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Tribes
of Iran:
It can be stated that from the
very long past, majority of the people i
n Iran were engaged
in pastoral subsistence and animal breeding. Thus earning their livelihood in
various parts of the country mostly. The herds were taken to the seasonal
summer or winter quarters, where the herdsmen lived in tents. These decamping
differentiated this community from the others who were permanent dwellers.
Thereby bringing about trivial conflicts amongst them at times. Moreover,
this community could not be categorized as nomads in general, as some were
semi-tribal. The latter stationed a part of their clan in their distinct
realm regards their summer or winter quarters. Whereas their respective chieftains, dwelled in
the cities or villages for part of the year. Though the life of these
communities or tribes intermingled with their decamping conditions, which
made them adapt to their surroundings, certain factors are not distinct. It
is not clear as from when this mode of livelihood became distinguished in the
plateau of Iran, apart from the Mesopotamia and Central Asia. Not much is
known in this sphere, specially in the pre-Islamic era, though, these types
of activities could hold a strong ground even then. As during the
Achaemenian, Parthian and Sassanide eras, these monarchs ruled from seasonal
capitals. Thus, the herdsmen would move their herds to vicinities around
these capitals or cities As it has been mentioned, there is no definite
evidence as to tribes or their life-style in the pre-Islamic period, because
their numbers were in a state of constant change. Sometimes, mutual
disagreements arose, and a few of these groups merged into the larger ones,
or a part settled in one area. Endogamy and tribal marriages caused the
emergence of a larger community. These, therefore, gained hold of the weaker
lot. The sovereigns of the times, were content with such an arrangement, as
this compelled the tribes to disintegrate into smaller and weaker unions
scattered in various parts of the territory.
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