212 



THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



Photo by Mr. Fred. Bremner] 



AN AFGHAN WOMAN AND CHILD. 



[fyietta. 



Europeans without uttering 

 any loud complaint, they 

 are far from beiug insensible 

 to the insult; and although 

 they do not now openly 

 revolt, on account of the 

 fear inspired in them by 

 foreigners, their indigna- 

 tion is none the less 

 because secret. " Pious 

 Lingayats have often come 

 to me," says the Abbe 

 Dubois, " imagining that my 

 title of European priest 

 gives me great influence 

 over my fellow-countrymen, 

 to implore me, in earnest 

 terms and even with tears 

 in their eyes, to do every- 

 thing in my power to put 

 a stop to the sacrilege. In 

 states which are still ruled 

 by heathen princes, on no 

 pretext whatever is it per- 

 mitted to kill a cow. In 

 fact, this act of sacrilege, 

 so hateful to Hindus, is 

 only permitted in provinces 

 where Europeans or Moham- 

 medans hold sway." 



AFGHANISTAN AND BALUCHISTAN. 



THE Afghans are a fine race, tall and well built, with somewhat aquiline nose and a warlike 

 countenance. Within recent times many of them have migrated into the Punjab and seized 

 territory there; not a few of them now serve in the native army of India. Although famous 

 for courage, their discipline is not so good as that of Sikhs or Rajputs. If we compare the 

 national character and customs of the Rajputs of India with those of the Afghans in their own 

 country, we find a very remarkable similarity. Both exhibit a warlike spirit, are strongly 

 averse to control, addicted to vice and debauchery, unstable, proud, jealous of national honour 

 and personal dignity, and domineering. With regard to customs, we find pretty much the 

 same laws of hospitality, protection to the refugee, exaction of vengeance, jealousy of female 

 honour, and widows marrying the dead husbands' brothers. Again, in physiognomy there is a 

 striking resemblance, both possessing a decidedly Jewish type of countenance. According to 

 a native tradition, Syria was the home of the Afghans until Nebuchadnezzar carried them into 

 captivity and planted them as colonists in parts* of Persia and Media. Hence they appear to 

 have migrated eastwards into Ghor, a mountainous country, where they received the names " Bani 

 Afghan," or " Children of Afghan," and " Bani Israel," or " Children of Israel." This theory of 

 their origin seems to be confirmed by the testimony of Esdras, the prophet, who says that 

 the captured ten tribes escaped and took refuge in the country of Arsareh, which may be the 

 Hazarah country of which Ghor is a part. There is other testimony to the same effect. At 

 present no one can say at what period the Afghans of Ghor moved on into the Kandahar country. 



