Southern Lurs (Southern Luri: لݸرَلِ جنۈبی) are a large part of Lurs[1][2] who natively speak the Southern Luri language a branch of Western Iranian languages,[3][4] and are an Iranian people. They occupy some regions in Southwest of Iran including Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad (fully), Sotheastern parts of Khuzestan (Behbahan, Omidiye, Hendijan, Ramhormoz and Bagh-e Malek counties) Northwestern parts of Fars (Mamasani, Rostam, Lamerd, Kazerun, Sepidan and Eqlid counties), and Western parts of Bushehr Province (Deylam, Ganaveh and Dashtestan counties).

Panels of the Elamite Rock relief of Kurangun, Fahlian

Demographics

The exact number of Southern Lurs is unknown, due to the absence of recent and extensive census data. The most recent documented statistics concerning their language are available for the year 1999, where is estimated about 900,000 ethnic population.[5] Southern Lurs are predominantly Shia Muslims.

Mamasani tower by Eugène Flandin, 1851 A.D.

Language

Southern Luri is the southernmost section of Luri language. Luri is a Western Iranian language continuum spoken by the Lurs in Western Asia. Luri language forms three language groups known as Central Luri, Bakhtiari,[1][2] and Southern Luri.[1][2] The language is derived and descended from Pahlavi language and in comparison with other Iranian languages has been less affected by foreign invaders language e.g. Arabic and Turkic.[6][7]

Culture

The authority of tribal elders remains a strong influence among the nomadic population. It is not as dominant among the settled urban population. As is true in other Luri communities and Kurdish societies, southern Luri women have much greater freedom than women in other groups within the region.[8]

Southern Luri clothing

As a subdivision of Luri clothing, a special clothing system distinguishes Southern Lurs form their adjacent societies. In recent years, due to cultural changes male clothing is very less in use but female clothing is commonplace.[9]

Southern Luri female and male constumes

Southern Luri dance

Handkerchief dancers in a wedding ceremony, Mamasani, Iran

Southern traditional dance is an integral section of their culture and probably grew in close association with traditional music. Southern Luri dances include both circle dance and dance double and like Kurdish dance it is mixed-gender that distinguishes them from other Muslim neighbors.[10] Dasmaal Baazi (handkerchief dance) a circle dance is the most popular dance and includes different performing styles like Ashtafi-manganaa. Chubazi (twig dance) is a special dance double that is performed in Celebrations and joys and is inspired by the heroic battles.[11]

Notable Persons

The most famous person of Southern Lurs is Rais Ali Delvari, an independence fighter and anti-British colonialism activist who organized popular resistance against the British troops in this clashes, Rais Ali was killed .Then the Britishs used pro-British tribes to scatter the enemy into the hinterland. At the end, local tribal leaders murdered the British vice consul (a Persian) in Shiraz. and now is commemorated as a national hero in Iran. KayLohraas Baatuli is a well-known local hero.[12] who fought for years against Reza Shah Pahlavi troops in Boyer Ahmad and Mamasani.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Erik John Anonby (2003). Update on Luri: How many languages?. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Third Series), 13, pp 171-197. doi:10.1017/S1356186303003067.
  2. 1 2 3 G. R. Fazel, ‘Lur’, in Muslim Peoples: A World Ethnographic Survey, ed. R. V. Weekes (Westport, 1984), pp. 446–447
  3. ↑ Gernot Windfuhr, 2009, "Dialectology and Topics", The Iranian Languages, Routledge
  4. ↑ Languages preceded by question marks, and many of the varieties of Persian, are from other sources. The dialects of the Central Plateau are from the source provided there.
  5. ↑ "Luri, Southern".
  6. ↑ Erik John Anonby, "Update on Luri: How many languages?" // Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Third Series), volume 13, issue 02, Jul 2003, pp 171–197.
  7. ↑ Don Stillo, "Isfahan-Provincial Dialetcs" in Encyclopædia Iranica. Excerpt: "While the modern SWI languages, for instance, Persian, Lori-Baḵtiāri and others, are derived directly from Old Persian through Middle Persian/Pahlavi".
  8. ↑ Edmonds, Cecil (2010). East and West of Zagros: Travel, War and Politics in Persia and Iraq 1913-1921. p. 188. ISBN 9789004173446.
  9. ↑ Ziapour, Jalil (1967), Clothing of tribes, nomads and villagers in Iran (illustrated, revised reprint ed.), Aron, Tehran
  10. ↑ Kurds, Kurdistan, Part 4. "Dances and music", The Encyclopedia of Islam, Edited by C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, B. Lewis & Ch. Pellat, Vol. V, KHE-MAHI, Leiden, E.J. BRILL Publishers, 1986, 1263 pp. (see p. 477).
  11. ↑ Elton Daniel and AliAkbar Mahdi, 2006, Culture and Customs of Iran, Westport,Greenwood Press, 210 pages
  12. ↑ تقوی مقدم، سیدمصطفی: تاریخ سیاسی کهگیلویه، تهران: مؤسسه مطالعات تاریخ معاصر ایران، 1377.
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