1876.] H. C. Marsh— Description of a trip to the Gilgit Valley. 125 



increasing as they warmed to their work, all keeping pretty good time with 

 the leader of the dance. Amongst those assembled on this occasion were 

 the Kardar, or Governor, of Gilgit, an old Sikh, Bhai Ganga Singh, the 

 General commanding the Kulla fauj, or Militia, Man Singh, and Colonels 

 Tej Singh or Tejn, and Hushiara, commanding the two Kegiments quar- 

 tered here, also the Vizier of Gilgit, Ghulam Haidar, and some of the peo- 

 ple from Yassin, who were accompanying the Envoy sent to the Governor 

 of Gilgit. The same evening we heard of the death of the wretch Mir 

 Wall, the murderer of Hayward, he having been shot ten days previous to 

 our arrival. The following statement was the account we heard : 



Hayward was killed by order of Aman-i-Mulk, ruler of Chitral, by 

 Mir Wali, the Baja of Yassin, his son-in-law, who was assisted by Bah- 

 mat, his prime minister or Yizier, and Muhammad Eafi' Nabi Beg, foster- 

 brother to the Mir. Nabi Beg's mother having, from the death of his own 

 mother, brought up Mir Wali from the cradle. The unhappy traveller was 

 murdered just outside the village of Darkot, a march beyond Yassin towards 

 the Pamir Steepe. When Mir Wali obtained Hayward's loot or property, 

 he fled to Badakshan with it, and asked the assistance of the Duranis of 

 Kabul, to recover his country from Phailwan, his younger brother, who had 

 been given the throne of Yassin on his flight to Badakhshan. Mir Wali stated 

 he fled, because he fancied Aman-i-Mulk wished to get him into trouble with 

 the Kashmir authorities. 



About two months ago (May 1875), Mir Wali, still with the Duranis, 

 finding that Aman-i-Mulk retained a bad feeling against him (for not giv- 

 ing him a part of the spoil) and would not return him his country of Yas- 

 sin, sent his wife, Aman-i-Mulk's daughter, and her little son five years 

 old, to him, to Chitral, saying, " If you will not make friends with me, at 

 least do something for your own daughter and her son, let him have Yassin ; 

 if not, I will get Durani help and bring a force against you." 



Aman-i-Mulk, Kaja of Tatial, as that part of Chitral round the Fort 

 is called, being uneasy at these threats, determined to throw himself into the 

 hands of the Duranis, with whom he had been lately far from friendly, be- 

 cause they had been trying to take some small forts from him,* so he sent 

 Phailwan to Takhtpul near Balkh, to the Durani Governor of Turkistan, 

 with a message, saying " I will salam to you, give you my daughter in mar- 

 riage and all my wealth, if you will turn Mir Wali out of Badakhshan." The 

 Duranis had on Mir Wali's first flying to them demanded of Aman-i-Mulk 

 his restitution to Yassin, but now on Aman-i-Mulk's overtures, turned 

 against Mir Wali and ordered him out of their territories. Mir Wali had, since 

 * These forts are situated on the south slopes of the Hindu-Kush, on the confines 

 of the Bashgali or Kafir country, which shows that Kabul is trying to extend her rule 

 beyond Badakhshan into Chitral by the Dorah Pass from Zebak. 



M 



