1845. 3 An account of the early Ghiljdees. 321 



Shah Mahmood from Candahar had made one march beyond Kalat, 

 and Shah Zaman from Cabool had arrived at Aghojan ; his chief Sardar 

 Ahmed-khan Noorzye being with the advanced guard one stage ahead, 

 (at Tazu) his defection from which place to Mahmood Shah caused the 

 overthrow of Zaman Shah's power. 



This pad-shah gardush, or revolution among the Duranees, occurring 

 in the heart of the Ghilzye country, suggested to that tribe the present 

 as a favourable opportunity to declare their independence, and make an 

 attempt to establish a Ghilzye kingdom. 



Abdu Raheem-khan Hotakee was declared king, and Shahabudeen 

 his Vazeer ; his hearty co-operation being secured by the former giving 

 him his daughter Sahab Jan, (with whom when in her father's house he 

 had been in love,) the wife of the defeated Shah Zaman, and mother of 

 the princes Nasar, Kaisar and Mansoor, with all her jewels, and hand- 

 some carpets, and numerous cooking utensils. Shahabudeen-khan was 

 left to stop communication on the high roads, and Abdu Raheem-khan 

 went towards Cabool to raise the Suleman-khel. Troops were detached 

 from Cabool, and the Ghilzyes were defeated; the Ibrahim Ghilzyes 

 losing 5 or 6,000 men. Abdu Raheem-khan retired on Kalat ; and a 

 Duranee force having marched from Candahar, the Ghilzyes left their 

 strong position on the hill to meet them, (Fatteh-khan had already gone 

 over to the Duranees). The battle was fought between Jaldak and Umakai 

 on the ridge called in Persian " Tappah-i-Surkh," and in Pushtoo " Sirah 

 Ghah." The Ghilzyes were defeated; the Tokhees losing 7 or 800 men. 

 The Hotakees being chiefly horsemen, escaped comparatively unscathed. 

 Winter put an end to further hostilities. This year 1802 a. d., is still 

 remembered by the Ghilzyes as the Sal-i-Katul, or year of massacre. 

 The chiefs on the Ghiljye side were Abdu Raheem-khan Hotakee and 

 Shahabudeen-khan Tokhee ; those on the Duranee side were Abdul 

 Majud-khan Barik-zai, Saidal-khan Alako-zai, Azam-khan Popal-zai, 

 Shadee-khan Achak-zai, (Arzbegee) and Samandar-khan Bame-zai. 



In the ensuing spring Ahmed-khan Noorzye marched with a force 

 from Cabool. On his arrival at Hulan Rabak, the Jalal-zai Tokhees under 

 Mulla Zafran, a grandson of Malakhi, opposed him ; but were defeated 

 with a loss of 600 men. Ahmed-khan continued his march to Candahar, 

 and brought out a large Duranee force with guns and shaheens. This 

 time the Tokhees under Shahabudeen-khan and Fatteh-khan, kept to 



