564 Some Remarks on the Origin of the Afghan people. [No. 6. 



The descendants of the former are still styled Ban-i-Hasham, whilst 

 those of the latter are known as the Ban-i-Oraeyah, from Omeyah 

 the celebrated son of Abd-ul-Shams, and thus the father's name has 

 been dropped altogether. la the same manner, Malik Abdal having 

 acquired a great name for his bravery, equity, and generosity, and 

 surpassed many of his predecessors in grandeur and dignity, his name 

 has been handed down to us, whilst the very remembrance of those 

 of little or no celebrity, is now altogether lost in oblivion. This 

 is the great cause of the confusion which often takes place in the 

 geneological histories of different tribes and people, and hence the 

 reason why Malik Abdal has been called the son or grandson of 

 Sharkabun. 



Malik Abdal thus became chief of the Afghanah — Sarbans, Ghar- 

 ghashts, and Tabrins. During his reign the people began to pay 

 attention to agriculture, and the lands about Kaseghar were brought 

 under cultivation. Abdal, who was famed for his bravery, followed 

 in the path of his ancestors by making war on the people of 

 the surrounding parts, in the plundering of whose property his 

 followers acquired great wealth. A number of the infidels who 

 dwelt in the vicinity of the Kaseghar district, was also at this time 

 converted to the Muhammadan faith. At length the Afghans having 

 no infidels to plunder, and insufficient land to yield them a subsist- 

 ence, began to take service under the Ghaznivid Sultans, from 

 whom they obtained the district of Bagrain, now known as Pesh'- 

 awer, as a feudal fief.* Of the countries to the north, such as Suwat, 



* The account contained in the OOs* J | ^jc^j (Gardens of Friendship) by 

 Mahabbat Khan differs in some respects from the preceding narration. He says, 

 44 up to the time of the Prophet of Islam, the descendants of Afghanah dwelt in 

 the Salman mountains, at which period Kais was their chief. He subsequently 

 went to Arabia to do homage to Muhammad, taking with him eleven persons of his 

 tribe, who with himself became converts to the new faith. 



*' He returned to his native land, but in the following year he again returned to 

 Arabia with seventy of his tribe, and joined the followers of Muhammad a short 

 time previous to his attack on Mekka, in which affair, and the subsequent opera- 

 tions, Kais behaved so well, that the title of Abd-ur-Rashid was conferred on him, 

 and he soon after returned to his home. 



" After the death of Muhammad, Kais Abd-ur-Rashid, with a number of his 

 people followed the two succeeding Khalifs in their wars ; and when the Khalif 



