694 ANNUAL KEPOKT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 11)13. 



These tribes have at their head some aghas and are subdivided into 

 a goodly number of clans, each controlled by more or less remote 

 relatives of the chiefs. They could each furnish but a few hundred 

 armed men. The winter they spend in the villages, in the summer 

 they live in their black tents. During the cool season they stay in 

 the valley and take care of their fields; when the heat comes the}'" 

 betake themselves to the mountains with their herds. 



In the village the house of the chief is the largest and can be 

 distinguished from afar ; at the camp his tent exceeds all the neigh- 

 boring ones in height. It is covered with black mohair cloth encir- 

 cled with embroidered plants (tchikhs) and is divided into three 

 rooms — the center one, open on one side, is the konak, or reception 

 room; the rooms on the right and left side are closed, one is the 

 men's apartment, the other the anderun, or harem, where the 

 women and young children stay. The cooking is done in the ande- 

 run, and in the men's room, or the konak, they eat their meals. 

 Before the tents the horses are tied, always saddled. 



Each group of habitations in the mountains has its gi-eat tent in 

 the center of the camp, but much smaller than that of the agha, and 

 the group of the chief and of his relatives occupies the center of 

 these small villages. In the tent of the agha are found the silver 

 arms, scrolls, all the most precious possessions of the tribe, as well 

 as means of defense against attack. 



All the cattle of the tribe are brought together for pasturage and 

 the men form a strong guard around it ; but when evening comes each 

 village of tents drives home its herd and guards it there during the 

 night. A real pack of enormous dogs watches on the outskirts, and 

 at the least alarm all the Kurds are afoot, gun in hand. 



While the herds are in the mountains, a certain number of men 

 stay in the villages of the valley to watch the crop of wheat and to 

 prevent an enemy from burning it. At harvest time a good number 

 of men come down from the mountain. 



The cultivated lands are parceled out among the various subordi- 

 nate chiefs, the agha reserving his part, and each subchief allots 

 shares among the rayats, all the parcels being given pro rata accord- 

 ing to the number of field hands at the disposal of each clan. 



In Persia, down to recent years, theoretically there was no real 

 ownership of land. All, lands and men, belonged to the King; but 

 in practice the gi'eat benevolence of the sovereign allows the use of 

 lands by certain persons who have paid rental for it. This unusual 

 method of proprietorship is passed on from great to small in the 

 customs of the entire population. In such manner, among the Kurds, 

 for example, the agha is supposed to own everything and only tem- 

 porarily delegates his rights. But if the King or the agha wished to 



