Feb. 9, 1857.] RAWLINSON ON SOUTHERN PERSIA. 291 



senni are the principal people, and they have hitherto been parti- 

 cular friends of the British. Bdkir KKan, son of Walee Khan, the old 

 chief of Kileh Sufid, has often been the guest of the Eesident at 

 Bushir. He is, I believe, at present the head chief of the Mame- 

 senni, and in that capacity king of all the mountains, and accustomed 

 to look to the English for assistance and protection against the 

 Persian government. I once passed a day with Bdkir Khan among 

 the ruins of Shapiir, and was greatly pleased with him; he was 

 indeed a general favourite with all Europeans who ever met him. 

 He had been moreover in former days imprisoned by the Persian 

 government, and consequently bore no good will towards them. 

 Almost all these tribes, Persian as well as Arab, that is, the Mame- 

 senni, the Dashti, the Tangistuni, are governed by chiefs who 

 have been in habits of friendly commerce with us, and whom we 

 know and esteem exceedingly ; and I can never persuade myself to 

 bring such men into the same category of national hostility with 

 the officers of the Persian government ; they have, in fact, no sort 

 of feeling in common with the court of Tehran. They are brave, 

 honourable, independent men; and I do hope they will not be 

 driven by the force of circumstances to become our blood enemies, 

 like the chiefs of Affghanistan.* Above the mountains these war- 

 like chiefs are to be met with in all directions ; the chiefs of the 

 Bakhtiyari, for instance, who are rough, wild fellows, but still much 

 superior to the courtiers, artisans, and peasants whom you meet in the 

 towns and villages. Some of them are very like the old Highland 

 lairds, being able to bring into the field as many as four or five 

 thousand men. Taken as a class they are, I should say, most esti- 

 mable people. In the plains of Susiana the permanent inhabitants 

 are Arabs ; but the Liirs come down also in the winter from the 

 mountains to feed their flocks in the rich pastures of the Kerkha and 

 Karun. The tribes to the north of Susiana, are wilder than the 

 tribes to the south, and even more addicted to brigandage ; but even 

 they have their good qualities. I have not ventured to enter upon 

 any details of physical geography, because, although there is a good 

 deal to be said on that subject, the question of immediate interest 

 refers rather to political geography. I may notice, however, before 



* One instance of this change has already occurred which is greatly to he re- 

 gretted, and which is ominous of future trouble. Bdkir Khan, the old chief of the 

 Tangistunies, was always on terms of intimacy with the British resident, and not 

 unfrequently did good service to the British Government. His son, Ahmed Khan, 

 however, on the occasion of the present invasion was driven into the ranks of our 

 enemies, and fell at the head of his Tangistunies, when we stormed the old fort of 

 Rishir. We are now, therefore, blood-enemies with this powerful tribe, for all 

 time to come. 



