120 GHULAM MUHAMMAD 



the Katchata the crops were that year excellent. The boy was afterwards married and 

 is said to have had four sons. Three of them were sent to the Ras of Hunza, Nagar and 

 Yasin, at their request, to reside in their respective States as beings of divine nature, 

 while one remained at Gilgit. From that time it has become a custom that the Ra's 

 lands are ploughed first by the Katchata clan, and that afterwards the other people com- 

 mence this operation. As soon as the ploughing is finished and the time to sow the seed has 

 arrived, the Ra gives a big feast to the inhabitants, who all assemble at his house and make 

 merry, with the usual dancing, singing and playing upon flutes and drums. Some flour 

 is then rubbed on a Katchata's face, and his long locks are let loose. Moreover, he is 

 made to bellow and go like an ox in front of all the party towards the Ra's fields, where 

 some food is given him by the Ra. This he catches and eats like a beast. Next begins 

 the sowing operation by the Katchata's putting some handfuls of seed in the Ra's skirt, 

 who mixing with it a small amount of gold dust, scatters it with his own hands in one of 

 the fields. The rest of the seed is scattered by the Katchata, and then by all the other 

 people in their fields. On this day, which is called " Chili, " the Katchata receives from 

 the Ra a reward of one maund of flour, 5 seers of ghi, one turban and one cloak. 



The Murder of Wazir Thusho. 

 There lived a wealthy and influential man named Thusho at Gulapur in the 

 Punyal District, during the time of Badshah, who was the ruler of Yasin. He had made 

 for himself a golden plough, and used to keep many hidden treasures in safe places in the 

 adjacent nullahs. These are said to be still buried, but the places are unknown. Badshah, 

 the Mehtar of Yasin, once sent him a khillat. When the messengers reached Gulapur, 

 Thusho was ploughing in a field on the side of the Yasin road. The men, who did not know 

 Thusho asked him the whereabouts of the house of Wazir Thusho. He pointed out his own 

 house to them, showing them a round-about way to it, while he himself went there direct by 

 a short cut and arrived before them. In the interval he changed his clothes and then met 

 the messengers, who presented him with the khillat. On receiving this, Thusho salaamed to- 

 wards his fort called " Boori Thoki." (Its ruins are still found at Gulapur.) By so doing 

 he meant that his fort was so strong that the Mehtars of Yasin sent him presents. The 

 messengers were soon dismissed by him, and they related this story to their chief on their 

 return to Yasin. The chief was much angered by Thusho's bearing, and advanced against 

 him with a large force. Thusho sent out his younger brother, Khushhal Beg, to check his 

 advance, but he had already reached Gulapur. In the fighting which ensued, Khushhal Beg 

 cut his way through the opposite forces and came face to face with Badshah, who made 

 three cuts with a sword at Khushhal Beg, which the latter dexterously parried with his 

 shield, and cried out that it was now his turn of attack. The Mehtar enquired as to which 

 of them was after all to turn tail, to which Khushhal Beg made reply that Badshah was a 

 king of hawks, Khushhal Beg of fowls only, and that he must at last give away. 

 The fighting was then stopped, and the Mehtar being considered victorious, returned to 

 Yasin. Thusho was very angry that his brother Khushhal Beg had not killed Badshah 

 when such a favourable opportunity offered itself; so he made him a prisoner in the fort of 

 Chatur Khan in Ishkoman. Hearing this news, Badshah again led his forces against 



