178 REPORT— 1889. 



Caspian and the lakes of Urmia and Van. We crossed it with consider- 

 able difficulty, owing to the swollen waters, at the village of Bagtash, 

 and then ascended bj the side of a stupendous gorge to a level plateau 

 covered with horses and animals belonging to the tribes, enjoying a rich 

 pasturage. The horses are mostly bred from Arab sires, and with the 

 rich pasturage become very fine specimens. 



Our next halt was at the village of Savandi, where we were accom- 

 modated in a newly-constructed house belonging to Kerim Khan, the 

 chief of the Shah-Savand tribe, of all the tribes of this district the 

 most conglomerate and the most aristocratic. It was founded by the 

 great Shah Abbas, who ruled in Persia at the beginning of the seven- 

 teenth century, to counteract the influence of the Kizil-bashi, or Red-caps, 

 one of the Afshah tribe at that time having aspired to the throne. He 

 summoned volunteers from all the tribes of his dominions and enrolled 

 them as his body-guard, and by this means got together a body of men 

 10,000 strong. He gave them grants of land, and incorporated them as 

 the Shah-Savand tribe, or ' fi'iends of the Shah.' During all the period 

 of the Sufi dynasty they had great influence in Persia, but when the 

 present family came to the throne their position was eclipsed by the 

 Kadjar tribe, from which the present ruling-house has sprung. Kerim 

 Khan was absent in attendance at Court when we were there, but we had 

 the pleasure of prescribing for his wife, who lay ill of congestion of the 

 lungs, and before we left we heard of her favourable progress towards 

 recovery. Amongst the Shah-Savand tribe are many Kourds ; we saw a 

 wedding going on amongst them, and witnessed, for the first time, the 

 Kourdish dance of Tchopee. A ring of dancers, not joined at the ends, is 

 formed ; these go through certain evolutions bearing a close resemblance 

 to the dances I have witnessed in the Greek islands, called the Syrtos. 

 The women, in red with gold ornaments and uncovered faces, looked 

 highly picturesque. The music consisted of a flute (surmeh) and a drum 

 (dnhool). Each woman carried in her hands a red handkerchief, which 

 she flourished as she went round. 



We learnt a good deal at Savandi about the constitution of the 

 tribes. The chief is usually made a Khan by the Persian process of 

 sending him a coat-of-honour and other dignities, for which he has much 

 to pay. He remains with his people, but he has a vakeel or representa- 

 tive at Court, generally a son or near relative, who combines the office of 

 transacting business with that of acting as a hostage for the good be- 

 haviour of, his tribe. Any man of rank in the tribe can demand a council 

 of the elders or white-beards ; the moUahs or priests expound the law 

 at these assemblages. The office of chief, called the ' pir ' or elder of the 

 tribe or ' eel,' is hei'editary, and the ' pir' generally traces his descent from 

 some holy man, whose worship is general throughout the tribe, and 

 called the Ojak ; his tomb is generally in some well-known spot amongst 

 their summer haunts, and a great object of veneration. 



Bach tribe has its recognised district and lines of demarcation of 

 pasturage, which have been observed from remote ages, and are visited 

 summer after summer by the flocks with unceasing regularity. In the 

 district through which we travelled the Afshah held most of the pasture 

 land, and are very jealous of the encroachments of the Shah-Savand, who 

 occupy their pasturage only by a very recent tenure. Concerning right 

 of pasturage constant blood feuds arise amongst the shepherds, resulting 

 ' in the extermination of whole families. 



i 



