The Aghajari Turks of Khuzestan (General Staff, 1924)

Aghajari

AGHA JARI (1)

“A tribe of the Hindian district, comprising 250 families from the real Agha Jari tribe (q.v.), who have settled in the district. (Chick 1910, see correction 1911, makes this a distinct tribe.)”

AGHA JARI (2)

A SUBTRIBE OF THE Liravi Kuhgalus, inhabiting the country north-west of Behbehan. They are classed among the Zir-i-Kuh tribes.

History.― Prior to the time of the late Isfandiar Khan, Ilkhani of the Bakhtiaris, the Agha Jari were a numerous and prosperous tribe, numbering some 2,000 families, under a Chief by name Fateh Agha, who had his headquarters at Julaki. Isfandiar Khan, however, picked a quarrel with this tribe and looted them completely, after which the tribe became split up into small faction, each under a petty Chief. In this state they have remained to the present day, but although split up, still retain their predatory instincts.

Ethnography.― The sub-divisions of the Agha Jari are as follows: ― 1. Afshar, 2. Bagdali, 3. Tilaku, 4. Jameh-Buzurgi, 5. Jaghtai, 6. Daudi, 7. Kara Baghi, 8. Sha’ri, 9. Gashtil, 10. Lar Zaban.

The following were the various Chiefs of the Agha Jari in 1910:―

(a) Muhammad Husain Khan. (b) Mulla Rah Khuda. (c) Mulla Vali Khan. (d) Mulla ‘Ali Agha. (e) Husain Agha.

a)      Muhammad Hussain Khan, son of Fateh Agha, has a following of about 200 families, who inhabit the villages of Dudangeh and Kurisieh, but is unable to muster more than 200 fighting men, of whom only ¾ are armed with rifles.

b)      Mulla Rah Khuda has a small following of 60 families, living at Lasbid and could muster 60 armed men all told, mounted and dismounted.

c)      Mulla Vali Khan, son of Barat Agha, has a following of 100 families whose habitat is at Rudkhaneh-i-Kurmuz, capable of putting 100 armed men into the field.

d)      Mulla ‘Ali Agha has a small following of about 100 families, whose habitat is at Maur-i-Lasbid and can muster 100 armed men. This sub-tribe still retains its predatory habits, but descend to petty thieving more than organized looting.

e)      The last of the Agha Jari sub-divisions is under the leadership of Husain Agha, who lives at Kaleh-i-Tilagun, and consists of 100 families (150 fighting men, only 100 of whom possess rifles).

The Jaghtai are a small tribe of some 150 families, subject to Mulla Vali Khan of the Agha Jari living in the vicinity of Behbehan, which they supply with dairy produce, viz., milk, curds (Lur: mast) and ghi. They are good fighting men, can muster 150, all well armed, under the leadership of Duhrab Agha, who has his headquarters at Mangilas, at which place there is a Fort, in which he lives. There are two, other forts in the possession of the Jaghtai, one inhabited by ‘Ali Nijat, the other by Lurahisit. The Jaghtai claim to have come originally from Shiraz and to be descended from Jenghiz Khan.

For resources of the tribe and further information see under Kuhgalu. (Ranking, 1910.)

Gazetteer of Persia. Volume III, Part I: A to K, Simla: Government of India Press, 1924, p. 22.