Luristan

Author: Laxman Burdak, IFS (R).

---

Map of Lorestan, Iran

Map of Iran in Middle East Countries

Luristan or Lorestan (Persian: استان لرستان‎, Ostān-e Lorestān ) is a historic territory and province of western Iran, amidst the Zagros Mountains.

Variants

• Lorestan
• Mountains of Luristan = Zagros Mountains = Mount Zagrus (Pliny.vi.31)

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Luri = Mountains of Luristan = Zagros Mountains = Mount Zagrus (Pliny.vi.31)

Divisions

Lorestan includes 10 counties (Shahrestans): Aligudarz, Azna, Borujerd, Delfan, Dorud, Doureh , Khorramabad, Kuhdasht, Selseleh , and Poldokhtar.

Jat History

Hukum Singh Panwar writes that the presence of Jats in Indus Valley is fully confirmed by external sources. Hamza of Isfahan (893-970) and half a century later, Firdausi furnish us with unimprechable evidence that "the Iranian emperor, Behram Gour (420-448 AD) secured from king Sankhala of North India his princess in marriage besides 12000 musicians of both sexes, known as Luri Jats, for participation in an Iranian national celebration, and in lieu of their excellent performances, settled them with ex gratia grants of land, oxen and grain in a province called as Luristan after them in Iran. Discovery of a district known as Zutt and certain villages of similar name in Luristan by Arab geographer and travellers, viz, Istakhari, Ibn-Hawkal, Mukaddasi, Yakut and Mustawfi reasonably compel us to conclude that those names must have been given by the Jats who were settled in Luristan by Behram Gour in the first half of the 5th century AD.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions The Tigris....The country on the banks of the Tigris is called Parapotamia¹⁹; we have already made mention of Mesene, one of its districts. Dabithac²⁰ is a town there, adjoining to which is the district of Chalonitis, with the city of Ctesiphon²¹, famous, not only for its palm-groves, but for its olives, fruits, and other shrubs. Mount Zagrus²² reaches as far as this district, and extends from Armenia between the Medi and the Adiabeni, above Parætacene and Persis. Chalonitis²³ is distant from Persis three hundred and eighty miles; some writers say that by the shortest route it is the same distance from Assyria and the Caspian Sea.

---

19 Or the country "by the river."

20 Pliny is the only writer who makes mention of this place. Parisot is of opinion that it is represented by the modern Digil-Ab, on the Tigris, and suggests that Digilath may be the correct reading.

21 Mentioned in the last Chapter.

22 Now called the Mountains of Luristan.

23 The name of the district of Chalonitis is supposed to be still preserved in that of the river of Holwan. Pliny is thought, however, to have been mistaken in placing the district on the river Tigris, as it lay to the east of it, and close to the mountains.

References

---

Back to Jat Places in Iran