Guran, . . . . 3,500 Zuleh, . . . . 250 Kalhur, . . . . 11,500 Nanu Killi, . . . 700 Zanganah, . . . 10,500 Ahmadawand, . .
Surjahea, . . . 2,000 Pyrawand, . . . 750 (branch of the Zanganah.) Bahtui, . . . .
Jalalawand, . . . 300 Filehgiri, . . .) Balawand, . . .
.1 1,000 Su fehwand, . . . . 2,000 Panjinawand, Vermezgar, .
Zohinawand, . . 1,000 Kuziawand, . . . 1,500 Kakawand, . . . 2,000 Hersini, . . . . 900 TURK.
Jalilawand, . . . 600 Khuda-bandalu, . 200 Kirmanshah, the chief town, is in lat. 18' 45" N., and long. 46° 37' E., and 250 miles S.S.W. from Teheran.
The Kalhur is a large and powerful tribe, in the district of Harunabad. They number from 7000 to 11,500 families. The men are tall, well made, and good marksmen. The women are handsome. They are of the Ali Ilahi sect, and they worship at the shrine of Baba Yadgar in the pass of Zardah.
The Sinjani tribe in the plain of Mahi-dasht number 4000 tents, and have considerable stock of camels, horses, oxen, mules, and asses. They are very lax Muhammadans.
Mazandaran, province of Persia, lies between S. shores of the Caspian Sea and the Elburz range of mountains, about 2000 miles long and 60 miles broad, from lat. 35° 45' to 57° N., and long. 50° 15' to 54° E. The climate is very unhealthy. They are the most warlike of the Persians ; the men are brave and expert in the use of arms. They are required to furnish to Government about 12,000 infantry. The wandering tribes, estimated at 50,000 souls, have settled, and provide 5000 cavalry. The tribes named by Colonel Shiel and Mr. Holmes are Lek, Kurd, Turk, Afghan, Baluch.
Abdul Malaki. Imamlu. Khojevand.
Afghan. Imranlu. Modanlu.
Afshar: Jan beglu. Talish.
Baluch. Kajar. Usanlu.
Gerailu. j Kelidgeli.
Modanlu is .the largest tribe, and contributes 1000 horse ; the Khojevand and the Abdul Malaki are the next iu importance.
Gondar, a small tribe of 500 souls, who inhabit the wild country near Ashraf in Mazandaran ; good marksmen with the bow and matchlock. They are said to cat the flesh of the wild hog, and place no restriction on the intercourse of the sexes.
Firoz Koh, a village of 300 houses in Irak-i Ajam in Persia,,90 miles N. of Teheran. It is built on the bank of a stream, towered over by perpendicular rocks 1000 feet high. The houses rise on the mountain side, but others of the people dwell in caves on the mountain side.
The religion of the bulk of the inhabitants of Persia is Muhammadanism of the Shiah sect. But
Persia has always been fertile in sects. The earliest known to modern Europe was promul gated from the Alamut, a solitary, bare, and steep rock, 32 miles from Kasvin, which Hasn Sabah, chief of the Assassins, made his fortress. He was the Shaikh-ul-Jabal which the crusaders trans lated Old Man of the Mountain. „ The All Ilahi believe in the incarnation of Ali and his descendants. They have long taken a place among the sects of Persia. They extend eastwards into Bombay, but are now chiefly found among the genuine Persian tribes of Lak descent: also among the Gurau Kurd, and around the higher parts of Zagros. They are said to practise rites which they conceal from the un initiated. A similar rule of retaining secrecy to their customs is attributed to a sect called Adami, whose meetings at night, in caves, are said to be conducted with rites like those of the Mylitta of the Assyrians, of the Alitta of the Arabs, and of the Persian Mithra ; but such are the usual form of accusations made in Asia by opposing sectarians. The same is said of the I,ur.
The Majusi or Gaor Yezdi are said to worship the cow.
The Sufi doctrines current in Persia are various forms of philosophy. Many of the most learned and best read of the community are Sufi sectarians, amongst whom there are both atheists, theists, and pantheists. The Kaimur and Mitanli are Sufi sects of freethinkers, who deny everything they cannot prove. The Dheri sect of the Sufi believe the world to be untreated and indissoluble.
The Babi sectarians were followers of Syud Ali Muhammad, who, after repeated imprisonings, was atlast shot at Tabreez. His doctrines were atheistic, under the guise of pantheism, but many of the re ligious men, mulla and mushtahid, joined him. He gave to himself and his doctrines the title of Bab (door, porte), to imply that his doctrine was the gate of heaven. Persia has many religious mendi cants, darvesh or fakir, some of whom designate their sects by the names of holy men ; some of them permit marriage, others are celibates. The Adhumian or Ajumiau sect take their name from Sultan Adhum, who resigned his throne to become a mendicant ; they do not marry, are wanderers, and are seen -constantly moving their lips in silent prayer.