118 CtHULAM MUHAMMAD 



soul. They agreed to lend a helping hand to Shamsher and to raise the subjects secretly 

 against their merciless chief. On finding. that the majority of the people had joined him, 

 Shamsher fixed a date for accomplishing the deed by burning a large fire late at night 

 round the fort of Shri Badat. A few days before the appointed day, he sent down 

 Sakina to her father with instructions to keep the secret, while he himself went down to 

 Danyore village to make his preparations. At about 3 a.m. on the night appointed 

 for the purpose, all the people turned out of their homes with torches in their hands 

 and a quantity of wood. Shri Badat's fort was situated about 200 yards east of. the 

 present Gilgit polo-ground on the site of the houses of the Bairai family. The people- 

 were still some way from the fort when Shri Badat's spirit began to feel uneasy. He 

 therefore asked his daughter to go out and see what was the cause of his restlessness. 

 This undutiful and faithless woman, who had a perfect knowledge of the conspiracy, 

 went out and returned after some delay, in order to let the people come closer, and said 

 that there was nothing to be feared outside the fort. But Shri Badat's increasing 

 uneasiness brought him out of his room. He found himself in a very awkward position, 

 having by this time been surrounded by the enemy, who had succeeded in planting large 

 fires round the fort. In this predicament he had no time to consider the necessity of 

 punishing his wicked daughter, but at once jumped up in the air and took wing 

 towards Chotur Khan, a snowy tract in the Ishkoman Valley. He is said to have rested 

 at Yashpur (a deserted village near about 12 miles west of Gilgit) Hinzil, where he 

 requested somebody to bring him a cup of cold water. The village had a plentiful 

 produce of grapes, and the inhabitants used to make wine from them. The man there- 

 fore brought out a cup of wine to Shri Badat, who refused, saying angrily that, seeing 

 that he had come there after having escaped from a fire which had done great injury 

 to his soul, it was improper for he man to give him wine instead of cold water, 

 which was what he had asked for. But none would bring him water, and, being thus 

 dissatisfied with the treatment of the villagers, he cursed the place, saying that it 

 would be totally ruined and laid waste, so as to produce no grapes again. It 

 happened in the following year that the glacier, which afforded a supply of water for 

 the village melted away, thus effectually destroying the village cultivation forever. 

 From Yashpur Shri Badat went to Chotur Khan and hid himself there under a big 

 glacier, where he is still said to have his abode. The people have a firm belief that he 

 will re appear at Gilgit to renew his rule over them with redoubled fury. Being afraid 

 of his regaining the kingdom, the people are in the habit of burning big fires in 

 their homes throughout the night of the anniversary in November on which Shri. 

 Badat was driven from Gilgit, in order to keep away his ghost if it return. On this 

 night no one ventures to sleep, but to while away the time they are in the habit of 

 dancing and singing round the big fires. This ceremony is called " Talino." There 

 is, however, a family of Kulchins (the kitchen servants of Shri Badat) who do not take 

 part in the performance of the ceremony ; for they are still loyal and faithful to their 

 master, and are still desirous of his returning to his own. This is the only family now 

 residing at Gilgit who are well-wishers of Shri Badat. It is curious that they should 

 have escaped injury at the hands of the opposite party. 



