Qashqai Qashqai Streptomyces Category="Central Asia"Category="Iran"Category="Iranian culture"Qashqai (also spelled Ghashghai, Qashqay, Kashgai and Qashqa'i). [image]The Il-e Qasqāy is a tribal confederation of clans of Turkic origin in Iran. They live mainly in Fars, Khuzestan and southern Isfahan Provinces, but particularly around the city of Shiraz.

The Qashqai were originally nomadic pastoralists and some remain so today. The traditional nomadic Qashqai travelled with their flocks each year from the summer highland pastures north of Shiraz roughly 480 km or 300 mi south to the winter pastures on lower (and warmer) lands near the Persian Gulf, to the southwest of Shiraz. The majority, however, have settled, or are partially settled. The trend towards settlement has been increasing markedly since the 1960s.

The Qashqai are made up of a number of tribes and sub-tribes including the Amalah, Darrah Shuri, Kashkuli, Sish Baluki, Farsimadan, Qaracha, Rahimi and Safi Khani. [image] Historically, the Qashqai came from Central Asia, and were probably among the Turkic groups that arrived in Iran in the 11th or 12th centuries. Some of these groups began to identify themselves as Qashqai in the 18th century or possibly earlier. Although mostly of Turkic stock, and speaking a Turkic language, they also include elements of Luri, Kurdish, and Arabic origin. [image] The Qashqai were a significant political force in Iran during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During World War II the Qahsqais organized resistance against the British occupation forces and received some help from the Germans, once again becoming the major political force in southern Persia. In 1946 there was a major rebellion of a number of tribal confederacies, including the Qashqais, who fought valiantly until the invading Russians were repelled. The last major revolt was in the 1960s, but was soon brutally suppressed.

Most are Shi'a Muslims, although there is a small Christian minority.

Qashqai carpets and weavings

[image] The Qashqai are noted for their magnificent pile carpets and other woven wool products. The wool produced in the mountains and valleys near Shiraz is exceptionally soft and beautiful and takes a deeper colour than wool from other parts of Iran. Qashqai saddlebags, adorned with colourful geometric designs, are considered to be the finest available. [image]

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