1864.] 



An Account of Upper Kdsk-Mr. 



147 



with their families, who settled in Panj-korah. Their children followed 

 the occupations of their fathers, and their descendants are now a con- 

 siderable community, much respected in the country. These people 

 are known &$ fakirs, a name also borne by the aboriginals of those 

 parts, subject to the Tiisufzi Afghans. 



Aiyiib was also attended by a number of other followers ; and 

 shortly after he reached home, Akhiind Ilyas, his father, who was still 

 alive, called his two sons into his presence and said unto them : " Out 

 of the goods of this world, I have but two things to bequeath — my 

 sword, and my kaclikol" (a wooden bowl, or a gourd, in which a Dar« 

 wesh receives alms) : "take your choice of them." Ismaseil, the elder 

 brother, chose the kachkol, and Aiyiib the sword ; and soon after, 

 Akhund Ilyas, who had attained a great age, was gathered to his 

 fathers. The children of Ismaseil practise austerity ; and are seekers 

 after " the truth" * unto this day. They have the credit of being very 

 learned. Aiyiib, who kept up a small number of soldiers, at length, 

 obtained the title of Khan amongst his countrymen, and acquired 

 considerable power, which increased from generation to generation, up 

 to the time of Kasim Khan, father of Grhazan Khan, the present chief, 

 whose rule extended over twelve thousand families of the Tiisufzi tribe. 



Kasim Khan was the father of three sons — Azad, Grhazan, and 

 Sased-ullah— by three several Ytisufzi mothers, each of different clans. 

 Azad, the eldest, by some untoward and unfortunate chance, became 

 the slayer of his father ; and some time subsequently, was, in like 

 manner, slain by the youngest brother Sased-ullah, in retaliation. 

 These events occurred during the short and stormy reign of Shah 

 Mahmiid, (son of Timiir Shah, and consequently brother of the unfor- 

 tunates, Shah-i-Zaman and Shah Shujase-ul-mulk), over the kingdom 

 of Kabul, about the commencement of the present century. 



Grhazan Khan was possessed of prudence and foresight in no small 

 degree. He also had great wealth ; and succeeded, by degrees, in 

 gaining over the people to his side ; and with the support and assist- 

 ance of the late Shah Kator of Chitral, or Lower Kash-kar, he was 

 acknowledged as the chief of his tribe, and ruler of the whole country 

 of Panj-korah. The former friendship with the late, has been con- 

 tinued with the present, ruler of Chitral — Tajammul Shah, son of 

 Shah Kator. Ghazan Khan, however, is at enmity with his younger 

 # Sufi- ism : see my Cf Selections from the Poetry op the Afghans." 



