Tribes.
The whole Toorkmun race claim a common lineage, though divided into different tribes, and conceding to some a greater degree of honour than to others. The total number of families is rated at 140,000, which I shall class into the obvious division of eastern and western Toorkmuns, as follows:—
EASTERN.
| Salore (of Shurukhs) | 2,000 |
| Saruk (of Merve) | 20,000 |
| Ersaree (of the Upper Oxus) | 40,000 |
| Tuka (of the Tejend) | 40,000 |
| Sakar (of the Oxus) | 2,000 |
| 104,000 |
WESTERN.
| Yamood (of Astrabad and Khiva) | 20,000 |
| Goklan (of the Goorgan) | 9,000 |
| Ata (of Balkhan) | 1,000 |
| Choudur (of Mangusluk) | 6,000 |
| 36,000 | |
| Total of the race | 140,000 |
The most illustrious of all the Toorkmuns is the tribe of Salore; and then follows the Ata, who are said to be the Syuds of the race, and descended from the Caliph Osman. The three great tribes, the Yumood, Goklan, and Tuka are said to have been descended from brothers; but the last, as sprung from a Persian slave, is considered inferior to the other two. It would be profitless to dilate on a nameless list of the subdivisions of these tribes: I may merely instance that of Goklan, which is classed into nine divisions, that encamp apart from each other. These are their names:—
- 1 Ghaee,
- 2 Karabul Khan,
- 3 Baeéndur,
- 4 Kevish,
- 5 Kyk-soorunlee, or Arkuklee,
- 6 Aye durwesh,
- 7 Chakur, or Bugdulee,
- 8 Yunguk, or Gurkus,
- 9 Sangreek.
It is said, that the tribe at one time consisted of twenty-four divisions, to each of which there was a “yooz kyelee,” or commander of 500; but internal feuds, not yet, or ever likely to be removed, together with wars on Khiva and Persia, have thinned their number, and disturbed the patriarchal habits of all the Toorkmun race.