Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 25 - A-AUS.pdf/144

 [geography A F G H A N I S T A N to the hills again ere the summer heat sets in. Thousands of Oxus regions and the Central Asian Khanates with Kabul, and them may be found during the winter months circulating those which lead from Kabul, Ghazni, and Kandahar to the plains through the farthest districts of the peninsula, where it not of India. Kabul is linked with Afghan Turkestan and Badakinfrequently happens that they prove to be troublesome, if not shan by three main lines of communication across the Koh-i-Baba dangerous, visitors. The Pathan, however, who finds his way and the Hindu Kush. One of these routes follows the Balkh river across the sea to Australia is not of the Ghilzai tribe. He to its head from Tashkurghan, and then, preserving a high general usually belongs to the Kakur section of Pathans, who occupy a level of 8000 to 9000 feet, it passes over the water-divides separating large district in Baluchistan. Ghilzai chiefs take a lead in the the upper tributaries of the Kunduz river, and drops into the valley politics of the country and possess much influence at the court formed by another tributary, at Bamian. Erom Bamian it passes over the central mountain chain to Kabul either by the wellof Kabul. Underlying the predominant Afghan and Ghilzai elements in knowm passes of Irak (marking the water-divide of the Koh-i-Baba) Afghan ethnography is the Tajik, representing the original and of Unai (marking the summit of the Sanglakh, a branch of Persian possessor of the soil, who still speaks his mother tongue. the Hindu Kush), or else, turning eastwards, it crosses into the There are pure Persians in Afghanistan, such as the Kizzilbashes Ghorband valley by the Shibar, a pass which is considerably of Kabul, and the Naoshirwanis of Kharan ; but the name Tajik lower than the Irak and is very seldom snowbound. Erom the appears to be applied only to an admixture of original Arab and foot of the Unai pass it follows the Kabul river, and from the Persian stock (such as the Dehwars), who are the slaves of the foot of the Shibar it follows the circuitous route which is community—hewers of wood and drawers of water. Everywhere offered by the drainage of the Ghorband valley, to Charikar, and the Tajiks are the cultivators in rural districts, and the shop- thence southwards to Kabul. The main points on this route are keepers and clerks in the towns. The Tajik is as much the slave Haibak, Bajgah, and Bamian. It is full of awkward grades and of the Pathan in Afghanistan as is the Hindki (whose origin is minor passes, but it does not maintain a high level generally, no similar) in the plains of the Indus. Yet the Tajik population pass (if the Shibar route be adopted) much exceeding 10,000 of the richly-cultivated districts north of Kabul proved them- feet. That this has for centuries been regarded as the main selves to be of good fighting material in the Afghan war of route northward from Kabul, the Buddhist relics of Bamian and 1879-80, and the few Kizzilbashes that are to be found in the Haibak bear silent witness ; but it may be doubted whether the Amir’s talent for roadmaking has not opened out better alterranks of the Indian army are good soldiers. Next in importance to the Tajik is the Mongul Hasara, who native lines. One of his roads connects Haibak with the also speaks a dialect of Persian, and belongs to the Shiah sect of Ghorband valley by the Chahardar pass across the Hindu Kush. Mahommedans. The Hazara are descendants of military colonists The pass is high (nearly 14,000 feet), but the road is excellently introduced by Chenghiz Khan ; they occupy all the highlands well laid out, and the route, which, south of Haibak, traverses a of the upper Helmand valley, spreading through the country corner of the Ghori and Baghlan districts of Badakshan, is more between Kabul and Herat, as well as into a strip of territory on direct. A third route also passes through Badakshan, and conthe frontier slopes of the Hindu Kush north of Kabul. In the nects Kunduz with Charikar by the Khawak pass and Panjshir western provinces they are known as the Chahar Aimak (Hazaras, river. The latter joins the Ghorband close to Charikar. The Jamshides, Taimanis, and Ferozkhois), and in other districts Khawak (11,600 feet) is not a high pass; the grades are easy and they are distinguished by the name of the territory they occupy. the snowfall usually light. This high road is stated (on Afghan They are pure Monguls, intermixing with no other races (chiefly authority) to be kept open for khafila traffic all the year round for the reason that no other races will intermix with them), by the employment of forced labour for clearing snow. It is a preserving their language and their Mongul characteristics recently-developed route and one of great importance to Kabul, uninfluenced by their surroundings, having absolutely displaced both strategically and commercially. Routes passing westwards the former occupants of the Hazarajat and Ghor. They make to the Afghan highlands through the mountain barriers of the good soldiers and excellent pioneers. The Amir’s companies of frontier between Peshawur and the Gomul occur at intervals engineers are recruited from the Hazaras, and they form perhaps along the western border, and in this northern section of the north-west frontier they are all well marked. The Khaibar, the most effective corps in his heterogeneous army. In Afghan Turkestan we find the Tajik mixed with Turkish Kuram, and Tochi are the best known, inasmuch as all these races—the Usbak and Turkman. Much interesting literature lines of advance into Afghanistan are held by British troops or exists about the Turkman, the original Turk of Asia. By some Indian levies. But the lately-explored Bara valley route into ethnographers he is associated with the red-skinned Rajput in the heart of the Afridi Tirah is not to be altogether overlooked, those early days when he was known to ancient geographers as although it is not a trade route of any importance. The Khaibar Skyth. Others see in him an offshoot from the same original route is described elsewhere. It should be noted that it was not sources which developed the Teuton. He is at any rate non- in ancient times the main route of advance from Kabul to Mongolian, and the old race hatred between Turk and Mongul is Peshawur. From Kabul the old route followed the Kabul river hardly less bitter now than it was in the days of Zahir-u-din through the valley of Laghman (or Lamghan, as the Afghans call Mahommed, otherwise called Babar, the royal Turk adventurer it) over a gentle water-parting into the Kunar valley, leaving who founded that dynasty of Turkish emperors on the throne of Nangrahar and Jalalabad to the south. From the Kunar it Delhi which has been known to posterity as “Moghul.” The crossed into Bajaor by one of several open and comparatively chief Turkman tribes left to Afghan rule are the Alieli of the easy passes, and from Bajaor descended into India either by the Daolatabad - Andkhui districts and the Ersari of the Khwaja Malakand or sogie other contiguous frontier gateway to the plains Salar section of the Oxus frontier. Originally robbers and raiders, of Peshawur. The Kuram route involves the Peiwar and the Shutargardan passes (8600 and 10,800 feet respectively) across they are all of them now engaged in agricultural pursuits. North of Kabul, in the Kohistan that borders Kafiristan, are the southern extensions of the Safed Koh range, and has never certain races of mixed origin speaking Persian dialects, such as been a great trade route, however suitable as an alternative military the Nimchas, Safis, &c., who fringe round the central mountain line of advance. Although trade at present does not extend wilderness of Kafiristan, where are to be found secluded valleys largely between Afghanistan and India by the Tochi route, being and glens containing tribes and peoples (collectively called Kafirs), locally confined to the valley and the districts at its head, yet who speak dialects innumerable, and who were till lately inde- this is the shortest and most direct route between Ghazni and pendent of Afghanistan. Remnants of the ancient Baktria, the frontier, and in the palmy days of Ghazni raiding was the flotsam and jetsam from old Greek colonies, intermingled with road by which the great robber Mahmud occasionally descended people of Indian origin forced upwards from the plains, are all on to the Indus plains. Traces of his raiding and roadmaking represented in the Kafiristan wilderness. The ethnography of are still visible, but it is certain that he made use of the more Kafiristan still requires elucidation. The well-known claim of direct route to Peshawur far more frequently than he did of the the Kafir to be considered as of Greek extraction is partially Tochi. The exact nature of the connexion between the head of supported by the late identification of a tribe of Kamdesh in the Tochi and the Ghazni plain is still unknown to us. The lower Bashgol with the ancient Niceeans of Arrian’s history ; and Gomul is, and has ever been, the great central trade route it seems probable that, with the progress of scientific investiga- between Afghanistan and India ; and the position, which has tion, recent theories of recognizable Greek elements in the popu- lately been occupied by a British post at Wana, will do much to lation of certain districts south of Kabul will be fully sustained. ensure its continued popularity. The Gomul involves no passes of any great difficulty, although it is impossible to follow the Roads and Passes.—Omitting the group of northern actual course of the river on account of the narrow defiles which routes to India from Central Asia, which pass between have been cut through the recent conglomerate beds which flank Kashmir and Afghanistan through the defiles of Chitral the plains of the Indus. It has been carefully surveyed for a and of the Indus (see Hindu Kush), the highways of possible railway alignment; and an excellent road now connects (at its foot) with the Zhob line of communications to Afghanistan may be classed under two heads : (1) Foreign Tank Quetta, and with Wana on the southern flank of Waziristan. trade routes, and (2) Internal communications. The Gomul route is of immense importance, both as a commercial Of the many routes which cross the frontiers of Afghanistan and strategic line, and in both particulars is of far higher the most important commercially are those which connect the significance than either the Kuram or the Tochi. 120

'