Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 5.djvu/144

 OOSTERANEES. (256)

HE Oosteranees are Soonnee Mahomedans, and display no peculiarities to distinguish them from other frontier Mahomedan tribes and clans. They have, however, a high local reputation for valour, and, armed with sword and shield, are considered a match for double the number of any other frontier tribe. Although the sword and shield alone are preferred by them, a proportion of their number are armed with very long matchlocks, which carry a great distance, and are formidable weapons. Well skilled in the use of arms, and with their desperate bravery, the Oosteranees could furnish a powerful contingent in case of any frontier war. At present, however, they are peaceful cultivators and graziers, and, unless excited or tampered with, are not aggressive. Their costume, well displayed in the Photograph, is a turban, tunic, and loose trousers of strong white cotton cloth; round then waists a scarf, usually blue or red, with ends of crimson silk, is used to bind on their powder horns and bullet bags, as well as to confine the leather sword belt, and holds a knife or dagger. The clan is composed, for the most part, of strong, tall, athletic men, not so fair in colour as many others of the mountaineers, but a ruddy brown. In then diet and religious observances they do not differ from other Afghan frontier tribes.

The territory of the Oosteranees lies south of that of the Sheoranees, on the border between the Dehra Ismael Khan and Dehra Ghazee Khan districts. They are not a numerous tribe, and cannot muster more than a thousand fighting men. Some portions of the tribe reside in the hills, other on the plains, as cultivators; the latter being British subjects. Formerly the Oosteranees were noted for their turbulence, and for feuds with their neighbours; but since the annexation, they have refrained from malpractices, and are now friendly and peaceable subjects.