*Anthropology*

Ethnic groups

Population Density

Languages

Religions

Persian | Azari | Gilaki & Mazandarani | Kurd | Arab | Lor | Baloch | Torkmen | Bakhtiaris | Ghashghai | Others

Based on the latest national survey (1996), Iran's population is 69,975,000 and growing fast. In 1956, the population was 19 million, but by 2015, Iranian authorities fear it will surge to a staggering 110 million. There has been a dramatic demographic shift from the countryside to urban areas, worsened by the upheavals caused by the Iran-Iraq War, when millions of war refugees headed for the large towns and stayed put. About 60% of the population now live in cities; and about 15% squeeze into Tehran. More than 300,000 nomads still roam the plains and mountain pastures.

Iran is by no means a homogeneous country. Its location at the crossroads of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Central Asia, and the changing frontiers of the Persian Empire throughout the centuries, has ensured that a multitude of peoples make their home within Iranian borders. The sheer diversity of the Iranian population, combined with centuries of mixing and migration, have made it difficult to draw even the vaguest of boundaries for the various ethnic groups inhabiting present-day Iran.

Persians

More than 51% of the inhabitants of Iran can be called Persians (Parsi). They are the descendants of the Elamite and Aryan races who first set up camp in the central plateau back in the 2nd millennium B.C., and gave Persia its name. Persians live in Tehran.

Azaris
Azaris form the largest minority in Iran, with about 24% of the population. They speak a Turkic language, and mainly live in small villages in the Azerbaijan provinces.

Gilakis & Mazandaranis
Gilakis and Mazandaranis together are the third largest population in Iran (8% of total population). They live in the north of Iran, southern coasts of the Caspian sea.

Kurds
Kurds are spread across a large area of the Middle East, including a good part of eastern Turkey (maybe 10 million), north-eastern Iraq and small pockets of Syria. Although they have been around longer than any other people in the region (at least since the 2nd millennium BC), Kurds have never enjoyed the status of nationhood. They are 7% of the total population

Arabs
About 3% of the population are Arabs (roughly 2.5 million). Most live in Khuzistan province; on some of the smaller Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf; and along the southern coast, where they have become partly Persianised and are often known as Bandaris, from the Persian word for "port". Arab men usually wear the traditional floorlength shirt-dress which is called Thobe or dishdasha, as well as the loose headscarf called gutra. Most Arabs in Iran still speak a dialect of Arabic.

Lors
Representing about 2% of the population, Lors are thought to be part Persian and part Arab in origin, though they are probably a mix of the Kasits, who came to Iran about a couple of thousand years ago, and the Medes

Baluchis
The Baluchis, whose name literally means "The wanderers", are one of the few peoples who largely retain a semi-nomadic way of life, perhaps because the extremely arid region where they roam, is hardly suited to sparsely populated desert region covering the far south-east of Iran and the far west of Pakistan. Very able riders, the Baluchis are famous for their camel races.

Turkmens
Of Turkic origin, Turkmen (who make up about 2% of Iran's total population) mostly live in the Torkman Sahra, the plain occupying much of the east of Mazandaran province and the north of Khorasan province; and next to the Central Asian republic of Turkmenistan.

Bakhtiaris
The Bakhtiaris, live in remote parts of the provinces of Chaharmahal va Bakhteyari and Khuzistan, though many of them have now settled in villages and towns.

Others...
Armenians and Hebrews are scattered throughout Iran, mostly in the cities. Armenians are particularly prominent in Tehran and Esfahan, and are renowned for their technical and business skills. Hebrews have lived in Iran for more than 2500 years, but only a few thousand remain in Tehran, Shiraz and Esfahan.

Who are they?

he Bakhtiari tribe, which numbers more than 800,000, inhabits an area of approximately 67,000 sq. km (25,000 sq. mi) that straddles the central Zagros Mountains in Iran. Although only about a third of the tribe is nomadic (the rest are settled agriculturists), the nomads embody the Bakhtiari cultural ideals. They specialize in producing meat and dairy products and migrate seasonally with their sheep, cattle, or goat herds from high plateau pastures, where they spend the summer, west of the city of Esfahan, to lowland plains in the province of Khuzistan for winter herd grazing. Their migration is among the most spectacular known among nomadic paternalists anywhere. They are obliged to cross mountain passes at about 3,050 m (10,000 ft) and therefore have to time their movement with extreme care in order to minimize the danger of early snowfall, flooding mountain rivers, and lack of grazing. Traditionally these dangers took a heavy toll, but in recent years the government has helped the migration by building bridges, improving the route, and setting up fodder supplies en route.

The Bakhtiari speak a dialect of Persian called Lori and are Shiite Muslims. Politically the tribe used to form a confederacy under a chief appointed by the shah, but this position has now been abolished. The confederacy was most effective in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the Bakhtiari played an important role on the national level in Iran's constitutional movement. More recently many tribesmen have left the traditional way of life for employment in the oil industry in the cities.
Brian Spooner
Bibliography:
Metz, Helen, Iran: A Country Study, 4th ed. (1989); Moss, W., Peoples of the World: Mid East, North Africa (1992

'The Fabulous land of Iran, Colorful and vigorous Folklore' The Bakhtiari's are the largest and most purely Iranian of all the Persian tribes. They belong to the Lur race and their language is closely related to the oldest known forms of Persian. The annual Bakhtiari migration in April from their Garmsir, or winter quarters in Khuszistan, to their Sardsir, or summer pastures in the Chahar Mahal region of the plateau south/west of Esfahan, takes from four to six weeks. It is an epic of human courage and endurance in which men, women and children of all ages, with their animals and household goods, travel by five different migrations routes across some of the wildest and most difficult mountain country in Persia in their search for grass.

The bakhtiaris are divided into two major groups- the Haft Lang and the Chahar Lang - which in turn are divided into tribes, sub/tribes and clans. No on seems to know precisely how many Bakhtiaris there are in Persia (Iran); one estimate, which may be on the high side, is of 450,000, perhaps half being migratory and pastoral, the rest agricultural and settled.

The Bakhtiari men and girl live permanently in the village of Karyak, about 120 miles south of Esfahan where the Kershan River, a tributary of Karun, serves as the boundary between the Bakhtiari and Boyer Ahmadi tribes.
'The Fabulous land of Iran, Colorful and vigorous Folkloric Selected works of Iranian photographers, Designed by Javad Yassavoli)

There are three main zones in the Zagros system. The region north of a line formed by the road Qazvin, Hamadan, and Kermanshah. South-east is the area generally spoken of as Loristan. This area is characterized by intensively folded mountains in the north, opening up to the south.
Loristan has historically been divided into Lor-i Kuchek (the small Lor), west of the Ab-i Diz, and Lor-i Bozorg (the big Lor), the Bakhtiari mountains.
The two major divisions of Lor-i Kuchek are the zones west of Kabir Kuh mountain (or west of the Saimarreh river), called Posht Kuh (behind the mountain), and Pish Kuh (in front of the mountain).
Posht Kuh is formed by two ranges, the outer which reaches a height of 1800m. forms a distinct barrier to penetration from the west. The Saimarreh river basin, dividing the peoples of Posht Kuh and Pish Kuh is a long grassy valley surrounded by high continuous ridges.
Pish Kuh to the north east of Posht Kuh, is bordered on its north-east by the Borojerd valley, on its south by the alluvial plain of Khuzestan.

Bakhtiari history, stretching back to the fourteenth century, and the 200-year leadership role of Duraki khans within it tantalize the social historian of Iran. There is great temptation to assume that the extraordinary continuity in the name Bakhtiari can also be found in Bakhtiari political, economic, and social organization. (Khans and Shahs, A documentary analysis of the Bakhtiari in Iran by Gene R. Garthwaite)

This is from the book by W.Morgan Shuster and in it he talks about the Bakhtiari's as part of the forces who fought for the restoration of the constitution.
The Strangling of Persia; W.Morgan Shuster
At this juncture the Russian Legation again intervened by sending a threatening communication to Sipahdar, demanding, in effect, the cessation of his march on Teheran.
On June 16 the Bakhtiari forces, composed of about 800 men, actually started for Teheran, and shortly thereafter they were in communication with the Nationalists at Kasvin. Both the British and Russian Legations exhausted every effort to deter the Bakhtiari leaders from their purpose, but without success. On June 23 the advance guard of this force had reached Qum, eighty miles to the south of Teheran.
In Spite of repeated threats from the Legations the Sarda-i-Asad announced that he had certain demands to make on the Shah, and the advance continued. Still endeavoring to frighten the Nationalist forces, the Russian Government began to assemble an expeditionary army at Baku to be sent into Northern Persia.
At this time the Shah's troops were reported to be some 5000 at Saltanatabad and 1350 soldiers of the Cossack Brigade, of whom 800 under Colonel Liakhoff were at Teheran, 350 to the north of the capital, and 200 to the south, awaiting the approach of the Bakhtiaris. On July 3, the force at Karaj fell back to Shahabad, only 16 miles from Teheran, and on the next day a skirmish between this body and the advancing Nationalists took place. The Persian Cossacks, under Captain Zapolski, with Russian non-commissioned officers and three guns, lost on Persian officer, three men killed and two wounded. The Nationalists lost twelve.
Meanwhile, Russia was dispatching her troops from Baku and by July 8 some 2000 of them were on Persian soil. On July 11 they had reached Kasvin. The Legation had also warned the Nationalists that any further advance by them towards the capital would be followed by foreign intervention.
Further endeavors to frighten or persuade the Nationalist leaders were made, but without effect.
On July 10 an engagement took place between troops of the Cossak Brigade and the Bakhtiaris at Badamak, fifteen miles to west of Teheran, but the result was indecisive. Skirmishing continued for the next two days, and on July 13 the two Nationalist forces, to the utter surprise of the Cossack Brigade and Royalist troops, slipped through their lines and quietly entered Teheran at 6:30 in the morning. The skill of the maneuver was undoubtedly due to Ephraim Khan, the Armenian leader who has been mentioned heretofore.
There was street fighting in Teheran during the entire day. The people received the Nationalist forces with the greatest enthusiasm, and July 13 was regarded as the day of their salvation. On the next day the Cossack Brigade, under Colonel Liakhoff, was still besieged in its barracks and square in the center of the city, and the Russian Colonel wrote to the Sipah-dar, as head of the Nationalist forces, proposing terms for the surrender of the Brigade. The Nationalist troops behaved themselves throughout with the utmost discretion and gallantry. On July 15 they were in full possession of the capital, although the Cossack Brigade still held the central square.
On July 16 at 8:30 A.M. the Shah, with a large body of his soldiers and attendants, took refuge in the Russian Legation in Zargundeh, some miles outside the city, and thus abdicated his throne. He had previously obtained the consent of the Legation to his doing this. Both Russian and British flags were hoisted over the Russian Minister's home as soon as it was occupied by the Shah. In the meantime Colonel Liakhoff had practically surrendered to the Nationalist leaders, and had formally accepted server under the new Government, agreeing to act under the direct orders of the Minister of War.
Late this same evening an extraordinary meeting took place at the Baharistan grounds, and the Shah was formally deposed. His son, Sultan Ahmed Mirza, aged twelve, was proclaimed his successor, and Azudu'l-Milk, the venerable head of the Qajar family, was declared Regent.
Thus, on July 16, 1909, the apparently lost cause of constitutionalism in Persia had been suddenly revived, and by a display of courage, patriotism and skill by the soldiers of the people, their hopes for a representative government had been restored, almost over-night.
The following is from 'Aleph:The Bakhtiari'
In tracing the origins and history of the Lori-speaking Bakhtiari and the peoples of the central Zagros region we come upon the difficulties of an inadequate literary evidence to serve as a sequence and record of millennia of history in this elevated region.
Thus we are obliged to gather information from a number of sources in order to to get evidence on who the Bakhtiari are, how they live and if possible from where they come. In this search archaeology, linguistics, mythology and a host of other cultural sciences are better needed to study the history of the Bakhtiari or in fact any living ancient peoples.
The Bakhtiari do not figure in ancient records and there is only a passing mention of them in medieval accounts. From the eighteenth century there is increasing notice of them, in particular nineteenth-century European travelers and emissaries report on the Bakhtiari, somewhat filling the gaps left by the lack of scientific evidence with their own peculiar romanticism.
"Bakhtiari" itself means bearer,or friend, of luck or good fortune, it is posited that the name "Bakhtiari" became associated with these pastoral nomads from some time in the Safavid period (1501-1722). Further it is possible that some leader was known as 'friend of good fortune' and his followers were identified with him and his name.
The roots of the Bakhtiari may be partly revealed through a number of legends:
The Bakhtiari arrived from Syria. This legend is given some substance by the 14th century source Tarikh Guzidah(Select History)
Another states: "The tribes of Louristan trace their origin to the most remote antiquity; but say that their ancestors intermarried with several Turkish hoards which they had invited from Syria to settle amongst them.
A more mythical piece of folk-history is the legend that the Bakhtiari are descendents of the men who were allowed to escape the fate of having their brains fed to the serpents growing from the shoulders of Zahak-e Mar-Dush, whose legend may be read in Firdausi's "Shah-Nameh" (Book of Kings).

[ برای مشاهده لینک ، با نام کاربری خود وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید ]

here are three main zones in the Zagros system. The region north of a line formed by the road Qazvin, Hamadan, and Kermanshah. South-east is the area generally spoken of as Loristan. This area is characterized by intensively folded mountains in the north, opening up to the south.

Loristan has historically been divided into Lor-i Kuchek (the small Lor), west of the Ab-i Diz, and Lor-i Bozorg (the big Lor), the Bakhtiari mountains.

The two major divisions of Lor-i Kuchek are the zones west of Kabir Kuh mountain (or west of the Saimarreh river), called Posht Kuh (behind the mountain), and Pish Kuh (in front of the mountain).
Posht Kuh is formed by two ranges, the outer which reaches a height of 1800m. forms a distinct barrier to penetration from the west. The Saimarreh river basin, dividing the peoples of Posht Kuh and Pish Kuh is a long grassy valley surrounded by high continuous ridges.

Pish Kuh to the north east of Posht Kuh, is bordered on its north-east by the Borojerd valley, on its south by the alluvial plain of Khuzestan.

he Pish Kuh may also be divided into two main sub sections, one east of the Kashgan river and west of the Ab-i Diz,known as Balgariwa; and the region to the north- west of the Kashgan, the Pish Kuh itself.
Lor-i Bozorg is the region of the Bakhtiari Mountains. It is the region east of the Ab-i Diz and north-west of the Khersin river. To the south-west is Khuzestan and the Iranian Central Plateau is to the north.
The region is drained by the Karun and a large number of tributaries, which join it in the highlands; they include the Ab-i Bazoft, the Ab-i Vanak, and the Khersin.

South of the Khersin is the mountainous region of Kuhgilu. This region is more difficult and isolated than the Bakhtiari, and is characterized by rocky defiles. The region is drained by the Marun, Zohreh, and Khersin rivers. Towards the south Kuhgilu merges into Khuzestan.

he Bakhtiari tribe, which numbers more than 800,000, inhabits an area of approximately 67,000 sq. km (25,000 sq. mi) that straddles the central Zagros Mountains in Iran. Although only about a third of the tribe is nomadic (the rest are settled agriculturists), the nomads embody the Bakhtiari cultural ideals. They specialize in producing meat and dairy products and migrate seasonally with their sheep, cattle, or goat herds from high plateau pastures, where they spend the summer, west of the city of Esfahan, to lowland plains in the province of Khuzistan for winter herd grazing. Their migration is among the most spectacular known among nomadic paternalists anywhere. They are obliged to cross mountain passes at about 3,050 m (10,000 ft) and therefore have to time their movement with extreme care in order to minimize the danger of early snowfall, flooding mountain rivers, and lack of grazing. Traditionally these dangers took a heavy toll, but in recent years the government has helped the migration by building bridges, improving the route, and setting up fodder supplies en route.
The Bakhtiari speak a dialect of Persian called Lori and are Shiite Muslims. Politically the tribe used to form a confederacy under a chief appointed by the shah, but this position has now been abolished. The confederacy was most effective in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the Bakhtiari played an important role on the national level in Iran's constitutional movement. More recently many tribesmen have left the traditional way of life for employment in the oil industry in the cities.
Brian Spooner
Bibliography:
Metz, Helen, Iran: A Country Study, 4th ed. (1989); Moss, W., Peoples of the World: Mid East, North Africa (1992).

'The Fabulous land of Iran, Colorful and vigorous Folklore' The Bakhtiari's are the largest and most purely Iranian of all the Persian tribes. They belong to the Lur race and their language is closely related to the oldest known forms of Persian. The annual Bakhtiari migration in April from their Garmsir, or winter quarters in Khuszistan, to their Sardsir, or summer pastures in the Chahar Mahal region of the plateau south/west of Esfahan, takes from four to six weeks. It is an epic of human courage and endurance in which men, women and children of all ages, with their animals and household goods, travel by five different migrations routes across some of the wildest and most difficult mountain country in Persia in their search for grass.

The bakhtiaris are divided into two major groups- the Haft Lang and the Chahar Lang - which in turn are divided into tribes, sub/tribes and clans. No on seems to know precisely how many Bakhtiaris there are in Persia (Iran); one estimate, which may be on the high side, is of 450,000, perhaps half being migratory and pastoral, the rest agricultural and settled.

The Bakhtiari men and girl live permanently in the village of Karyak, about 120 miles south of Esfahan where the Kershan River, a tributary of Karun, serves as the boundary between the Bakhtiari and Boyer Ahmadi tribes.

('The Fabulous land of Iran, Colorful and vigorous Folkloric Selected works of Iranian photographers, Designed by Javad Yassavoli)