St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-04-24
TuRkOMAN RAIDS.

Robbery on . Gigantic Scale Carried On
Under Allah's "Protectfon."
The raiding of the Turkomans was
essentially q slave-dealing system.
founded on the assumption of a right OF
property in human flesh and blood
Men, women and children were carried
off to Khiva and Bokhara. thus placing
the impossible desert between them
and their homes, SO that escape was all
but impossible-thiss security producing
corresponding value in the slave mar
ket of these places.
These predatory excursions were
known as ''chapows'' by the Persians.
and as '.alamans'' by the Turkomans.
The number of men engaged in one OF
them depended much on the character
OF the leader: if he had previous
reputation for success i'm such expedi-
tons, large numbers would flock to
HIM when a new raid was projected: at
times As many rs five or six thousand
men would engage in one of these eN-
pedItions. Horses were put under
peculiar diet and training
to fit them for the necessary
that the Turkoman's horse formed the
essential part of the raider. where long
rides and sudden surprises were the
main tactics of the game As the
Thugs of India converted their system
of murder into kind of worship. so
the Ishans, or Mohammedan mollahS,
gave religious sanction to the foray by
blessing it before starting. AT first the
.'alaman" would move slowly across
the desert but As soon as the Persian
frontiers was passed. it made long and
stealthy marches by unfreguented
routes. avoiding all large towns. till
the selected district was reached.
Small parties We're then detached ::
these in the dusk of the early dawn
crept under the cover of hollows or
rising ground toward villages. on
which they came down with Il light
ming sweep. so AS to catch the men or
women at work i'm the fields. or by the
surprise to seize the cattle before they
could be driven in. Men. women. and
children, as well As horses.
cattle, and sheep. were all fish to the
Turkoman's net. and whatever was
taken they carried off to the main body
of the alaman. who guarded the
plumber while the letachments carried
on the work. If Il village could he
taken, then every living thing in it be-
came spoil whatever the robbers
horse could carry. or whatever could
be forced to move on its own legs, was
borne away. Young girls they
were pretty-and children were looked
upon as the most valuable prizes. as
they could be seld te the highest adj
vantage in the bazars Of Khiva OF
Bokhara it was also considered
lucky stroke when any one of wealth
or rank was caught, . heavy ransom
being expected for his release. We
were told of one raid in which one
hundred and thirty thousand sheep.
goats and other animals had been
swept away; this large number has
much the appearance of an exaggera-
ton, but surprising we subtract a large
discount from the figures-say twenty
five or even fifty per cent.-the sum
will yet present a calamitious loss to
the people who were despoiled. When
the operations ON the ground selected
were completed. the alaman began its
retreat, generally taking another route
from that by which it came. If not too
much over-burdened with spoil. the
plundering would 60 on during the re-
turn march. When successful expe-
dition had been made, and each re-
turned rich from robbery and crime.
there was great rejoicing in the auls.
or collections of kibitkas, which form
the villages of Turkestan; the Ishans
again came forth and uttered prayers
Of thanks to Allah for all the good
things which had come to them VIII.
lam Simpson, IN Hdrper's Magazine.