Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 5.djvu/108

AFREEDEE. and firewood. The subject of the plate is fully armed. His gun has a rude flint lock instead of a match, and he wears a short sabre with knives or daggers in his girdle. He has a turban scarf of coarse blue muslin, and wears a white tunic and loose drawers. In their diet, belief, and habits, the Afreedee tribes do not differ from other Soonnee Mahomedans. They speak Pushtoo, the language of Afghanistan, which is, however, corrupted by Punjabee. Very few of them are in any way educated. Koliat is a considerable town, lying about thirty miles nearly due south, or south-south-west from Peshawur. It is the head of the district which bears its name, and carries on a considerable trade with Peshawur and Afghanistan.

Of all the frontier tribes the Afreedees are, indeed, the most numerous and important. Following the line of frontier from the north, the Afreedee territory commences in the hills between the Kabool river and the Khyber pass, and forms the western boundary of the Peshawur district till it approaches the lands of the Khuttuks, to be described hereafter. The Afreedee hills to the south, which are spurs from the mountains of Afghanistan, project into the British territory, and form the northern boundary of the Kohat district. Through these hills are two celebrated passes, the Kohat and Jewakee, and upon all traders and travellers to the southward the Afreedees have levied toll, or black mail, from a very remote period of time. To the west the Afreedees claim territory nearly to Kabool, and with the Ghilzyes are the special custodians, or, as they affirm, proprietors of the celebrated Khyber and Khoud Kabool passes. The tribe is independent, owing a nominal allegiance to the Ameer of Kabool so long as their subsidies are paid, but, in reality, they own no government but that of their own chiefs. Their country is rugged in the last degree; their villages, perched upon crags, are most difficult of access, and the disposition of all the sections of the tribe lawless and fierce. Combined, they would be powerful and formidable enemies, but they are disunited, and strong only in their mountain fastnesses. The Khyber pass not being within British territory, the Government of India have no relations with the Khyber Afreedees, but they frequent Peshawur for trade, and are not molested so long as they are well behaved; then inveterate propensity to thieving has, however, caused much annoyance, and the pass and its people are closely watched.

In relation to the Afreedees of the southern passes, the British Government have legitimate authority, many of them being habitual residents in British territory since the annexation of the Punjab. At first, indeed, they denied the right of way through their passes, and pleaded rights conferred upon them by successive governments from very early periods; these were admitted, and a convention made with them in April, 1849, by which, under a payment of 5,700 rupees per year, the Kohat pass was to be protected. As had before happened, the Afreedees kept no faith with their engagement. Not long after the agreement was concluded, they cut to pieces a party of sappers and miners who were making