Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Iliyats

ILIYATS (il′ē-yats), a nomadic race of Persia, Khiva, and Turkestan. The name Iliyat is the plural of iel (eel), a tribe, equivalent to the Arabic kabilah. The Iliyats are mostly of Turkish, Arabic, and Kurdish descent, and form an important portion of the population of Persia and adjacent countries. They live in tents and are Mohammedans of the Sunni sect.