20 THE FRONTIER DISTRICT OF ASTOR 



they have as little as possible to do with them. When 

 the cow calves, they will put the calf to the udder by 

 pushing it with a forked stick, and will not touch it with 

 their hands." 



The Dard nation is also peculiar in its government, — that 

 is, of course, in those places only where they have not 

 come under the yoke of the foreigner. The Astor Dards 

 under Dogra rule are governed according to Dogra ideas, 

 but across the border, in some districts, the government 

 is a despotism, " untempered, absolute." These latter are 

 generally found on the right bank of the Indus. The 

 republic is governed by a general assembly called Sigas. 

 The executive consists of a few men, five or six, chosen by 

 the people in their assembly : these are called Joshteros ;. 

 they can formulate a policy, but have no power to carry 

 it out without the sanction of the Sigas. They can, 

 however, settle minor disputes. The usual advantages of 

 monarchies and republics, on a large scale elsewhere, also 

 exhibit themselves in these small governments among the 

 Dards. The village of Thaliche, consisting of seven 

 houses only, which can be seen across the Indus from the 

 road to Bunji, enjoys the distinction of being the smallest 

 republic in the world. 



Since the establishment of the Gilgit Agency and the 

 conquest of the districts of Hiinza and Nagar, great 

 changes have been effected in this portion of Kashmir 

 territory. When I passed through the country, the forts 

 at Astor and Bunji were the only places of any importance 

 in the district. Biinji was beyond its limits at that time, 

 but, being situated ou the left bank of the Indus, com- 

 munication with Astor was much more frequent than 

 between it and Gilgit, to which latter district Biinji was 

 subordinate. The Astor garrison consisted of six hundred 

 men, and a " general " commanded the troops. A few guns 



