The Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari Lurish: بَختیاري,;
Persian: بختیاری) is a southwestern Iranian tribe, and a subgroup of the
Lurs. They speak the
Bakhtiari dialect, a southwestern Iranian dialect, belonging to the Lurish
language.
Bakhtiaris primarily inhabit Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari and eastern Khuzestan,
Lorestan, Bushehr, and Isfahan. In Khuzestan, Bakhtiari tribes are concentrated
primarily in the eastern part of the province.
A small percentage of Bakhtiari are still nomadic pastoralists, migrating
between summer quarters (sardsīr or yaylāq) and winter quarters (garmsīr or
qishlāq). Numerical estimates of their total population vary widely.
Origins
In Persian mythology, the Bakhtiari consider themselves to be descendants of
Fereydun, a legendary hero from the Persian national epic, Shahnameh.
Genetics
According to research into NRY markers, the Bakhtiari, as with many other groups
in Iran, show very elevated frequencies for Y-DNA haplogroup J2 - a phenomenon
that is probably, at least partially, attributable to the Neolithic diffusion of
early farmers from the Near East c. 8000-4000 BCE. The Southwest Eurasian
haplogroups F, G, and T1a also reach substantial frequency among Bakhtiaris.
Etymology
The term "bakhtiari" can be best translated as "companion of chance" or "bearer
of good luck" The term has deep Persian roots and is the result of two smaller
words "bakht" and "yar" complied together . "Bakht" is the Persian word for
"chance" and "yar", "iar", "iari" literally means "companion".[9]
The latter designation largely relates to the nature of the tribe's annual
"migration". This has to do with the harsh nature of Bakhtiari life and
overcoming of countless difficulties that Bakhtiaris have faced in the Zagros
ranges. In this sense, Bakhtiaris view themselves as a hardworking tribe, facing
numerous obstacles everyday and yet fortunate enough to overcome each of these
challenges as a solid unit.
Nevertheless, the origins of Bakhtiaris are ancient and it may have very well
been the case that the tribe underwent a series of name changes throughout its
history. However It is mostly claimed that the designation "Bakhtiari" came
largely into use some time in antiquity.
History
Constitutional Revolution: In Iran's contemporary history, the Bakhtiari have
played a significant role; particularly during the advent of the country's
Constitutional Revolution (1905–1907). This event was largely secured through
the Bakhtari campaign which eventually deposed Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar (r.
1907-1909). The Bakhtiari tribesmen, under the leadership of the Haft Lang khans
Sardar Assad and his brother Najaf Qoli Khan Bakhtiari- Saad ad-Daula (also
referred to as Samsam-os Saltane), captured Tehran, and as a result saved the
revolution. These events eventually led to the abdication of Mohammad Ali Shah
Qajar (r. 1907-1909) in 1909, and his exile to Russia. This incident secured
Saad ad-Daula the position of Prime Minister in the period that followed the
abdication of the Qajar Shah. Nonetheless with Russian backing the Shah would
soon return in 1911 by landing with a coalition of forces at Astarabad. However,
his efforts to reclaim his throne would bear no fruit.[15] In this sense, the
Bakhtiaris played a critical role in saving the revolution from the Qajar
forces.
Pahlavi Period: With the expansion of Bakhtiari influence, urban elites
(particularly in Tehran) began to worry in regards to a potential Bakhtiari
takeover of Persia's affairs. Prior to this point, the Bakhtiari had largely
remained within their own territorial boundaries. The Bakhtiari influence would
continue to play an important role within the early 20th century politics of
Iran. Reza Shah Pahlavi (r. 1925-1941) made the destruction of the Bakhtiari
influence his mission.[16] The existence of oil on Bakhtiari territory further
motivated the Pahlavi monarch to undermine the autonomy of the tribe and force
its population to adhere to the commands of the central government.[16] Reza
Shah Pahlavi would eventually execute a few noteworthy tribal leaders to crush
Bakhtiari autonomy and maintain control over the tribe. Amongst the executed
Khans was Mohammad Reza Khan (Sardar-e-Fateh), the father of what later became
the Pahlavi Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar.[17] The latter event was a turning
point for Bakhtiari and their rise within Iranian politics.
Tribal structure
A Bakhtiari nomad family
The Bakhtiari people are mainly from two tribal divisions, Chahar lang (English:
Four Legs) and Haft Lang (English: Seven Legs).[18] Due to the harsh nature of
their life style, Bakhtiaris have been able to keep their blood lines intact,
largely marrying within their own tribe.
Bakhtiaris trace a common lineage, being divided into the Chahar Lang (The Four
Legs) and Haft Lang (The Seven Legs) groups, each controlled by a single
powerful family. The overall Khan alternates every two years between the chiefs
of the Chahar Lang and the Haft Lang.
The famous documentary: "Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life" (1925) tells the
story of the migration of Bakhtiari tribe from winter quarters in Khuzestan to
summer quarters Chahar Mahaal. This film also tells the story of how these
people crossed the river Karun with 50,000 people and 500,000 animals. The
documentary "People of the Wind" (1975) retraces this same journey, 50 years
later. The British documentary series "The Ascent of Man" (1973) in the first
part of its second episode, "The Harvest of the Seasons," also shows the
Bakhtiari making the annual migration to the summer pastures. This portrayal is
not however, particularly positive, using the Bakhtiari as an example of a
pre-agricultural tribe frozen in time. As of 2006, the migration still takes
place, although the livestock are now transported in trucks, and the shepherds
no longer walk barefoot in the snow between provinces.
The Haft Lang The Haft Lang tribe is larger and much more significant than its
Chahar Lang counterpart. The Haft Lang are primarily divided into four main
sub-divisions, these include; Babadi, Dinaruni, Duraki and Bakhtiarwand.[18]
Most prominent Bakhtiaris are from these sub-divisions.
Coalition Between the Two Tribes: The two clans shared ruling of their
territories every two years.The region has other families of Bakhtiari descent
but do not belong to the two clans who ruled the region. Chahar Lang and Haft
Lang have had many marriages between their sons and daughters[citation needed].
The Chahar Lang and Haft Lang's are descedent from Sassanian dynasty of
Persia.[citation needed] They were also ruled from Isfahan but some moved to
south during the fight with the central government and lived in the mountains
area of Izeh, Ghalatoul, and Ramhormuz and Masjed-soluman. The Sassani ( Ali-Rahm
Khan), Zanganeh ( Sons of Sardar Del-anchin), Rahim-zadeh, Jahangiri (sons of
Aziz Khan) family who were mix of the two clans who lived in the area.
Music
The Bakhtiari are noted in Iran for their remarkable music which inspired
Alexander Borodin.[19] The Bakhtiari dialect is the most popular dialect of the
Lurish language.
Religion
The Bakthtiaris became Muslims after the Arabs invaded Iran almost 1400 years
ago. They converted to Shi'ism following the Safavid invasion in the 16th
Century CE. Previously, Bakhtiaris were Zoroastrian.