1845.] An account of the Early Abdalees. 449 



Tareen, the son of Sharkhboon (alias Sharafudeen,) the son of Sur- 

 bannee, the son of Kais (Kish Abdu Rasheed, and Pathan) is said to have 

 had three sons ; one, whose complexion was dark, he called Tor (black,) 

 another, whose complexion was fair, he named 'Speen (white,) and the 

 third, he called Abdal. 



Abdal, pronounced Oudle by the Toran Ghiljyes, is the title of a 

 grade of Fakeers, vide Hasan Abdal, whose shrine is in Putwar (the 

 country between the Indus and Jhelum) in the Panjab. The other 

 degrees being Ghous, Kutb, and Majzoob, or Kalandar. 



Tor had four sons, Malmoonee, Gundaree, Sekee and Baboo, and some 

 say also a daughter, Kakee. 



Malmoonee had two sons, Haroon and Alee. 



'Speen, the son of Tareen, had four sons, Dur, (Duver, Dabar) Sule- 

 man-lagh, Tarn and Opchee, (Adhami). 



Tor and 'Speen were of one mother, and Abdal of a separate one. 



When Tareen was well advanced in years, Tor and 'Speen had grown 

 up, but Abdal was still a boy. One of Tareen's wives one day observed 

 to him, that he had got old, and it was better that during his lifetime he 

 should nominate as his successor in the chiefship his most promising 

 son, and himself seek retirement, and pass his time in the service of God. 



Of this, Tareen approved. Tor and 'Speen each hoped the lot would 

 fall on him, and their mother's wishes were for Tor, her first-born. 

 'Speen was annoyed at this prospect, expressed his annoyance, and ad- 

 vanced his own claims. The mother of Abdal with great humility and 

 modesty brought forward her son's claims, which were, that notwith- 

 standing his youth he possessed more noble qualities than either of his 

 brothers. Tor and 'Speen were both annoyed at this, and said, " Our 

 young brother is no more fit to rule than our old father." One day a 

 holy Sayad who had given up the world arrived, and Tareen referred 

 the choice to him, saying himself that he had a foreboding that Abdal 

 would be chosen. The Sayad after being some time absorbed in 

 thought raised his head, and after regarding all three, said — " The 

 third is the appointed chief; and although Tor will do everything to 

 oppose him, he shall not succeed ; 'Speen is no way entitled to 

 the chiefship." (That is, neither by primogeniture or promising 

 talents.) 



The Sayad then told Tareen to confer the Dastar (turban) on his 



youngest son, and the chiefship would remain for generations in his 



3q 



