1857.] Account of the Loiver DerAjat. 179 



call the mountainous tract of table-land lying between Kandahar, 

 Ghuzni, and Kabul on the west, and the Siiiiman mountains on the 

 east ; and from the range of Spin Ghar or Sufaid Koh on the north, to 

 the frontier of Upper Sindh (as at present constituted,) to the south, 

 by the name of Eoh ; and its inhabitants, not including the Beluch 

 tribes inhabiting the southern portion, were hence known as 

 Rohilahs. The whole of the Afghan tribes on this account have 

 often been, and are still sometimes called, even by themselves, but 

 erroneously so, by this name. 



The present rough sketch, however, chiefly refers to that tract of 

 country which lies between the highest peak of the Suliman range, 

 called the Takht or throne of Siiiiman (around which the Afghans 

 first settled on their immigration from the west) and the frontier 

 of Upper Sindh ; and embracing within its limits the offshoots from 

 the Suliman range, as far as the districts of Derah Ismaaeil Khan, 

 and Dera Ghazi Khan, and the eastern portion of Siwistan west, 

 which, as I have already remarked, is for the most part, particularly 

 the southern half of it, peopled by Beluchis who have given, and 

 may still give, great annoyance to the authorities. In fact, it has 

 ever been their bugbear, as being the Alsatia of the Derajat and 

 the western districts of the Panjab. 



To watch the passes leading out of these fastnesses, a line of Mi- 

 litary posts, consisting of both Infantry and Cavalry, with Artillery 

 here and there, have been established, and which are furnished from 

 the Punjab Irregular Force exclusively ; but although the different 

 patrols are constantly on the move from one station to another, yet 

 these fierce mountaineers, the Gael of the Panjab, manage to pass 

 the line of posts, which, to be effective, are too far apart, and 

 often 'succeed in carrying off the cattle and flocks of their more 

 peaceful brethren of the plain, as well as those of the Jatts and 

 Hindus, who, possessing the best lands in the district, have more to 

 attract the freebooters. These raids are constantly attended with 

 blood-shed and loss of life on both sides. 



Before proceeding to describe this mountainous country, it will 

 perhaps be better to give a short sketch of the principal features of 

 the Derajat, and more particularly of the Dera Ghazi Khan dis- 

 trict, with which I am best acquainted from having been once locat- 



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