The Shahsavan are a nomadic pastoralist tribe located in northwest Iran. These Azeri-Turkish speaking pastoralists migrate between their winter quarters, qishlaq, in the Mughan steppe of Azerbaijan, and their summer quarters, yeylaq, around Mount Sabalan, approximately one hundred fifty miles to the south. The Shahsavan, unlike many other nomadic tribes in Iran, do not have just one recognized chief (khan). Instead the influential chiefs (begs) of the five or six principal tribes act as intermediaries with outside authorities. The Shahsavan begin their migration southward to Mount Sabalan (15,816 ft.) approximately 45 days after the spring equinox. The weather determines the exact timing of departure. The nomads usually spend three to four weeks covering the 150 miles between the winter and summer quarters. For the migration, several camps form a caravan consisting of 30-60 tents. A recognized leader organizes the migration of different groups in accordance with the movement of other sections of the tribe. Daily migration starts soon after midnight and continues until midday, when sun and heat prevent further travel. The flocks begin to move several hours before the caravan of camels and other pack animals. Camels transport the women, children, lambs, chickens, the wooden frame of the tent, and the colorfully woven luggage containers. The men ride horses or walk. By late morning, the caravans catch up with the flocks. Several men ride ahead to locate appropriate pastures and a camping site where the tribe will settle for the night. A day's travel covers between six and ten miles. Pack animals are unloaded upon arrival. The diverse vegetation of the region has created suitable rangelands for livestock to graze. The dome-shaped tents take only 45 minutes to set up. A circular crown is held up by a man, while 24 to 32 bent wooden rods are inserted into
The Shahsavan are a nomadic pastoralist
tribe located in northwest Iran. These Azeri-Turkish speaking pastoralists
migrate between their winter quarters, qishlaq, in the Mughan steppe of
Azerbaijan, and their summer quarters, yeylaq, around Mount Sabalan,
approximately one hundred fifty miles to the south.
The Shahsavan, unlike many other nomadic
tribes in Iran, do not have just one recognized chief (khan). Instead the
influential chiefs (begs) of the five or six principal tribes act as
intermediaries with outside authorities. The Shahsavan begin their migration
southward to Mount Sabalan (15,816 ft.) approximately 45 days after the spring
equinox. The weather determines the exact timing of departure. The nomads
usually spend three to four weeks covering the 150 miles between the winter and
summer quarters. For the migration, several camps form a caravan consisting of
30-60 tents. A recognized leader organizes the migration of different groups in
accordance with the movement of other sections of the tribe. Daily migration
starts soon after midnight and continues until midday, when sun and heat
prevent further travel. The flocks begin to move several hours before the
caravan of camels and other pack animals. Camels transport the women, children,
lambs, chickens, the wooden frame of the tent, and the colorfully woven luggage
containers. The men ride horses or walk. By late morning, the caravans catch up
with the flocks. Several men ride ahead to locate appropriate pastures and a
camping site where the tribe will settle for the night. A day’s travel covers
between six and ten miles.
Pack animals are unloaded upon arrival. The diverse vegetation of the region has created
suitable rangelands for livestock to graze. The dome-shaped tents take only 45
minutes to set up. A circular crown is held up by a man, while 24 to 32 bent
wooden rods are inserted into it; the frame stands like a giant spider. To give
the tent lateral strength, woolen bands are wrapped around the frame, and a
large wooden peg is driven into the ground under the crown to tie the tent
down. Once assembled, the frame is covered by several sheets of thick felt,
ketcha, which are tied to the frame and the ground. A lighter tent is set up by
shepherds or families who do not have a larger one. Everyone is involved in
setting up camp. Afterward women fetch water, prepare food, and shortly after
sunset everyone goes to sleep. The next day begins soon after midnight.
Shahsavan nomads traditionally raised flocks of
sheep and goats, the former for milk and milk products, wool, and meat, the
latter only in small numbers, mainly as flock leaders. They used camels,
donkeys, and horses for transport. Most families raised chickens for eggs and
meat, and a few kept cows. Every family had several fierce dogs, to guard the
home and the animals against thieves and predators. Bread was their staple
food. Some nomads had some settled relatives with whom they cooperated in a
dual economy, sharing or exchanging pastoral for agricultural produce. Most,
however, sold milk, wool and surplus animals to tradesmen in order to obtain
wheat flour and other supplies. Some worked as hired shepherds, paid 5 percent of
the animals they tended for every 6-month contract period. Others went to towns
and villages seasonally for casual wage-labor. Itinerant peddlers visited most
days, but householders went on shopping expeditions to town at least twice a
year, e.g. during the migrations. Most purchases were made on credit, against
next season’s pastoral produce. The wealthiest nomads raised flocks of sheep
commercially, and owned shares in village lands as absentee landlords.
Women too had their elders (aq-birčak,
“grey-hairs”), consulted privately by the male elders; among the women the
female elders exercised influence in public, at feasts attended by guests from
a wide range of communities. At feasts, men and women were segregated. While
the men enjoyed music and other entertainment, in the women’s tent the elders
discussed matters of importance to both men and women, such as marriage
arrangements, disputes, and irregular behavior among community members or
broader subjects bearing on economic and political affairs. They formed
opinions and made decisions, which were then spread as the women returned home
and told their menfolk and friends. This unusual information network among the
women served a most important function for the society as a whole.
Shahsavan women produced a variety of colorful
and intricate flat-woven rugs, storage bags and blankets, and some knotted pile
carpets, but these were all for domestic use and figured prominently in girls’
trousseaux on marriage. In the 1970s, however, the international Oriental Carpet
trade recognized that a whole category of what had previously been regarded as
“Kurdish” or “Caucasian” tribal weavings were in fact made by Shahsavan nomads.
Meanwhile, hard times and escalating prices forced many nomads to dispose of
items never intended for sale. Since the Islamic Revolution, Shahsavan weavers
have increasingly produced for the foreign market, adjusting their styles
accordingly.