Lurs
Encyclopedia
Lurs are an Iranic people
living mainly in south-western Iran
. Their population is estimated at above two million. They occupy Lorestan, Bakhtiari
, and Kuh-Gilu-Boir Ahmed. ".
The Lur people mostly speak Lori
, a Southwestern Iranian language, closely related to Persian. "Luri and Bakhtiari are much more closely related to Persian, than Kurdish."
Ethnologists classify the Lurs as aboriginal Persians
. Their language forms a dialect of Persian
and does not differ materially from Persian. The Lurs do not consider themselves to be Kurds
and in most present-day maps, Lorestan is not attached to Kurdistan.
Lak lurs:western of luristan province(Aleshtar,Nourabad,Kuhdasht);Harsin and parts of sahne&Kermanshah in Kermanshah province;parts of ilam province
Faili lurs:Khorramabad,Dorud, Poldokhtar,Chegini in Luristan province;some parts of Dehloran(not all) ,some parts of darrehshahr,parts of Ilam in Ilam province;Andimeshk and part of Susa in Khuzestan province
Salasi lurs:Borujerd In luristan province; Nahavand, Malayer,Tooyserkan in Hammedan province; kangavar in Kermanshah province; Shazand in markazi province
Bakhtiari lurs:chahar mahal and Bakhtiari province; Isfahan province;Aligodarz&Azna In luristan province;North and East of Khuzestan province (Izeh, Baq-malek, Ramhormoz, Masjedsoleiman, Gotvand, Hendeijan), and of Shushtar & Dezful
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-ahmadi Lurs: Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-ahmad province; parts of Behbahan Khuzestan province; Daeylam and Ganaveh in Bushehr province
Mamasani lurs:Nourabad Mamasani and parts of kazeron in Fars province
Iraq lurs language is Mixed of faili luri, laki luri and kurdi language
tribes, including the Medes
, originating from Central Asia
.
The area traditionally known as Luristan is divided into two regions. Greater Lur, and Lesser Lur.
Greater Lur includes ChaharMahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad and parts of western Isfahan province and northwest of Khuzestan province
. This region was in Middle Ages ruled by a group known as Hazaraspids.
Lesser Lur was more or less the area today known as Lorestan province.
The Lurs were amongst the original Qizilbash who participated in the Safavid conquest of Iran and conversion of Iran
to Shia Islam.
Prior to the 20th century, the majority of Lors were nomadic herders, with an urban minority residing in the city of Khorramabad. There were several attempts by the Pahlavi governments to settle the nomadic segment of the Lor population. Under Reza Shah
, these campaigns tended to be unsuccessful. The last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, used less forceful methods along with economic incentives, which met with greater, though not complete, success. By the mid-1980s the vast majority of Lors had been settled in towns and villages throughout the province, or had migrated to the major urban centres.
A number of nomadic Lur tribes continue to exist in the province.
Amongst the settled urban population the authority of tribal elders still remains a strong influence, though not as dominant as it is amongst the nomads. As in Bakhtiari and Kurdish societies, Lur women have had much greater freedoms than women in other groups in the region.
Malek Mas'udi, Nourollah, Karamollah.
, Mithraism
and Manicheism.
Traditionally the Lur people outwardly profess Shia Islam, but the degree of piety varies, and the religion of some seems to consist of a mixture of Ali-Illahism
involving a belief in successive incarnations combined with mysterious, ancient rites.
The Lur peoples are diverse and individualistic in their religious views and practices. The religious view even within a family could differ immensely.
Iranian peoples
The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...
living mainly in south-western Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Their population is estimated at above two million. They occupy Lorestan, Bakhtiari
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It lies in the southwestern part of the country. Its capital is Shahrekord.It has an area of 16,332 square kilometers and a population of 842,000 .- People and culture :...
, and Kuh-Gilu-Boir Ahmed. ".
The Lur people mostly speak Lori
Lori
Lori may refer to:*Lori *Lori Province, Armenia*Lori , a nomadic community found in Balochistan region of Pakistan and Iran*Luri language , spoken by the Lur people Lorestān, Iran...
, a Southwestern Iranian language, closely related to Persian. "Luri and Bakhtiari are much more closely related to Persian, than Kurdish."
Ethnologists classify the Lurs as aboriginal Persians
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
. Their language forms a dialect of Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and does not differ materially from Persian. The Lurs do not consider themselves to be Kurds
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
and in most present-day maps, Lorestan is not attached to Kurdistan.
Language
Lori dialects, which are divided into two main groups:- The dialect spoken in Lor-e-Bozorg (Greater Lor) which is closely related to Persian. This dialect is spoken in Luristan, several districts of Hamadan (Nahavand, Towisarkan) and by the inhabitants of south and southwest Ilam and northern part of Khuzistan province.
- The dialect spoken in Lor-e-Koochik (Lesser Lor) which ise closely related to Kurdish, This dialect is spoken by the inhabitants of Bakhtiari, Kuh-Gilu-Boir Ahmed and also in the north and east of Khuzistan, in the Mamasani district of Fars, and also in most areas of Bushehr province.
- major subgroups of lurs including
Lak lurs:western of luristan province(Aleshtar,Nourabad,Kuhdasht);Harsin and parts of sahne&Kermanshah in Kermanshah province;parts of ilam province
Faili lurs:Khorramabad,Dorud, Poldokhtar,Chegini in Luristan province;some parts of Dehloran(not all) ,some parts of darrehshahr,parts of Ilam in Ilam province;Andimeshk and part of Susa in Khuzestan province
Salasi lurs:Borujerd In luristan province; Nahavand, Malayer,Tooyserkan in Hammedan province; kangavar in Kermanshah province; Shazand in markazi province
Bakhtiari lurs:chahar mahal and Bakhtiari province; Isfahan province;Aligodarz&Azna In luristan province;North and East of Khuzestan province (Izeh, Baq-malek, Ramhormoz, Masjedsoleiman, Gotvand, Hendeijan), and of Shushtar & Dezful
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-ahmadi Lurs: Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-ahmad province; parts of Behbahan Khuzestan province; Daeylam and Ganaveh in Bushehr province
Mamasani lurs:Nourabad Mamasani and parts of kazeron in Fars province
Iraq lurs language is Mixed of faili luri, laki luri and kurdi language
History
Lurs are a mixture of aboriginal groups and Indo-IranianIndo-Iranian
Indo-Iranian can refer to:* Indo-Iranian languages* Prehistoric Indo-Iranians * Indo-European languages* Proto-Indo-Iranian religion* Proto-Indo-Iranian language...
tribes, including the Medes
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
, originating from Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
.
The area traditionally known as Luristan is divided into two regions. Greater Lur, and Lesser Lur.
Greater Lur includes ChaharMahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad and parts of western Isfahan province and northwest of Khuzestan province
Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq's Basra Province and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahwaz and covers an area of 63,238 km²...
. This region was in Middle Ages ruled by a group known as Hazaraspids.
Lesser Lur was more or less the area today known as Lorestan province.
The Lurs were amongst the original Qizilbash who participated in the Safavid conquest of Iran and conversion of Iran
Safavid conversion of Iran from Sunnism to Shiism
The Safavid conversion of Iran from Sunnism to Shiism made Iran the spiritual bastion of Shia Islam against the onslaughts of orthodox Sunni Islam, and the repository of Persian cultural traditions and self-awareness of Iranianhood, acting as a bridge to modern Iran...
to Shia Islam.
Prior to the 20th century, the majority of Lors were nomadic herders, with an urban minority residing in the city of Khorramabad. There were several attempts by the Pahlavi governments to settle the nomadic segment of the Lor population. Under Reza Shah
Reza Shah
Rezā Shāh, also known as Rezā Shāh Pahlavi and Rezā Shāh Kabir , , was the Shah of the Imperial State of Iran from December 15, 1925, until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on September 16, 1941.In 1925, Reza Shah overthrew Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar...
, these campaigns tended to be unsuccessful. The last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
, used less forceful methods along with economic incentives, which met with greater, though not complete, success. By the mid-1980s the vast majority of Lors had been settled in towns and villages throughout the province, or had migrated to the major urban centres.
A number of nomadic Lur tribes continue to exist in the province.
Culture
Music
Among the popular musicians in Luri are Faraj Alipour, Reza Saghaei,Ali-Akbar Shekarchi, Gholam Jamshidi, Heshmat Rajabzadeh, Najafali Mirzayi, Heshmatollah Shafiian, Masoud Bakhtiari and Iradj Rahmanpour.Malek Mas'udi, Nourollah, Karamollah.
Religion
The overwhelming majority of Lurs are Shia Muslims though some practice an ancient Iranian religion known as Yaresan, with roots in ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
, Mithraism
Mithraism
The Mithraic Mysteries were a mystery religion practised in the Roman Empire from about the 1st to 4th centuries AD. The name of the Persian god Mithra, adapted into Greek as Mithras, was linked to a new and distinctive imagery...
and Manicheism.
Traditionally the Lur people outwardly profess Shia Islam, but the degree of piety varies, and the religion of some seems to consist of a mixture of Ali-Illahism
Ali-Illahism
Ali Illahism is a syncretic religion which has been practiced in parts of Iranian Luristan which combines elements of Shi'ite Islam with older religions. It centers on the belief that there have been successive incarnations of God throughout history, and reserves particular reverence for Ali, the...
involving a belief in successive incarnations combined with mysterious, ancient rites.
The Lur peoples are diverse and individualistic in their religious views and practices. The religious view even within a family could differ immensely.
See also
- Lak people (Iran)Lak people (Iran)The Laks are an Iranian group in southwestern Iran. They speak Laki , a Northwestern Iranian language, that is usually grouped with Southern Kurdish dialects...
- Traditional Luri Music (Mehrdad Hedayati)
- Encyclopædia Britannica's Entry on Lurs
- "Persian-Luri" Carpet weaving style incorporating design themes of ancient Persia. http://www.jozan.net/distrikter/luri.asp?oldcarpet