532 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [N. s., 50, 1948

years. What we have in this work, in short, comprises a form of “applied anthropology” whose worth, as such, is too often unrecognized by anthropologists.

MELVILLE J. HERSKOVITS NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS

ASIA On the Dislribuliolz of T w k Tribes in Afghanbtan. An Attempt at a Prelinzinary Classifi-

cation. GUNNAR JARRING. (104 pp. Lunds Universitets Arsskrift, N.F. Avd. 1, Btl. 35, Nr. 4, Lund, 1939).

Shortly after the beginning of the Christian era nomadic peoples speaking the Turk- ish language began to push west through the mountain ranges which divide eastern from western Central Asia. Their modern descendants are found among the Turkomans of northern Afghanistan and Iran and of contiguous Soviet territory, the Qashqai of southern Iran, the Azerbaijani Turks west of the Caspian, and the Osmanli Turks who gave their name to Turkey. With Chingiz Khan’s invasion of the west a t the beginning of the thirteenth century a Mongol element appeared to mix with some of the earlier Turkish groups. The resulting Turko-Mongols, such as the Qazaq, Qirghiz, Uzbek, and certain Tatar groups, have become Turkic speaking, but frequently remain Mongoloid in physical type.

A considerable body oi ethnographic data has been collected on the Turkic-speaking peoples of Russian Central Asia, particularly the Qazaqs. Very little information is available, however, concerning the peoples on the southern fringes of the area of Turk- ish distribution, in Afghanistan and Iran. Dr. Jarring has therefore set himself the task in the work under review of giving “a picture of the distribution of the Turkish peoples in Afghanistan on the basis of the knowledge obtainable from all the scattered sources about the country and from material collected” by him during a field trip into Afghan Turkestan in 1935, “in order to make the task easier for those who will in the future investigate the Turks of this area linguistically and ethnologically” (p. 5 ) . With this end in view Dr. Jarring has combed the available literature in Russian as well as in western European languages for information on the Turkic population of Afghanistan.

His task was a difficult one for several reasons. The period of most intensive study of Afghanistan came between 1840 and 1900, when Anglo-Russian rivalry stimulated ex- ploration and observation. Much of this material, however, is inaccessible. Further- more, even when available for study, the reports are often limited in their usefulness because the authors were for the most part untrained to ethnographic or linguistic observation. Where discrepancies are discovered among the several reports-and Dr. Jarring frequently detects such discrepancies-it is not always easy to distinguish be- tween faulty reporting and chronological differences due to changes in population or culture. Some Turks have probably been absorbed into the Tadjik (Iranian) population of the area. Other groups, even while retaining their Turkic speech, have undoubtedly lost their tribal identity during the process of transition from nomadic to sedentary life. In addition, there has been a tendency for groups to move from one location to another, either on their own initiative or under governmental compulsion. Because of such cultural transformations and population movements seemingly contradictory reports of different date may be equally correct. Because very little information is avail- able for the period after 1900, however, it is frequently impossible to check on apparent

BOOK REVIEWS 533

discrepancies or to trace continuities up to the present. The reviewer has brought out these difficulties because they explain why Dr.

Jarring could not, a t the present state of our knowledge, produce a neat distribution chart as the result of his researches. He has presented all available information, even when conflicting, on the distribution and tribal and linguistic affiliation of Turkic tribes in Afghanistan. In some cases he has been able to point out inaccuracies and correct misconceptions. In others he leaves the inconsistencies open for resolution by further research. The order of presentation vanes according to the nature of the source mate- rial. In the case of Qattaghan and Badakhshan he has arranged the data by geographical regions, following Burhan-ud-Din, a reliable reporter who made careful population notes during a trip through these provinces in 1923. For Kohistan and Koh-Daman, south of the Hindu Kush, he could only quote the infrequent sources mentioning Turks in that region, and pose for further research the problem of establishing the identity of the population. Elsewhere he has traced the distribution of Turkish communities by group affiliations: Turkomans, Uzbeks, Qipchaqs, Qazaqs, etc. Although the work deals primarily with Turks, there is a brief note calling attention to the Mongol Hazara and Aimaq.

The work is directed toward the specialist rather than to the general reader. Except for very brief historical notes on the Qarluq, Qizilbash and Hazara, Jarring does not attempt to define the several Turkic groups nor to give their historical background. For turcologists and for anthropologists and linguists interested in the area, Dr. Jarring has performed a considerable service in bringing together widely scattered material in a systematic way. There is a useful discussion of bibliographical sources in addition to the extensive list of books quoted. Indices of tribes and peoples and of geographical names facilitate reference. The presentation has brought out a number of important problems which need to be solved. As Dr. Jarring writes: “We know almost nothing certain about the intermixture of races and languages in these territories. Information has to be collected-ethnologically and linguistically-but soon, if it is not to be too late.” (p. 10)

ELIZABETH BACON UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA

Juraksamojedische Volksdichtufig. T. LEHTISALO, (615 pp. Mkmoires de la SociCtE. Finno-Ougrienne, Vol. XC. Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, Helsinki, 1947.)

This new publication of the Finno-Ugric Society contains the detailed results of T. Lehtisalo’s exploring expeditions in Siberia in 1911, 1912, and 1914. We learn about the mythology of the Tundra-Yurak and the Woodland-Yurak Samoyeds. The book gives several sagas concerning the origin of man, tales, songs, shamanistic stories and incanta- tions, riddles, heroic and mourning songs, and prayers performed a t the sacrificial ceremony of reindeer. The texts are given both in original and in an accurate German translation. This volume is certainly an inexhaustible source for these students who arc interested in North Asiatic mythology and social organization. Every text offers new material for the study of reindeer breeding and bear festivities.

B$LA GUNDA HUNGARIAN UNNEXSITY

KOLOZSVAR-CLUJ, TRANSYLVANIA (RUMANIA)