Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 5.djvu/183

 GHILZYES. (267)

HE Gliilzyes form one of the most numerous and powerful tribes or clans in Afghanistan, especially in its southern portions, extending from Kandahar to the Sooliman mountains. They are a brave, warlike race, who have taken a prominent part in the history of their country, from the earliest times to the present. According to the Mahomedan historian, Ferishta, the tribe originally belonged to Toorkistan, but being driven from thence at an early period of time, settled in Eastern Afghanistan, and the mountains bordering on the Indus, and became not only very numerous, but powerful. In his invasions of India, Sooltan Mahmood of Ghuzni was followed by many of them, both as cavalry and infantry soldiers; and during the reign of the Afghan dynasties, commonly called the stavelings, 1205 to 1304, many of the Ghuzni chiefs rose to be noblemen of the Delhi kingdom. In the year 1304, Julal-ood-deen, a Ghuzni nobleman of the Delhi empire, became king of India, and the dynasty founded by him lasted till the year 1321, when it was displaced by that of Toghluk. In their own country, and during successive revolutions and dynasties, the Ghilzyes seem to have preserved their character for restless and lawless turbulence, and to have joined one party or another mostly for mercenary considerations. During the English occupation of Afghanistan, the Ghilzyes followed their old courses, and took a prominent part in all dissatisfaction and native operations against the British policy and forces. In the memorable retreat from Kabool, on the 1st January, 1842, the Ghilzyes had possession of the Klioud Kabool pass, on the road to India, and there inflicted on the retreating force the slaughter of nearly the whole of its numbers, as well as of its helpless camp followers; a defeat which was, however, avenged by the advance of General Pollock's force to Kabool in September of the same year. During his advance through the defiles of the Khyber and Khoud Kabool passes, comparatively slight opposition was made by the Ghilzyes and other mountaineers; and it was evident that under ordinary military precautions, the Afghans bad little chance against disciplined troops.