394: ON THE ROSHENIAH SECT 



each watered by its own stream, Bajdwer, which contains eight extensive 

 valhes, of: which, Rod, the largest, is nearly forty miles in length, is reck- 

 oned: still larger than Sewdd, but is only partially possessed by the Xusef- 

 %a ; many districts being occupied by the Mahmajid, Sdpi, Shinwdri and 

 Tarcaldni tribes. Banker is about forty miles in length, and nearly the 

 same in breadth. The extent of these districts, however, is not accurately 

 known. Panj-kofa contains six vallies or glens, each of which is about 

 twenty miles in length ; and the district is roughly estimated at about fifty 

 xniles in length, and about thirty-five in breadth. Dude'r is about forty 

 miles in length, and not much inferior in breadths The original seal 

 of the Tusefzei was between Cdbul and Ghazni ; but deserting this 

 district^ m the time of Mirza Ulugh Beg, they conquered their pre- 

 sent possessions from the native princes or Sultans, who boasted to 

 be descended from Segander Zulkarnein ; as many persons in that 

 country still do, and produce in. confirmation of this tradition, their 

 genealogical tables. These persons form a particular tribe, named 

 Secanderi, but nevertheless affect to be of Arabic origin. The countries 

 possessed by the Tusefzei are in gener.ial well cultivated, and the tribe is 

 very numerous. They have never yielded more than a. nominal obedience, 

 to any sovereign; but being divided into a number of distinct clans, with- 

 out any general head, they are much less formidable, than they would 

 otherwise be, to their neighbours. 



A 



The origin of the quarrel between Sheikh Omar and the Tusefzei^, 

 who had long been strenuous partizans of his sect, is not clearly explained ; 

 but he is asserted to have provoked them by some depredations. The 

 warriors of Tusefzei, however, quickly collected in a body, and assailed 

 Sheikh Omar and his party, so sharply, at Bara, on the banks of the 



