442 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [December, 1914. 



The tribal headmen the Zori have jealous guardians of their 

 petty rights and privileges, and under their protection they 



charmed 



that their 



blood-money is set at some fancy price, generally twice the 

 blood-money of an ordinary tribesman." 



As to their literary name " Zull " or " Zurl," analogous 

 to Baluchi "Zori", this is absolutely unknown in Qainat, 

 while in Western Persia it is applied only to an inhabitant 

 of Zuristan. " Kauti" which is derived presumably from, 

 the Gypsy M Kala" " Kdula" — black, dark (not from Kabul), 

 I have never heard used. In the east it signifies an Afghan, 

 in the west, an Indian Muhammadan. The most common name 

 is " QirishmOl" (or Qirishmdl), and in Qainat " Ustokor", 

 from the Persian ustad-i-kar , i.e. master-craftsman, in allusion 

 to their craftsmanship, by which they earn a livelihood. Their 

 word Kozengi(r) is a translation of this. The word * c Qurbati " 

 with its parallel forms Ci Qulwati J \ " Khulwati'\ is often 



applied 



The origin 



> j 



of this term, as I have been told by many Persians and by 

 Gypsies themselves, is to be sought in the familiar Muham- 

 madan tradition of the prophet Ibrahim. He persisted in 

 rebuking his countrymen for the depravity of their lives : they 

 used to " approach " (Ar. qariba) their own mothers, daughters 

 and sisters. They seized him and were about to burn him 

 alive, when he was delivered by a miracle. Thereupon Ibrahim 

 cursed them and devoted them to perpetual wanderings. 



But this word can be explained much more simply as 

 coming from " ghurbat, gharibi" meaning " to be a stranger " 

 or "to live in foreign country," because q and gh are almost 

 always absolutely undistinguishable in the local pronunciation. 

 Another name for Gypsy very seldom used here, is " BahluU." 

 It belongs properly to a Baluchi tribe, living in some parts of 

 Birjand province. 



II. 



Perhaps a few notes on the peculiarities of their customs 

 and manner of life would not be out of place. 



^ In the matter of clothes they differ but little from the 



Persian peasant. The women however often dress in 



and 



her face outside her own village, they never do. Often too 

 they wear nose-ornaments, a custom common enough to Arab 

 women, but extremely iare among Persians. Their tents and 

 their belongings are just those of Baluchis and Eastern Kurdish 

 and Arab tribes. 



Their religion is Islam of the Shi'a sect. But the genuine- 

 ness of their faith is suspected by the orthodox as they are 

 lax in the performance of the ritual, and in the saying of the 

 most essential prayers. Religion does not enter deeply into 



