ECONOMIC ASPECT OF SALT REGION. 197 



" Bahadur Khel, the land of the Kurram clan of the Khattaks, 

 now located north of the Teeree Towey (Tiri Tarn) extended from time 

 immemorial to the present Waziri frontier. Some twelve centuries ago, 

 according to local tradition, one Daresh, whose mother was a native of 

 Kurrum, came from Tank in the Derajat to visit her. There were then 

 four heads of families in the Kurrum clan. Daresh was admitted as a fifth 

 and was awarded the waste lands on the immediate frontier. One Baha- 

 dur next came from Jordaud in the Kurruk (Khattakj country and set- 

 tled with Daresh, who gave him half the lands. The Daresh Khel and 

 Bahadur Khel, their descendants, are now lords of the soil within the 

 limits of which the salt mines are situated, and divide equally among 

 themselves the seigniorage allowed by Government. The Daresh" Khel. 

 commenced trading in salt, it is asserted, immediately after their first set- 

 tlement" (about 600 A. D.) 



u The Khan of Teeree (Tiri) has an agent here to watch his interests 

 as he enjoys 1 per cent, of the gross collections, and also to give assist- 

 ance to the salt and the district police generally. 



" The very low rate of duty now obtaining at this mine was origin- 

 ally fixed for a variety of reasons, — first, because it was difficult of mili- 

 tary approach from Bannu owing to the Soordag (Siirdag) pass which 

 leads to it being a difficult one to force in case of resistance from its 

 warlike Khattak inhabitants and their Waziri neighbours. Its salt had, 

 moreover, from time immemorial sold at a low rate because of the dis- 

 tance and difficult routes traversed by its frequenters (Waziris, Ghilzais, 

 Turis, Mattani and Kharjun sections, Khattaks of Durra, Upper Ban- 

 gashes and Banmichis), and came at length to be considered the perqui- 

 site of the Waziris and other western tribes, for, notwithstanding its 

 cheapness, the habitues of the neighbouring mine of Nurree (Nari) 

 never resorted to it before our rule, nor do they now. For these reasons, 

 and because his doing so would in no way affect the trade either for 

 good or evil, Major Reynell Taylor fixed the low rate (now obtaining) at 

 this mine. It would, he remarked, keep things as they had ever been, 



( 301 ) 



