Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 5.djvu/78

OOTMANZYE PATHAN. large black shield, they are undoubtedly formidable antagonists. Many of the Ootmanzyes, and Yoosufzyes in general, are as fair and ruddy as Europeans, with light brown hair and beai'ds, and blue, grey, or hazel eyes; and they are a strikingly handsome, athletic race, capable of immense endurance of fatigue. Their women are said to be very beautiful in youth, though often coarse and masculine as they grow old, and in comparison with others. The subject of the Photograph is nearly as fair as an Englishman, with dark eyes, and is five feet nine inches in height. His dress consists of a green cotton turban, with border and ends of crimson silk and gold; a dark blue loongee or waist cloth, sometimes worn over the shoulders as a scarf, and sometimes as a girdle, with a border of crimson silk, and ends of crimson silk and gold. This, with loose trousers of cotton cloth, completes the costume. In cold weather a sheep-skin choga or pelisse, or a tunic of quilted cotton, is worn over all. The "Bohilla" costume in the Deccan is a blue cotton shirt, white or blue drawers, and white, red, or blue turban, with a blue quilted jacket for cold weather. Their ordinary language is Pushtoo, the vernacular of Afghanistan in general; but some of them speak indifferent Oordoo or Hindostanee. Few of them have settled in the Deccan: those that serve receive high pay, are very penurious, and when they have saved money return to their homes.

This sketch of the Yoosufzyes may be fitly concluded by the following extract from Mr. (now Sir Eichard) Temple's interesting report on the frontier tribes of the Punjab, to which, in notices of them, we are largely indebted:—

"In the Peshawur districts, the Eusofzyes may claim political importance. As soldiers they are not inferior to any of the independent tribes. They are the most martial of all the British subjects on the frontier, and the history of many generations attests their military exploits. Participators in every war that has convulsed the Peshawur valley, and always the recusant subjects of the Sikhs, they have now literally turned their swords into ploughshares, and are right good lieges of the British. Their customs have been respected, the allowances of their chiefs and village headmen have been confirmed. Though constantly tampered with by the Swat Government to rebel, they only once yielded to temptation. That single instance occurred just after annexation in 1849. In 1854, an officer of the guide corps was assailed murderously by a wandering fanatic. A mistaken suspicion of being an instigator fell upon one of the Eusofzye chiefs, and he was put on his trial; but afterwards, his innocence being discovered, a public durbar was held to prove his acquittal, a dress of honour was presented to him, and his allowances were doubled. There is a class of Pathans named Khuled (connected with the Eusofzyes), dwelling in a portion of the Peshawur valley, opposite to the Moniund hills. Their chiefs hold jahgeers, on condition of service. During the disturbances they permitted a number of hostile Momunds to escape through their