The origin of the Shahsavan
Tribe may be traced back
to the nomadic tribes and
Qoz Turkomans, who initially
migrated to the eastern side of
the Caspian and have since lived
in many parts of Iran earning
their living mainly from animal
husbandry.
At the beginning of the 11th
century AD, Sultan Mahmood
Qaznavi gave permission to the
Seljuk and nomadic Qoz tribes to
settle in eastern Iran. But, after
the death of Sultan Mahmood
these tribes moved to Mount
Sabalan region, to Ardebil and to
Moghan Plains, where the best
pastures of Iran may be found.
From then Azerbaijan was
controlled for many centuries by
Turkish tribes, first by the Qara
Qoyounlous (1407-1467) and
later the Aq Qoyounlous (1467-
1502). Gradually they controlled
larger and larger areas of Iran
including Arak, Kerman, Fars,
Kurdistan, and Armenia. Also,
Georgia paid tribute to these
Turks.
From the time of the arrival of
Qoz Turks in Iran, the power
of the two great kingdoms,
those of Qara Qoyounlou and
Aq Qoyounlou, who were also
of Turkish origin, expanded
significantly. Ozoon Hasan, a
powerful and wise ruler of the Aq
Qoyounlou dynasty gave much
importance to Turkish tribe.
Then Shah Esmail I, the founder
of Safavid dynasty, defeated the
Aq Qoyounlous and acceded to
the throne (reigned 1502-1524).
He was the first to initiate the union of the tribes. Decades
later, when Shah Sultan
Mohammad Khodabandeh was
on the throne, he turned to the
tribes for help to defend the
country against the Uzbeks and
the Ottomans, and the tribes
acquired an important political
position.
Faced with the rebellious
Qezelbash, who were
themselves supposed to be
the Imperial Guards, Sultan
Mohammad’s son, Shah Abbas,
united a number of tribes and
gave the new, large and powerful
tribe the name Shahsavan,
which means the “Friends of the
King.” On the other hand, at the
end of the 16th century, many
groups of Sunni Turk families,
who happened to be out of favor
with the Ottoman Turks, took
asylum from the Ottoman Empire
to Iran, with the permission of
Shah Abbas, and jointed the
Shahsavan Tribe.
They selected Moghan as their
center and converted to Shism.
From then on, till early 20th
century the Shahsavan Tribe
continued to grow.
Gradually the Shahsavan
Tribe was divided into different
branches:
1. The Shahsavans of West
Azerbaijan
2. The Shahsavans of Ardebil
(the center of the Shahsavans
who use the pastures of
Moghan plain)
3. The Shahsavans of Meshkin
Shahr (they use the winter
pastures of Meshkin Shahr)
4. The Shahsavans of Saveh:
 The Baghdadi Shahsavans
(they were transferred from
Baghdad to Saveh during the
reign of Nader Shah).
The Inanlou Shahsavans
(they were transferred
from Shiraz to Saveh during
the reign of Nader Shah).
There are other tribes in Iran in
other parts of the country who
consider themselves related to
the Shahsavan Tribe, such as:
the Doyrans in Khamseh (of
Zanjan), Inanlous in Khamseh
(of Fars), as well as tribes
around Kabul in Afghanistan and
in parts of Kashmir in India.
Organizational pyramid of
Shahsavan Tribe
The elements of the tribe consist
of the family and clan, with the
chief at the top of the pyramid.
Thus the tribe is a union of a
number of clans each of which
is made up of a large number of
families. In migrating tribes the
tent is called “obeh”. The “obeh” Tukish migrating tribes call their
tent “obeh”. The number of tents
depends on factors such as:
water, quality of pasture and
position and character of the
chief of the tribe. The better the
climatic conditions the larger the
number of “obeh”. The tribe is
guided by its chief who used to
be very powerful in the past but
is no longer.
Types of “homes” besides
the “obeh”
Alacheeq: A moving house; it
is one of the special
characteristics of the tribe’s
culture.
Chambareh: A kind of wooden
tent which, due to its low
weight (about 63 kg), can be
used in migrations.
Koomeh: A simple tent which
is used by shepherds
Siah Chador: The alacheeq
of Moghan Shahsavans
are simplified models of
Central Asian Turks’ alacheeq
which have developed in
response to the ecological
differences between the
part of Iran in question and
Central Asia, the origin of
these Turks. Migrant
Shahsavans from Baghdad,
i.e. Baghdadi Shahsavans,
live around Saveh and use
this tent. Its cover is a thick
fabric made of the goat’s hair.
Tribe’s livelihood
The tribe earns its living mainly
through animal husbandry and
dairy products. Carpet weaving,
which is mostly done by women,
is another source of income.
Kilim weaving is also another
way of earning money, and the
designs reflect the pastoral life
of the tribe. In some places parts
of many tribes have settled down
permanently, as the land is fertile
and suitable for the cultivation
of wheat, grains and other
agricultural products.
The Iranian government is
trying hard to support the tribes
and preserve their culture and
identity. But trends in modern
life tend to force more and more
of the tribe members to villages
and towns and permanent
settlement, an inevitable event. 
Images curtsey of: Farhang-Sara (Yassavoli) and Iranian Tribes Organization |
