1845.] An account of the Early Abdalees. 453 



Bame lived to the age of 72 ; and had three sons, Nasrat, Basahma 

 and Kane. 



On Bame becoming aged, he neglected to nominate his successor a3 

 was the custom ; the tribe therefore assembled, and demanded the reason. 

 In reply he said, " I really do not see among my sons one worthy; but 

 if I confess this to the Tor and 'Speen Tareens, they will not allow the 

 chiefship to remain in the house of Abdal. Indeed I have heard from 

 the Tareens that they had no hope in my sons. I will therefore not 

 appoint a successor. I have also dreamt, that none of my sons will be 

 chiefs, but that a grandson, a son of Kane, will be. If on my death 

 any one of my sons be found with anything, he will get the chiefship 

 without any nomination of mine. According to the dream, so it occur- 

 red ; the sons of Bame did not agree among themselves, and there were 

 separate small chiefs called " Katkhudas,"* except in cases of blood or 

 large general tribe feuds, when they referred to Kane. He lived to the 

 age of 80 ; and had three sons, Bahlol, Zeenak and Bano. The tribe 

 was for some time much distracted in factions and petty feuds. At 

 last the chief men assembled, and decided, as there was no getting on 

 without a " Rais" or " Sardar," they would appoint Bahlol. During 

 the chiefship of Bahlol, Kane lived 12 years. 



Bahlol lived 105 years; and had two sons, Maroof and Alee-khan ; 

 (the first time the title of khan occurs). Bahlol appointed Maroof at the 

 age of 30 years, his successor. Maroof was very severe in his rule, and 

 had the curses of his tribe : on which account he did not reign more 

 than ten years, and then died of a severe complaint. His heirs in a short 

 time ran through with all the property he left. 



Two months after his death, one of his wives bare a son, by name 

 Umar. His father and mother used to visit the Isakzye and Aleezye 

 shrines for fortune for their son ; Umar had no property. When Umar 

 was about 14 years of age, the Abdalees of the hills made many sei- 

 zures of lands, and many disputes and feuds arose in the tribe in con- 

 sequence. The chiefs at last agreed to appoint Umar, who had now 

 grown up, to divide the lands, and apportion them fairly, and to be their 

 representative in all their communications with the Beglar-begee of 



* In the time of the Duranee kings when the Khans received their pay from the 

 treasury, they deducted from every horseman ( Sahir) £ rupee on account of the Kat- 

 khmla, who was an officer appointed to every 100 men to collect them when called for 

 the service of the State. 



