398 Captain Postans on the Biluchi Tribes inhabiting Sindh 



a different race from all about them, they hold no affinity 

 except in religion with the Affghans, who are more of the 

 Persian character, and are again distinct from the Brahims 

 and Mekranis, who are farther west. The true Biltich, or, 

 as he proudly styles himself proudly, the " Usul," (literally, 

 originally pure,) Biluch of the desert is decidedly a particular 

 and distinct class, and possesses peculiarities apart from his 

 geographical position, which would appear to mark him as hav- 

 ing considerable claim to an original offshoot from the Arabian 

 family. With respect to the claims of these people to a Jew- 

 ish origin, it may be said, like those of the Affghans, to con- 

 sist principally in the conformation of feature, — the division 

 into tribes and certain curious adherence to the Levitican 

 law in the brother marrying the brother's widow, — punish- 

 ment of adultery by stoning to death, and other minor points. 

 This is too interesting a subject, however, to be passed over 

 lightly, but where conjecture can only be applied, and where, 

 moreover, the strong bias of the mind might lead to errone- 

 ous conclusions, in default of anything authentic, it is perhaps 

 better to dismiss it than to hazard mere opinions. Suffice it, 

 therefore, to observe, that the Biluchi cast of feature is cer- 

 tainly Jewish, the appearance and costume of the wilder 

 tribes, such as is strikingly represented in Oalmet's Illustra- 

 tions of Patriarchal Habiliments (though it may probably arise 

 from the same causes of climate, &c.) and that, as before ob- 

 served, several of their laws, social and religious, bear an affi- 

 nity to those of the Levitican ; — but whether they (the Bilti- 

 chis) have any claim to be of the lost tribes, in any Jewish 

 extraction beyond an Ishmaelitish one, is a subject requiring 

 deeper and more learned antiquarian research, than has 

 hitherto been applied, and until competently dealt with, had 

 better be left alone. 



The history of the Biluchi is as much involved in obscurity 

 as their origin, until a certain period, when they appear to 

 have constituted themselves with the Brahors under Nasir 

 Khan, about the middle of last century, an independent 

 people, and Kelat became if not the seat of regal power, at 

 least of a powerful chieftainship, which the various tribes duly 

 acknowledged and maintained by a complete system of feu- 



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