Chulai Turks
In the autumn of 1905, the British minister, Sir
Arthur Hardinge, traversed Khorasan on his way to England viâ Trans
Caspia and, after the attractions of Meshed had been exhausted, it was arranged
that a visit should be paid to the most famous fort of Central Asia, which is
known as Kalat-i-Nadiri. Leaving the capital of Khorasan early in September, we
marched due north to Rizvan, situated on the skirts of the northern mountain
barrier of Iran, which has already been referred to in this paper. The actual
range is entered by a rocky gorge, which forms a fitting portal to rock scenery
of stern and awesome grandeur certainly unsurpassed in any part of Persia I
have visited. The track ran up the river-bed, which was subsequently quitted,
and rose across some low hills to the upland village of Kardeh. From this
village we started off betimes, escorted by some horsemen who belonged to the Chulai,
a Turkish tribe, settled in these parts by Tamerlane. They apparently talked
Turkish among themselves, but understood Persian. Their dress closely resembled
that of the Turkoman, except that their sheepskin bonnet was cut lower. They
struck us as fine, hardy men of a manlier type than the Persians. The whole
district is called Chulai Khana, the Kara Dagh constituting its northern
boundary.
Major Percy Molesworth Sykes, A Fifth Journey in Persia (Continued). //
The Geographical Journal, Vol. 28, No. 6. Dec., 1906. p. 568.
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