The Last of the Khans

Iran's backbone is the Zagros mountain chain-a real paradise on Earth that is dominated by lofty peaks and water cascading down all of its steep valleys. It is also populated by millions of oak trees and inhabited by the oldest tribe on Earth: the Bakhtiaris.

The tribal name Bakhtiari literally means the 'companions of good fortune." And the twentieth-century discovery of crude oil in this paradise seems to confirm the meaning. An elite family, founded by the great Haydar, has ruled the Bakhtiaris for the past four hundred years. Their leaders marched on Tehran in 1909 to save the young, fragile Constitution and reopen the Parliament. Among those in command was Morteza Quli Khan, a rather unique individual with an extraordinary life. "The Last of the Khans" recounts his, and the ancient tribe's, great heritage.