934 



KINGDOM OF HERAT. — BELOOCHISTAN. 



Singh, chief of Lahore, who died 1839, seized Cashmere, Moultan, and other districts, the 

 Khans of Balkh and Beloochistan, and the princes of Sindh have taken this opportunity to se- 

 cure their independence ; and one branch of the royal family has erected an independent throne 

 at Herat. An English Indian army has lately entered Candahar and Cabul, and the tompany 

 seem determined to add these regions to their overgrown empire. 



CHAPTER CXLVI. KINGDOM OF HERAT. 



1 . Boundaries. The kingdom of Herat is bounded north by Turkistan ; south and east bv 

 Cabul, and west by Persia. It lies between 33° and 36° N. lat. and 60° and 67° E. long., 

 having an area of 66,000 square miles, and a population of 1,500,000. It is an elevated ta- 

 ble-land, intersected by lofty mountains, and inhabited by Afghans, and some tribes of Tur- 

 comans. 



2. Towns. Herat, the capital, is a large and strongly fortified town, situated in a populous 

 and highly cultivated valley. It is the centre of a great commerce, and its manufactures are 

 numerous and flourishing ; the celebrated Khorasan sabres are made here. Population, 

 100,000. Bamiam, a small city, is chiefly remarkable for the immense number of excava- 

 tions in the rocks in its vicinity ; they are said to amount to 12,000 ; here are also 2 colossal 

 statues, 50 cubits high. The people, and their manners, customs, and condition, do not difier 

 from those of Afghanistan, from which Herat is only recently and politically detached. 



CHAPTER CXLVII. BELOOCHISTAN. 



1. Bounuaries., «&c. This country, which is occupied by confederated tribes of Beloochis, 

 .s bounded north by Cabul and Persia ; east by the country of the Seiks and Sindh ; south by 

 the Arabian Sea, and west by Persia. It lies between lat. 25° and 30° N., and between long. 

 58° and 69° E., having an area of 140,000 square miles, and 2,000,000 inhabitants. It is 

 traversed by the Sollman Mountains, and a considerable part of the country is a vast desert. 

 The rivers are small, and mostly dry up in the hot seasons. 



2. Divisions and Towns. The Beloochis resemble the Afghans in their mode of life, and 

 there are few considerable towns. The several tribes of the confederacy are governed by their 

 own chiefs or serdars, but they recognise the supremacy of the serdar of Kelat. Kelat, a 

 town of about 20,000 inhabitants, is situated upon a high table-land, in a well cultivated dis- 

 trict ; the climate, owing to the elevation, is cold. It has some commerce, and its bazars are 

 large. Gundava is the residence of the serdar in winter ; it has about 16,000 inhabitants, and 

 is well built. 



This country, the Gedrosia of the ancients, is often described under the name of Mekran, 

 as a province of Persia ; but it has no connexion with that State, and besides Mekran, it in- 

 cludes Cutch, Gundava, Lus, Sarwan, Jhalawan, and other districts. 



3. Inhabitants. The inhabitants of these provinces are, with few exceptions, wandering in 

 their habits of life, there being few towns or even considerable villages. The Beloochis and 

 the Brahooes, as far as is known, constitute the bulk of the population. The Beloochis are 

 brave, hospitable, honorable robbers, esteeming theft disgraceful, but making chepaos or preda- 

 tory excursions to a great distance to burn villages, carry off slaves, and plunder. Their man- 

 ners are pastoral ; they live in ghedans or tents, made of black felt or coarse blankets, stretch- 

 ed over a frame of wicker-work. Like other pastoral nations, they are indolent and fond of 

 hunting ; unless occupied by some favorite amusement, they will spend whole days in lounging 

 from one ghedan to another, smoking and gambling. They have commonly two wives, and 

 sometimes more. They treat their women with attention and respect, and are not so scrupu- 

 lous about their being seen as most Mahometans. Their language nearly resembles the modern 

 Persian, and is of kindred origin. The Beloochis are Sunnltes. 



Living with them, but quite distinct from them in most points, are the Brahooes, who are 

 mild, inoflensive, quiet, and industrious ; not less hospitable, nor less faithful in adhering to 

 their promises, but less addicted to revenge, cruelty, and avarice. They are, perhaps, the abo- 

 rigines ; they lead a pastoral life, roaming from one part of the country to another, according 

 to the season, and also changing thf^ir places of abode in quest o' pasturage. Some of them 



