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p. 201

CHAPTER VI

LIST OF THE YEZIDI TRIBES

(The materials were collected for me by A. N. Andrus, of Mardin)

THE TRIBES ACROSS THE RIVER FROM MOSUL

1 The tribe named Šeiḫan lives in the mountains of Al-Ḳôš, and has sixteen villages. They are all under the orders of Šeiḫ ‘Ali Beg Paša, the Amir, or chief of the Yezidis. This tribe can furnish 1,600 guns for war. Said ‘Ali Paša has received from the Turkish government the order of Amir ul-Umara "the Amir of Amirs." He has a brother who has received the order of Miry Miran, "the Amirs of Amirs." He has a second brother who has received the order of Romeli Beglar Begi, "the Beg of Begs." These three are all sons of the former Amir Husein Beg.

2 The Denôdi tribe lives in Dakoke district. It occupies fifteen villages, and can bring 800 guns to war.

3 The Howari tribe lives in the region of Zaḫo. This tribe is nomadic, lives in tents, and can furnish 200 guns for war. It has two chiefs, Bedri Sohr and Dar Bazi Ḥusein. They are all shepherds.

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THE TRIBES AT SINJAR AND JEZIREH DISTRICTS

 

Tribes.

Tents.

Villages.

Guns.

Population.

District.

Aldaghi

 

1

100

500

Sinjar

Bekura

 

1

100

500

 

Chalka

 

1

100

500

 

Dalka

 

1

100

500

 

Fakir

 

1

100

500

 

Gabara

 

2

150

650

 

Haska

 

1

200

1,000

 

Hubaba

 

6

900

4,500

 

Jabri

 

1

50

250

 

Jovana

 

6

500

2,000

 

Kiran

 

2

600

3,000

 

Menduka

 

2

300

1,500

 

Mihrka

 

2

200

1,000

 

Sumoka

 

6

1,200

6,000

 

Uleki

 

1

70

350

 

 

 

34

4,570

 

 

Amoad

400

...

400

2,000

Alḳoš

Dunadi

...

15

800

4,800

Duhok

Havveri

100

...

100

500

Zaḫo

Shekan

...

16

1,200

7,200

Alḳoš

Rashukan

150

...

150

750

Jezireh

Samukie

...

6

500

2,500

Midyat

Sohranie

...

15

300

1,500

 

Grand total

650

86

8,020

42,000

 

p. 203

THE TRIBES OF MIDYAT REGION, USUALLY CALLED JABAL TOR AL-‘ABEDIN (MOUNTAIN OF THE WORSHIPERS)

This region lies one day's journey east of Mardin. There are three tribes here.

1 The tribe of Šemmike. This tribe inhabits six villages and can produce, when needed, 500 guns.

2 The tribe called Soḥrani. There are fifteen small villages to this tribe with 300 guns. These all have houses built of stone, and till the ground.

3 The tribe called Mamila. This tribe has seven villages:

Mazazah, Bajinne, Kochano, Keunos, Taka, Harobia, and Namirdani.

Mr. Andrus writes me that he has learned of this tribe from Ḳas Samuel, a Jacobite Syrian priest of Mazazeh near Midyat.

The tribe of Bešreyeh, northwest of Jabal Al-Tor.

There was only one tribe in this district; it was called Ḫaltah. This tribe had five villages:

Reḍwan, Dooshah, Selaḫar, Bimbarik, and Ṣoolân.

On account of the oppression of the government on the one hand, and of the Kurdish tribes around them on the other, this tribe has moved to the Sinjar Mountains.

The tribes around Weran Šahr or Goran Šahr, "the destroyed or the sunken city," because it was destroyed by earthquake or in war. This district lies southwest of Mardin.

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1 The Denodi tribe. This is probably an offshoot of the Dahoke tribe of the same name. It occupies three villages, and has Ḥasan Ḳanjo for the chief. He is now the right arm of Ibrahim Paša of the Ḥamideyeh army. The three villages are Salmi, Payamlo and Desi.

2 The tribe called Šerḳiân. This tribe has seven subdivisions:

a. Turnah lives in one village called Laulanji.

b. Ḳupan occupies four villages: (1) Aḫmazut. (2) Nuḳti. (3) Al-Ašeḫan. (4) Ṣhda Auṣman.

c. Beleki has six villages: (1) Sahda Nasu. (2) Mouzan Šeiḫ Bersef. (3) Mouzan Auṣo. (4) Menkšuri Minet. (5) Al-Ḳaureyee. (6) Menmenik.

d. Adi has three villages: (1) Tal Ṭarik. (2) Karmi Apo ‘Alo Rešo. (3) Karmi Sim, u, Kor Kahiah. Sim means hoof; u, and; kor, blind; kahiah, head man.

e. Mardanah occupies two villages: (1) Hajj Zain (2) Ḳara Ḳuzeye.

f. Malla Ḳachar has one village: Malla Ḳachar means the Mulla flees.

g. Maskan occupies two villages: Birj Baluji.

h. Suhan has one village, Kafar Bali.


Next: Chapter VII. Persecution