CHAPTER XVI.

BADAKHSHAN.

THE

BADAKHSHAN-HISTORICAL SKETCH-INHABITANTS-HINDOO KOOSH HAZAREHS SYKAN-SLAVES- AIBEK KHULM, OR TASHKURGHAN MAZAR --BALKH- KUNDUZ OOZBEGS -KHANA-A-ABAD-TALIKHANFYZABAD-JERM-MANNERS AND

CUSTOMS-WAKHAN-KOOROOT-ISH

KASHM-KUNDUT-KIRGHIZ ENCAMPMENT.

BADAKHSHAN, the Bactria of classical writers, shared the vicissitudes of its more powerful neighbours, from the overthrow of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom down to comparatively recent times. The royal family claimed to be descended from Alexander the Great until the middle of the fifteenth century, when the male line expired in Shah Sholtan Mohammed. During Baber's early struggles the whole of Tokhara was in the hands of a Kipchak Toork, named Khosroo Shah, and the country was overrun by Toorks, Moghuls, and vagabonds descended from the hordes of Chinghiz and Timour. When Baber was firmly seated on the throne of Delhi, he bestowed the province of Badakhshan upon his son Hoomayoon, who governed it for eight or nine years until his accession to the Imperial power. From that time it remained practically independent till Shah Jehan, in the middle of the seventeenth century, deputed his sons Moorad and Aurungzeb to re-establish the imperial authority in that remote province. On the reduction of Balkh and the adjacent territory, Shah Jehan appointed as Governor the previous ruler Nazar Mohammed, whose posterity continued undisturbed for a hundred years, when they

were succeeded by the dynasty that, a century later, succumbed to the arms of Dost Mohammed.

In 1759 the Chinese pursued two of the Khoja family they had expelled from Kashgaria into Badakhshan, one of whom shortly afterwards died of the wounds he had received. The other, in defiance of all laws of hospitality, was arrested, condemned to death, and executed, to gratify the hatred of the Chinese. The Khoja, being also a Syud, cursed the country that permitted the perpetration of such a sacrilege as the murder of a descendant of the Prophet, and prayed that it might be thrice depopulated. The uncharitable wish was gratified. First, in 1765 Shah Walee Khan, Wuzeer of Ahmed Shah Abdali of Kabul, ravaged the province, put to death the treacherous Sooltan Shah, and-worse than all-carried off Mohammed's shirt, a relic not less authentic than St Veronica's handkerchief. Again, in the commencement of the present century Kokan Beg, Chief of the Kataghan Oozbegs of Kunduz, swept through the land with fire and sword. And for the third time, in 1829, when Kokan's son Moorad carried off thousands into hopeless captivity, or planted them in the pestilential swamps of Kunduz.

On Moorad's death his power passed to Mohammed Walee Khan, Ameer of Khulm, but in 1850 the Afghans recovered Balkh, and Kunduz nine years later, when Meer Jehandar Shah was reinstated in the government of his ancestors, with Fyzabad for his capital. This arrangement, however, was not destined to remain long in force, for in 1867 the province of Badakhshan was committed to the stewardship of Meer Mahmood Shah, who was lately driven out by the people, but restored by Ameer Shere Ali, to whom he pays an annual tribute of 50,000 rupees, or £5000.

The Badakhshees, as the people of Badakhshan are called, are descendants—according to Dr Wolff-of the captive tribes

of Dan, Naphthali, Zabulon, and Asser. They are described by Hiouen Tsang as a hard and violent race, without religion, without letters, and of a mean aspect. The country he calls Po-to-tch'oang, and speaks favourably of its productive powers, notwithstanding the coldness of the climate, which necessitated the use of woollen garments. In the eyes of Marco Polo, Badakhshan was a very great kingdom, producing lapis lazuli, balas rubies-whence it was sometimes named Balakh-khan, or Ruby Land-and silver ore. The horses, he adds, were wonderfully swift, and though unshod traversed the mountains with ease and safety. This statement is in some degree confirmed by Captain Wood, except that he represents them as being shod on the fore feet with circular shoes. They are small, hardy animals, and always go at a gallop over the most rugged and difficult country.

At the present day the population is almost exclusively Tajeek, a quiet, hospitable people, speaking Persian, much given to trade, and professing the doctrines of the Sheeahs. A local tradition traces their origin to the neighbourhood of Baghdad, and they themselves pretend that their name is derived from the Arabic word Tadj, an ornament for the head which the founder of their race stole from Mohammed. It is probable, however, that they come direct from the original inhabitants of the country.

Sir Alexander Burnes was charmed with the romantic beauty of the scenery, and speaks like a 'kindly Scot' of its mountain streams, leaping down from the highlands and fertilizing the plains. The fruits, the flowers, and the nightingales, likewise drew forth expressions of delight. It is true that he had just emerged from the bleak gorges of the Hindoo Koosh, and was prepared to welcome the change from barren. cliffs and gloomy precipices to the pleasant champaign country that lay spread out before him.

Strictly speaking, Hindoo Koosh is the name only of the highest snowy peak, but it has long since been applied to the chain which begins in Kashmeer to the westward of the Indus and extends 440 geographical miles to the westward, winding between 34° 30′ and 35° N. The highest point is a little to the east of Bamian, after which the range gradually decreases in altitude. It was called by the Arab geographers 'the Stony Girdle of the Earth,' and by their predecessors, the historians of Alexander's campaigns, was regarded as a continuation of the Western Caucasus. The Koh-i-Baba peak is said to attain an altitude of 18,000 feet, but there are seven Passes, of which the highest, Hajeekak, does not exceed 13,000 feet above the sea, or 7000 above the city of Kabul. Between Kabul and Bamian three considerable ridges have to be traversed, and the same number between Bamian and Khulm.

The spurs and valleys between the Afghan capital and Herat are peopled by Eimaks and Hazarehs, the latter a Tatar race resembling the Kirghiz of the Pameer. Their numbers were vaguely estimated by Captain Wood at 156,000, and at that time-1836-they were subject to Kunduz, to whose ruler they paid a small tribute in slaves. They barter carpets, felt, strong brown chogas, and ghee, or clarified butter, in exchange for white and coloured coarse cotton cloths, Peshawur loongees, &c.; their possessions consisting chiefly of fine flocks of sheep of the Dhumba breed, and small, hardy horses. Lead and sulphur are found in large quantities. The women go about unveiled, and are delicate-looking for mountaineers. The men, therefore, do most of the out-of-door work, which for seven months in the twelve is confined to gathering fuel. The houses are flat-roofed, and built of stone, and are divided into several rooms-men and women sleeping apart.

The Hazarchs belong to the Sheeah sect, and one tribe, the Jakoorie, on hospitable thoughts intent,' tender their wives to

their guests. Rigid morality, indeed, does not appear to characterize the social habits of the Sheeahs. In the holy city of Meshed, une nombreuse population,' M. Khanikof cynically remarks, 'de femmes jeunes et belles, qui d'après les règles accommodantes du rite chiite ne démandent pas mieux que de conclure des mariages parfaitement légitimes pour un mois, pour quelques sémaines, et même pour vingt-quatre heures, présente au pélérin Musulman un moyen facile d'oublier qu'il est loin du foyer domestique.'

In the region of perpetual snow is found a caterpillar resembling a silk-worm, which dies if removed to a more genial temperature. Birds often perish in attempting to fly across, or when driven before the wind. Travellers, too, suffer much from giddiness and retching, and usually provide themselves with lumps of sugar and mulberries to relieve respiration.

But as a troop of pedlars from Cabool,
Cross underneath the Indian Caucasus,

That vast sky-neighbouring mountain of milk snow;
Winding so high that, as they mount, they pass
Long flocks of travelling birds dead on the snow,
Choked by the air, and scarce can they themselves
Slake their parch'd throats with sugar'd mulberries—
In single file they move, and stop the breath,

For fear they should dislodge the o'er-hanging snows.

As soon as the snow melts in the valleys the ploughshare is driven into the ground. The seed is sown early in June, and the crops garnered before the end of September. No trees are to be seen on the hill-sides, and the only fuel obtainable is furnished by a stunted furze with thorns like hedgehog quills. Assafatida thrives luxuriantly at an altitude of 7000 feet, and grows to the height of eight to ten feet. It is an annual, and is eaten eagerly by both men and beasts. The milk as it exudes from the stalk is perfectly white, but soon turns yellow. When it has hardened it is put into bags made of hair. A good-sized