The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-06-21
Russls's Sarik Turcomans.
ILondon Globe.l


fully exploited In the Russian interest," may safely
he considered the most unmtigated scoundrels on
the face of the earth. For half century Western
nations have been In possession of incomplete nc
counts OF the regular man-stealing pursued by the
that have laid bare the sickenng details Of tor
ture and lnhuman barbarity with which their ma.
raudings were invariably accompanied. OF course
there are some honorable exceptions, especially
among the tribes in close proximity to the Caspian
and Persian province OF Astrabad but nothing be
urged In favor OF the Sarks. OF race of robbers
and murderers they are the worst and, being rather
more favored by nature than their Tekke brethren,
cannot plead the extreme poverty that often drove
forays.
The sariks are supposed to hayeoccupied Merv, in
conjunction with the Sailors. at the time Of the Arab
conquest, but this seems rather doubtful II we ac.
cept az the true statement that the Turcomans
formed the vanguard OF the army OF the Sell
1uk Turk princes: who crossed the Oxus from tine
north IN IN o3 or nearly 400 years after the first ap-
pearance Of the Arabs Al any rate there seems 10
oasis for about eight centuries, and are quite juSti
fed In regarding the Tekkes usurpers OF their in
heritance. During this time they have formed part
OF the nations whose sOvereigns possessed authority
over Merry, and owed allegiance to Iranan or Tura-
MAN with complete indifference so long as border
warfare afforded the opportunity of indnlging their
tenure of the oasis not uninterrupted, but they
seem to have enjoyed uudIsputed ownerahp from
1890 until 1915, when the struggle with the Tekkes
commenced. The latter, driven from Oraz- Kala, on
the river Telend by the Persians, advanced north.
warfare. made
themselves masters Of Mery where they have since
| remained. For assisting Sultan Murad Mira. Gov.
ernor OF Khorassan, IN an expedition undertaken on
| by the Tekkes and decimaed. They thereupon
withdrew to their present positions at yuufan,
some forty miles from Merry and Pentdeh-the scene
OF Gen. ,kOmaroh's treacherous massacre OF the
Afghans.
Change Of domice and loss Of power were unac.
evil ways on the part OF the sarks. Their first acts
were the expulsion OF the Sailors from Yulutan and
81 the ,o Jem ,na and Iemurls from Pentdeh
TeIkes, Numbering small bands when opportunity
offered, and making organized raids on Northwesi
san. Their last grand didindn (raid) can DO re-
corded win grim satisfaction, az It resulted In a
upon the Persian 1 avn
carried on $4,000 sheep aud many prisoners. The
Shah at once teegraphed orders for the collection Of
airy. and to insure secrecy quietly told the oicer in
commanl that he would lose his head II the order
became Known IN due time the force set out on lis
march,, crossed the Heri.rud and in two days
reached the sarlk camping grounds the slopes Of
me Par0pamlsns, near Gulran SO sudden and un-
expected was the Persian attack that almost without
firing shot 100 shepherds and 100. 900 sheep were
captured and driven back TO Persia.
mne sariss are divided into Ave principal clans
branches. AT Yulutan and PeDjdeh these families
are ndlscIimnately mixed, and the total population
II about 10000. The method OF computation fol-
lowed Is always based upon the number of canals
me whole community being dependent on the water
supply LOT existence the administrative system Of
regular distribution OF water and compulsory labor
IN connection with the repair and cleansing OF the
canals. In each of the two Sarik GASES there are
eighteen large, about 800 secondary, and 5000 small
canals. As II Is very rarely that more than one
family makes use OF small canal II IL reckonedth that
there are from ~, 900 TO $1,000 tents In both CASES.
II, as IL presumed, the administration established by
Gen. komarof at PeDjdeh he conducted on native
principles, the applause with which Russian papers
herald iisinauguraton In rather out OF place There
hns been no such thing as native administration
known TO either the Merry Tekkes or sarik Turco
mans True, each branch appoints ketkhodd, or
elder hui his power II exceedingly limited. and,
restricted TO the regulation Of the water supply. In
discussing dtdmdns, or any other affairs affecting
the community, every one has a voice in the matter
and Joins with The rest or holds aloof he thinks
III. Naive administration az u guarantee OF orderly
conduct among the the sariksis therefore an OBJ
yions sham. They Will refrain from attacking the
Afghans on the one hand. or page and murder
them on the other according to the orders received
from their new mastera Gen. komaroG and his
crafty lieutenant, the now notorious Col. Alkhano