1854.] Some Remarks on the Origin of the Afghan people. 555 



The Afghans themselves persist in their descent from the Jews, 

 and their traditions on the subject trace their ancestry to Saul, king 

 of Israel.* 



The best account I have met with on the subject, has lately fallen 

 into my hands quite unexpectedly. It is contained in a history of 

 the house of Saddo or Saddozoe tribe of the Afghans. The work 

 itself is written in 8vo. 610 pages of 17 lines to a page, and enti- 

 tled, Tazkirat-ul-rnukik. It is very rare, and I imagine there is not a 

 copy to be found east of the Indus, even if it has ever been heard of 

 before by Europeans. Two-thirds of the entire work are occupied 

 in the detail of events which have happened since the death of 

 Ahmed Shah, Abdali. The commencement alone is sufficient for 

 my present purpose ; on some future occasion I may give a transla- 

 tion of that part which terminates with the death of the founder of 

 the Dtirani monarchy. I may also add, that the work is written in 

 Pushto. The account is as follows. 



" The chief object of the author in writing this august work, was 

 the compilation of a history of the ancestors of the tribe of Saddo, 

 known as the Saddozoes, who, after the family of the last of the 

 Prophets, (on whom be the blessing of the Almighty) are the great- 

 est and best, as well as the most generous and open-hearted of the 

 children of Adam. 



" All traditions and histories agree, as to their exalted descent from 

 the Ban-i- Israel, of whom their great ancestor is Malik Talut (Saul) 

 of the tribe of Israel, who afterwards became the ruler of that peo- 

 ple. Trom Malik Talut is descended Afghan, one of the greatest 

 of God's creatures, and who in the reign of Suliman, was, by that 

 monarch, made sovereign of the Jins and Diws. 



" From Malik Afghan, Abd-ur-Eashi'd bin Kaisal-laik, who was a 

 contemporary of the prophet of God, and one of his most honoured 

 associates, is a lineal descendant. He is the ancestor of the 

 Sarbands, who are considered the first of the Afghan tribes, as also 

 of the twelve astanas or families who were formerly considered as 

 hereditary devotees. f 



* See Sir G. Rose's Afghans, the Ten Tribes and the Kings of the East, &c. 

 lately published. 



f Both Mr. Elphinstoue, (Kabul Vol. 1st page 253) and Professor Dorn, 



4 d 2 



