The Role of Kaşkay Province in the Social and Political Life of Iran
The second historical era of Kaşkay Province includes nearly 60 years since the years of 1920s until 1980s and this period covers the period of the domination of Pehlevi lineage. According to their experiences that they obtained as a result of the struggles between Kaşkay Turks and English people, Kaşkay Turks approached with an affirmative stance to the centralisation policy of Pehlevi administration that they applied in the country. Similarly, they helped the central government to prevent the rebellions of the nomads in the south against the central government. The Chief of Kahran that lived in Teheran was elected as a representative to Şura Council from the province of Persia in the 8th Period. However, the English people did not forget the history and he had him killed in the dungeons of Kasr-ı Kacar in the year of 1932 through Rıza Shah. The years of 1930s have been known as the most fatal and the disastrous period of Kaşkay people. Pehlevi regime of tahta kapı (wooden door), in other words the policy for the settlement of the nomads led particularly Kaşkay people to a state of calamity. In order to dissolve and disintegrate the Provincial foundation, Rıza Shah executed, arrested and exiled most of the chiefs of the tribes within the Province. Instead of these people, he appointed some nomads under his command as the ruler of the people in those regions.
In the years of the Second World War and in 1941, Rıza Shah entitled all Iran groups and therefore Kaşkay people with some freedoms in order to obstruct the political plans of Hitlers Germany oriented towards war when the allied forces came to Iran. Kaşkay Turks who had been exiled to various provinces of the country returned to their homelands. Kaşkay people returned to their nomadic life and they started a rapid armament regarding their experiences that they had suffered in the past. However, Ilhan and Ilbeys (the subordinate rulers) did not oppose to the English invaders until the dominion of Nasır Han. Therefore, they could not obtain their old force and prestige in the public.
Kaşkay people supported the policy of the national front, the government of Musaddık towards the nationalisation of the petroleum industry in the years of 1950s. Hacrev Han who was Ilbeyi (provincial governor) in that period supported these precautions of Musaddıks government under his capacity as the representative of Şura Council.
Upon the support of America in 1953,a military coup detat was accomplished against the government of Musaddık and the shah was enthroned. Pursuant to these events, the calamity days of Kaşkay people re-emerged. The foundation that dominated the Kaşkay province for two centuries was abolished upon a firman ordered by Shah in 1956. Several military precautions were taken against Kaşkay people and some of the provincial governors had to leave the country with their families and to immigrate to the foreign countries. The land reform that was initiated by Muhammed Rıza Shah under the title of White Revolution accelerated the confiscation of the plateaux and pastures of the nomads by the government as the national treasury, the attenuation of Kaşkay people and the dissolution of the province.
Until the Revolution in Iran in 1979, Kaşkay people were subjected to great oppression by the secret agents of Rıza Shah. They were forcibly distributed to various cities and districts and they were forced to settlement. Before and after the Islam Revolution, Kaşkay people tried to regain their power. Kaşkay people who had immigrated to the foreign countries returned and negotiated with the administrators of Islam Republic. They stated that they were ready to work in the service of the government. However, this agreement did not last long enough. In the year of 1982, there were severe struggles that took place between Kaşkay people and pasdar people near Shiraz and Firuzabad. The Provincial governor of Kaşkay people were arrested in a dungeon and then executed in Shiraz in 1982.
Nowadays, Kaşkay Provincial Union has been impeded in general. Although the nomadic life has various difficulties, Kaşkay people continue their hard social and economical lifestyle. Like the other groups of minority who are deprived of their national and civil rights in Iran, Kaşkay people do not have any hesitation in struggling for their rights and they will continue to fight until they acquire their material and civil demands.