The Káfirs and the Hindu-Kush

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THE ICAFIRS OF

THE HINDU-ICUSH JlY

SIR GEORGE SCOTT ROBERTSON, K,C.S.I. BRITISH AGENT, GILGIT

ILLt:STIL\TED llY

A. D. i\lcCORl\IICK

LO:N"DOX

LA "\Y RENCE &

BULL EN, LTD.

11.i HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GAB.DEX

189G

Printed by BALLAXTYXF., HANSON & Co.

At the Ballantyne Press

DEDICATED TO

MY WIFE

PREFACE IN the year 1888, in company with Colonel Durand, C.B., then a young cavalry captain, I was travelling through the Astor Valley of Kashmir to Gilgit. On one memorable occasion we had made a double march. The track was extremely arduous, and the waning light found us tired and jaded, and still some distance from camp. Silent and slow-footed, we rounded the Doian spur in the gathering darkness, and had begun the descent to the village, when a strange sight to the north-west startled us into open-eyed wonder. And indeed a wonderful picture lay spread out before and beneath us. It was bounded and restricted below by the large spurs which guard the mouth of the Astor Valley. Above, the pure sky domed over all, while in front a filmy veil of cloud was suspended, which seemed to magnify and accentuate, instead of dimming, the noble outlines which lay behind. Through this mysterious curtain could be seen a bold curve of the Indus flanked by mighty mountains, and the light yellowish-grey shades of the Sai Valley, which increased the general appearance of dream-like unreality. Beyond this, again, were the dark mountain ranges of the gloomy Giigit region, divided by equally sombre ravines, while the eternal snows of the lovely Rakhipushi, calm and brooding, with a single cloud pennon streaming from its solitary peak, completed \'ii

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PREFACE

a background of surpassing beauty. The whole scene was illuminated by a dying afterglow. Swiftly, almost instantaneously, the light failed, and the translucent veil deepened and darkened so rapidly, that the Yisionlike picture was shnt out almost as magically as it had flashed forth upon our senses. As we turned away silently, the fantastic thought arose in my mind that behind that transparency, that tnmslucent cloud-film, a veritable faery .~ountry had been reYealecl to me, stretching far into the nothingness beyond ; and an anxious doubt disturbed me lest I should never be permitted to enter that strange and enticing dreamland. I never revisit Doian, and look towards the Rakhipushi mountain, but the memory of that picture recurs to my mind; but now if I gave way to fantasy my reflections would fall upon the countries and people I had visited through the mysterious cloud-curtain. This book is the record of a journey to one of these countries, and of nearly a year spent amongst a wild and interesting people.

CONTEXTS CIL\.PT.ER I PAGE

The narratiYe-Second Yisit to Chitr,\1 -Permission of tl1e Government of India to ,:isit KMirist,in-Plan of preliminary visit- Yillage of Utztin-Aza the headman-Warning as to making prescnts-Torag llerak-His demands-Dan )lalik-Delay in starting from Utztin -)larch to Gonrdesh - Torag llerak's desertion-Tron blesorne baggage-carriers-Ditticult march-Torag )Ierak's )lusalm,in sonCamp at S,frat bridge-Cheerfulness and vh-acity of K:ifirsReturn journey-Trouble with baggage-porters again-Gonrdesh to Kamdesh-)lemorial gateway at mouth of Kamu Yalley-)lergrom-A K:ifir city of refuge .

CHAPTER II The uarrath-e continued-Kamdesh-Shrines to Gish and )loni-D:in )lalik's hospitality-In,p1isith·eness of the lower classes-The headmen-Gtah the prie;;t-Chandln Ast.in-Their suspicion of me-Subsequent friendliness-Their proposals-Yolunteers for visit to lndia-Shermalik-1:eturn to Chitr,H-Raiding band of )ladug:.il Kafirs-Bahdur, their chief-Gtz1in again-Adopt Shermalik as my" son "-The ceremony-A quarrel-Start for IndiaSayed Shah

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CHAPTER III The narrative continued-Arriml in India-Yisit to England-Preparation for second visit to K,ifiristiin-Retum to India-Completing my equipment in Srinagar-)Chin Gnl-His plan to exploit me-Final subjection-Engaged as my sermnt-Leave Srinagar for Gilgit-)fy Balti coolies-Their faithfnlnes~ and derntionCatastrophe at Bnnji-Gilgit-Start for Chitr,il

CHAPTER IV The nal'!"ati,·e continned-Lea,·e Chitr,il-C'hange of route-Humour about Dir fauatics-Sluih Baba, the '.\lnll.i of Dir-Hostile intentions-The )Iehtar's opposition-Final stipulation-Distrust of ix

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COXTEXTS PAGE

my ohject~-His suspicion of the Government of India-His dread of Afghani~tan-llis B1·itish-Kashmir sub~irl~·-His endeavours to defeat my plans-His imlccision

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The narrative continued-Start from Chitr,U-Ghuhim Dustgir-Ail\.n -Bomboret-Tl1e Bomhoret Hfrer-Briclges-Kalash danceTong Chandlu-The Parpit Pass-Tl1e Pittignl Yalley-Troubles -Dismis~al of the Chitr1\I Prince-Village of Pittignl-Trouble with Torag )lerak and Chandlu-Shermalik'8 Indian presentslllackmailing-The Bashgul Yalley-Bridges-Kamu-Pleasure of chief men at my visit-Restrained cnriosity-Kamu to Binaram -K:\mdesh-\\'elcome from headmen-Their anxiety for me to take a wife

CHAPTER YI Geogmphical position of Kafirist,111-Boundaries-Rivers-Imra's sacred stone-Yillage of Ts1\ru-~haikhs-lsolation of tribes in winter - Passes-A ltitude-Ravines-Trees-Fish-Game-birds-Cliruate ..:..Rainfall

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CHAPTER YII The differentia of religion-The Shih-Posh and the Safed-Posl1Classificatio11 of Kafirs-Tril,es of the Shih-Posh-The PresunThe Wai and the Ashkun-Origin of sla,·es-Bashgul tribes-The K,im-Inter-trihal enmities-The tribe an aggregate of clansGO\·ernment of the clans.

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CHAPTER VIII The narrative resumed-K,\mdesh-The villagers-Interest in photographs-The electric battery-House-hunting-Sumri, a remarkable ol'

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