheh Ahmed.

14.  Beshashiyeh.

15.  Shakaliyeh.

16.  Tupchi.

17.  Menduwan.

18.  Shawali.

19.  Ghiyadhi.

20.  Shakhiyah Ghanam.

21.  Junjeri.

22.  Abbaj.

23.  Husein-Begi.

24.  Kolfi.

25.  Afshar.

26.  ’Anayati

27.  Moseyyer.

28.  Boteinat.

The Cha’b Arabs came originally from Wasit and the marshes near the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates.⁶ They were buffalo-herdsmen; and, settling on the Delta formed by the estuary of the Shat-el-‘Arab and the Karun, they founded the town of Goban (Kobban).⁷ The country they now inhabit, was at that time occupied by the Persian tribe of Afshar, and the town of Dorak⁸ was their principal settlement. The Afshars allowed them to settle in the lower part of the country upon paying a tribute of butter and other produce of their cattle. To the Turkish⁹ government they also paid a yearly sum for occupation of lands near the Euphrates; and the Sheikh probably received his yearly investiture from the governor of Basrah. Kobban, which then stood on one of the arms of the Karun, was their principal settlement, and a place of some consequence. They soon afterwards ascended the Jerrahi, and pitched their tents around a small tappeh, or artificial mound, on which rose the modern town of Fellahiyah. The Afshars objected to this encroachment on their territorities; but the Cha’bs excused themselves by saying that the pastures of the Jerrahi were better suited to their buffaloes than Kobban, where they did not prosper. They were suffered to remain; and soon afterwards a ditch was dug round the tappeh, upon which the Afshars again remonstrated. The Cha’bs answered, that the ditch was constructed to preserve their buffaloes, which were carried off almost every night by their neighbours. The Afshars were satisfied. The following year, however, a stout mud-wall was raised within the ditch, and the Cha’bs were in a state to resist an enemy. The Afshars, finding that they were likely soon to throw off their authority altogether, invited the Chief of a neighbouring tribe to assist them in expelling the Arabs from the country. This Chief entered the field in the spring, but, falling ill, was compelled to return, and the expedition was deferred till the autumn. In the interval the Afshars concluded a peace with the Cha’bs, which they intended to break as soon as it was in their power to do so. Of this the Arabs were aware, and formed a design of expelling them before they could receive assistance. They accordingly made a feast, to which the Afshars were invited. As they were eating, the Cha’bs fell upon them and slew them to the number of fourteen, all of whom were chiefs of the Dorak Afshars. They then applied to the Wali of Hawizah, who was sovereign of the country, to assist them in driving out the Persians. “We are Arabs,’ said they, “and consequently the Walis brother. It is better that we should be his subjects; we are willing to render the same service and pay the same tribute as the Afshars.’ The Wali consented, and marched against Dorak, which was completely destroyed. The Afshars fled to Lehrowi, where they built a castle, which still retains their name. Some years afterwards, the Begler-Beg¹⁰ of Fars endeavoured to reconquer the country, but the Afshars, after a few encounters, were compelled to leave the Dorak country, which has since remained in the hands of the Cha’b Arabs. Kerim Khan¹¹ marched against Fellahiyah, and after he had remained there two or three months without being able to cross the numerous branches f the river, the plague appeared in his camp, and compelled him to make a hasty retreat, abandoning his artillery, which fell into the hands of the Cha’bs. Mohammed ‘Ali Mirza also sent an expedition against Fellahiyah, but retired on the Sheikh’s paying the sum of 13,000 tomans. Such is the history of the settlement of the tribe in this country, as recounted to me by members of it.

It joins the river at Bandi Kir, having first traversed the remains of a very ancient city. The foundations and ruins of buildings are washed away by the canal, and appear to mark the site of a city of the Kayanian epoch. The right banks of the Abi Gargar are inhabited by the Gunduzlu tribe. The main body of the river unites at Bandi Kir with the river of Dizful and the Abi Gargar. Its banks are well wooded, the river is deep, and, I believe, well calculated for navigation. There appears to be no interruption from the bridge of Shushter downwards. Shortly after leaving that town, it enters the alluvial soil, in which it continues to its junction with the Shat-el-‘Arab and the sea. After the union of the three streams at Bandi Kir, the Karun becomes a noble river, exceeding in size the Tigris or Euphrates. Its banks are well wooded, its depth is considerable, its current equal and moderate, and it is in fact a river admirably suited to steam or other navigation. About 13 miles below Bandi Kir, on the left bank of the river, is the village of Wais, containing about 300 families; and between Wais and Ahwaz there are two ruined mud forts, now uninhabited. The right bank of the river is usually occupied by the Arab tribe of ‘Anafijah.

Returning to the plain of Ram Hormuz towards the western extremity, which is usually called the Mazehbenan, we find the continuation of the low hill,s which run parallel to the great chain from Behbehan, and terminate in the hills near Shushter. Here, however, they are of greater elevation than at the N.E. extremity of Ram Hormuz, and frequently rise into peaks of considerable height, such as Tal Khayyat.¹² These hills are only to be crossed by very difficult footpaths, scarcely practicable for horsemen. To the E. of this chain we have the plain of Gurgir, in which are the ruins of an ancient Sasanian city. To the N.E. of Gurgir is the plain of Beitawand. To the N.E. of Beitawand is another branch of the gypsum hills, which, leaving the principal range near Gurgir, unites with the hills of Shushter near ‘Akili. Crossing these hills, which are usually known by the name of Turki Diz¹³, we come to a small plain abounding with the konar (jujube tree), in which are the ruins called Masjidi Suleiman.

Table of the Bakhtiyari Lurs

Great Divisions	Tribes	Sub-Divisions	Families of Tribes	Families of Great Divisions	Summer Residence	Winter Residence	Assessment of Great Divisions
Dependencies	Gunduzlu	Sarawan	15,000	…	Banks of the Abi-Gargar, and plain of Mosibena.	Village of Boleiti, Beitawand, Turki-Diz, Mosibena, &c.	1574 tomans.
		Ali Yeshali
		Ali Kalu (2)
		Feili
		Arab-O’ghli
		Moseyyeri
		Agajani
		Cham-konar
		Khalaj
		Amirjani
		Afshar
		Lak
	Rahdar	…	…	…	These tribes are Ra’yats of the Gunduzlu, and included in that tribe
	Korrahi
	Beitawand
	Binduni

¹Gunduz-lu signifies ‘day-timers’ in Turkish. Many of these tribes, as well as their neighbours the Kurds, speak Turkish, and are probably of Turkish origin.

²Properly Daurak, the diphthong au being often changed into ó, thus: yaum, ‘a day,’ in Arabic, is commonly pronounced yóm, as in Hebrew.

³Or Bolayiti.

⁴Seven and a half miles.

⁵Gulf of Moses.

⁶The Cha’ab Sheikh informed me that the tribe emigrated from Koweit and the Arabian coast of the Persian Gulf. Some divisions of the tribe may trace their origin to that part of Arabia.

⁷Kobban is not modern in origin, as it is mentioned by the older Arabian geographers.

⁸Daurak is placed by Abu’l-Feda in 30° 15’ or 32° 20’ N. (Geogr., p. 316).

⁹The Khalifs, for Kobban was founded long before the Turks possessed Baghdad.

¹⁰Chief of chiefs, i.e., viceroy.

¹¹The successor of Nadir Shah.

¹²Tailor’s mount.

¹³Turkish Fort.

A. H. Layard — A Description of the Province of Khúzistán (1846)