Lurs
![]() Dasmâl-bâzi dance, Mamasani, Iran | |
Total population | |
---|---|
5,000,000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Iran | |
Languages | |
LuriandPersian | |
Religion | |
MainlyShia Islam;minoritySunni IslamandYarsanism[3] | |
Related ethnic groups | |
OtherIranian peoples |
TheLurs(Persian:لر) are anIranian peopleliving in westernIran.The four Luri branches are theBakhtiari,Mamasani,Kohgiluyeh and Lur proper, who are principally linked by theLuri language.[4]
Lorestan provinceis named after the Lurs, but some Lurs live in other provinces includingFars,Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari,Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad,Khuzestan,[4]Hamadan,[5]Isfahan,[6]Tehran[7]and southernIlam Province.[8]
History
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Elam_Map-en.svg/190px-Elam_Map-en.svg.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Woman_spinning-Sb_2834-IMG_0921-black.jpg/220px-Woman_spinning-Sb_2834-IMG_0921-black.jpg)
Lurs are a mixture of aboriginalIraniantribes, originating fromCentral Asiaand the pre-Iranic tribes of western Iran, such as theKassites(whose homeland appears to have been in what is nowLorestan) andGutians.In accordance with geographical and archaeological matching, some historians argue that theElamiteswere the Proto-Lurs, whose language becameIranianonly in the Middle Ages.[9][10]The distinctive characteristics of the Lur dialects imply that they were Iranized byPersisrather thanMedia.[11]
The history of the Lurs is closely linked with the dynasties that ruled inKhuzestan,Shiraz,Isfahan,Hamadanand in theZagros Mountains.The Buyid dynasty is known to have produced coins atIzeh.In 935, they marched their forces through Lorestan. TheKarkheh Riverwas later controlled by theHasanwayhid dynasty,who used Sarmadj as their capital. Inc. 1009,they conquered Shapur-Khwast (Khorramabad). In 1042, theSeljuk Empirebesieged Shapur-Khwast, then ruled by theKakuyid dynasty.Between 1152 and 1174/75, Lorestan and some of Khuzestan was controlled by a Turkic lord named Husam al-Din Shuhla. The tribal structure of the Lurs, whose development culminated with the arrival of theAtabegs,was unaffected by any outside attempts to conquer Lorestan or seize portions of its land.[12]
The new Iranian monarchReza Shah(r. 1925–1941) brought the Bakhtiari lands into the normal system of Iranian government, which included forcibly making semi-nomadic tribesmen settle. The semi-nomadic way of life that many Bakhtiaris and Lurs were familiar with, however, returned as a result of Reza Shah's toppling in 1941 and the period of less effective rule during the early years ofMohammad Reza Pahlavi's reign. In 1986, at the time of the publication ofVladimir Minorsky's entry on the Lurs in the 2nd edition of theEncyclopaedia of Islam,a sizeable portion of the Lurs and Bakhtiaris were still living that way of life.[13]
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 amongKurds,Lur women have much greater freedom than women in other groups within the region. The women have more freedom to participate in different social activities, to wear diverse types of female clothing and to sing and dance in different ceremonies.[14]Bibi Maryam Bakhtiariis a notable Luri woman.[15]Luri music,Luri clothingandLuri folk dancesare some of the most distinctive ethno-cultural characteristics of this ethnic group.
Many Lurs are small-scale agriculturists and shepherds. A few Lurs are also traveling musicians. Luri textiles and weaving skills are highly esteemed for their workmanship and beauty.[16]
Religion
Most Lurs areShiaMuslim. Historically, many Lurs adhered toYarsanismbut almost the whole Yarsani Luri population has converted to Shia Islam.[17]A smallSunni Muslimcommunity of Lurs also exists.[3]According to theEncyclopaedia of Islam,the Lurs revere bread and fire like theZoroastrians.[18]Recent reports also indicate a growing Zoroastrian religious movement, particularly among Bakhtiari Lurs.[19]
Language
Luri is a WesternIranianlanguagecontinuumspoken by about four million people. The continuum constitutes the three dialects ofBakhtiari,Luristani and Southern Luri which linguist Anonby situates betweenKurdishandPersian.[6]
Luri branches
There are several established branches of the Luri language.[20]
- Bakhtiari
- Southern Lori
- Boyerahmadi (Yasuji)
- Kohgiluyei
- Mamasani
- Luristani (Northern Lori)
- Khorramabadi
- Borujerdi
- Bala Gariva Lori
- Hinimini
- Shuhani
Genetics
Considering theirNRYvariation, the Lurs are distinguished from other Iranian groups by their relatively elevated frequency ofY-DNAHaplogroup R1b(specifically, of subclade R1b1a2a-L23).[21]Together with its other clades, theR1group comprises the single most common haplogroup among the Lurs.[21][22]Haplogroup J2a(subclades J2a3a-M47, J2a3b-M67, J2a3h-M530, more specifically) is the second most commonly occurring patrilineage in the Lurs and is associated with thediffusionof agriculturalists from the NeolithicNear Eastc. 8000-4000 BCE.[22][23][24][25]Another haplogroup reaching a frequency above 10% is that ofG2a,with subcladeG2a3baccounting for most of this.[26]Also significant is haplogroupE1b1b1a1b,for which the Lurs display the highest frequency in Iran.[26]LineagesQ1b1andQ1a3present at 6%, andTat 4%.[26]
See also
References
- ^"Iran".The World Factbook.Retrieved26 August2013.
- ^"Iran"(PDF).New America Foundation. June 12, 2009. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 23 July 2013.Retrieved26 August2013.
- ^abMortensen, Inge Demant (3 April 2015)."LURISTAN v. Religion, Rituals, and Popular Beliefs".Retrieved16 August2023.
- ^abMinorsky, M. V. (2012)."Luristān".Encyclopedia of Islam.2.doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0588.
- ^Amanolahi, Sekander (2002). "Reza Shah and the Lurs: the Impact of the Modern State On Luristan".Iran and the Caucasus.6:193–218.doi:10.1163/157338402X00124.
- ^abAnonby, Erik John (2003). "Update on Luri: How many languages?".Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.13(2): 171–172.doi:10.1017/S1356186303003067.S2CID162293895.
- ^Opie, James (1992).Tribal Rugs: Nomadic and Village Weavings from the Near East and Central Asia.9781856690256:Pennsylvania State University.p. 104.
{{cite book}}
:CS1 maint: location (link) - ^Gheitasi, Mojtaba."Language distribution: Ilam Province".Iran Atlas.Retrieved18 November2020.
- ^Edwards, I.E.S.;Gadd, C.J.;Hammond, G.L. (1971).The Cambridge Ancient History(2nd ed.). Camberidge University Press. p.644.ISBN9780521077910.
- ^Potts, D.S (1999).The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State (Cambridge World Archaeology)(2nd ed.). Camberidge University Press. p. 45.ISBN9780521564960.
- ^Minorsky 1986,p. 821.
- ^Minorsky 1986,p. 824.
- ^Minorsky 1986,p. 826.
- ^Edmonds, Cecil (2010).East and West of Zagros: Travel, War and Politics in Persia and Iraq 1913-1921.BRILL. p. 188.ISBN9789004173446.
- ^Garthwaite, Gene Ralph (1996).Bakhtiari in the mirror of history.Ānzān. p. 187.ISBN9789649046518.
- ^Winston, Robert, ed. (2004).Human: The Definitive Guide.New York:Dorling Kindersley.p. 409.ISBN0-7566-0520-2.
- ^Hosseini, S. Behnaz (2020).Yārsān of Iran, Socio-Political Changes and Migration.Palgrave Macmillan.p. 18.ISBN978-981-15-2635-0.
- ^Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen Gibb;Johannes Hendrik Kramers;Bernard Lewis;Charles Pellat;Joseph Schacht(1954).The Encyclopaedia of Islam.Brill.Retrieved9 April2011.
- ^"Cleric Says Some Iranian Muslims Converting to Other Religions".
- ^Anonby, Erik."Traditional classification tree".Iran Atlas.Retrieved26 January2021.
- ^abGrugni, V; Battaglia, V; Hooshiar Kashani, B; Parolo, S; Al-Zahery, N; et al. (2012)."Ancient Migratory Events in the Middle East: New Clues from the Y-Chromosome Variation of Modern Iranians".PLOS ONE.7(7): e41252.Bibcode:2012PLoSO...741252G.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041252.PMC3399854.PMID22815981.
- ^abWells, R. Spencer; et al. (2001)."The Eurasian Heartland: A continental perspective on Y-chromosome diversity".Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.98(18): 10244–9.Bibcode:2001PNAS...9810244W.doi:10.1073/pnas.171305098.PMC56946.PMID11526236.
- ^Semino O, Passarino G, Oefner P J, Lin A A, Arbuzova S, Beckman L E, de Benedictis G, Francalacci P, Kouvatsi A, Limborska S, et al. (2000) Science 290:1155–1159
- ^Underhill P A, Passarino G, Lin A A, Shen P, Foley R A, Mirazon-Lahr M, Oefner P J, Cavalli-Sforza L L (2001) Ann Hum Genet 65:43–62
- ^Semino, Ornella; Magri, Chiara; Benuzzi, Giorgia; Lin, Alice A.; Al-Zahery, Nadia; Battaglia, Vincenza; MacCioni, Liliana; Triantaphyllidis, Costas; et al. (2004)."Origin, Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area".The American Journal of Human Genetics.74(5): 1023–34.doi:10.1086/386295.PMC1181965.PMID15069642.
- ^abcGrugni, V; Battaglia, V; Hooshiar Kashani, B; Parolo, S; Al-Zahery, N; et al. (2012)."Ancient Migratory Events in the Middle East: New Clues from the Y-Chromosome Variation of Modern Iranians".PLOS ONE.7(7): e41252.Bibcode:2012PLoSO...741252G.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041252.PMC3399854.PMID22815981.
External links
- Amanolahi, Sekandar (2002). "Reza Shah and the Lurs: the Impact of the Modern State On Luristan".Iran and the Caucasus.6(1): 193–218.doi:10.1163/157338402X00124.
- Minorsky, V. (1986)."Lur".InBosworth, C. E.;van Donzel, E.;Lewis, B.&Pellat, Ch.(eds.).The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.Volume V:Khe–Mahi.Leiden: E. J. Brill.ISBN978-90-04-07819-2.
- ""Luri" Carpet weaving style incorporating design themes of ancient Persia ".JOZAN.Retrieved2015-09-21.