1854.] Some Bemarlcs on the Origin of the Afghan people. 583 



and passed his life in struggling against the oppressive power of 

 that monarch. The following verse from a poem written during his 

 confinement in the fortress of Grwalior by the Emperor, is cha- 

 racteristic of the man. 



Cheer up then heart ! I have by me, 



A healing balm for every throe — 

 That Khushhal Khan's an Afghan true, 



Aurengzeb's mortal foe.* 



Khushhal was also author of a History of the Afghans, which 

 work is now very rarely obtainable, and of a translation of Pilpay's 

 Fables (the Anwari Soheli of the Persian) entitled iE-yar Danish, 

 or the " Touchstone of Wisdom. He also wrote a small volume on 

 the forms of prayer, and other religious matters. 



The poems of Ahmed Shah, Abdali, the great founder of the 

 Durani monarchy, and conqueror of the Murathi host at Paniput, 

 are principally in an amorous and metaphysical strain, and contain 

 a number of difficult Arabic words. His poetry is highly esteem- 

 ed, perhaps more so, than its merit demands. 



The next author to be noticed is Mulla Abd-ul-Hamid who 

 flourished in the time of Timur the son and successor of Ahmed 

 Shah. His odes which are mostly of an amorous or moral tendency 

 contain many fine sentiments. He is the Shaik Saadi of the Pushto, 

 and I must say, that I prefer his works to any of the others. His 

 works are entitled, Dur-wo-Marjan — Pearls and Corals. 



Puttih Khan, Tusufzoe,t surnamed Mirza, the next poet in point 

 of popularity was a Sufi, and his works are a mass of mysticisms. 

 He served in the wars of Aurengzeb in Gruzerat and the Dekkan 

 in 1G86 and the following years. J 



Kasim Ali Khan of the notorious tribe of Afridi, is the author 

 of a Dewan, but his odes also bear the stamp of mysticism. He 

 was born at Purakabad in India, in the time of JNowab Muzaffar Jung, 



* I regret that want of space will not allow rae to give the poem entire. 



f Some say he was of the family of Bazid (Biiyizid) Ansa i, the founder of the 

 Roshnian sect, called Pir Tarek or Saint of Darkness, by Akhund Darweza. 



X I have in my possession the copy of his works which belonged to the Hou'ble 

 Mr. Elphinstone. 



