Besides the above, the Yezidis have a temporal chief, who is called amir. His dignity is also hereditary and confined to one family. He is believed to be a descendant of Yezid. He exercises a secondary authority over the Yezidis. He is a mediator between his sect and the Turkish government. He has the power to cut off any refractory member from the community. He has charge of fifty ḳawwals who try to collect for him at their annual visits to each Yezidi district a certain amount of money. The money received by them is divided into two equal parts, one of which goes to the support of the tomb of Šeiḫ ‘Adi, and the second part is divided, one-half being for the amir, the other half being shared equally by the ḳawwals.
The name of the present amir is ‘Ali, and he resides in Ba‘adrie.
NOTES ON CHAPTER IV
[158] Hol Hola is an interjection, or exclamation, expressing sudden emotion, excitement, or feeling, as “Oh!” “Alas!” “Hurrah!” “Hark!” in English.
[159] P. Anastase: Al-Mašrik, vol. II, p. 309.
[160] Ibid, p. 311.
[161] Ibid, p. 313.