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



settled in those places they considered best suited to themselves. 

 Up to the time of Malik Abdal, the whole of the tribes considered 

 and obeyed him as their head and chief, but now each tribe and vil- 

 lage began to choose their own governors, and ceased to pay that 

 respect and obedience to his authority, which they formerly did ; 

 in fact they fell headlong into the slough of arrogance and pre- 

 sumption. 



Abdal was succeeded by his son Malik Eajar. This prince — a 

 second Nimrod — was passionately fond of the sports of the field, in 

 which he spent the best part of his days and nights. He was blessed 

 with four sons — (Esau, Nur, Khokai, and Makou, the first of 

 whom, a God-fearing and just personage, succeeded him in the chief- 

 tainship : the others gave name respectively to theNurzo'e, Khokari, 

 and Makou tribes. 



The remainder of the Abdalis, and other clans, which had up to 

 the present period continued to dwell in the Kaseghar district near 

 the Takht-i-Suliman, finding it too small to support so many families, 

 began, in the hot season, to migrate with their flocks, to the neigh- 

 bourhood of Kandahar, returning again to their old haunts at Kase- 

 ghar in the winter. 



Malik (Esau had three sons, Zirak, Is'hak, and Ali. On his death 

 he bequeathed the turban of authority to Zirak, his sword to Is'hak, 

 and his carpet for prayer to Ali. Erom these two latter, the Is'hak- 

 zo'e, and Alizo'e branch of the Abdalis are descended, and from them 

 is also descended the only one of the twelve astdnahs, or families 

 who are devoted to the priesthood, as already referred to. 



Zirak, who was a wise and able chief, governed his tribe with ener- 

 gy and ability. He completely rooted out the crimes of impiety, 

 adultery, and dishonesty, which appear to have been but too prevalent 

 at the period in question. 



The five tribes which have been already mentioned as the Abdali 

 clan, viz ; Is'hakzo'e, Alizo'e, Nurzo'e, Khwagani, and Makou, are 

 known as the Panjpa'o branch. 



My own opinion is that Malik Abdal was a cotemporary of Sultan 



loss. In reward for this important service, the ' Breaker of Idols,' bestowed on 

 each of the Afghans the Turki title of Khan : their former title of Malik was derived 

 from Malik Talut." Ri'az-i-Mahabbat. 



