18 
The District of Dera Ismail Khan , Trans-Indus. [No. 1, 
tribe in common; and in each, village, the fields so held are often 
scattered and distant from one another. The original theory of 
this tenure was, that there should be a periodical swop, a redistribu¬ 
tion of the land among the six nalahs every sixth year, so that each 
might be fairly treated, and every individual feel it his interest to 
defend the whole tribal land. A similar custom exists in some 
other Afghan tribes, and is probably practicable while the tribe 
retains its migratory habits, though not afterwards. The theory 
is no longer acted upon by the Gandapurs. At present, if we would 
attach a positive meaning to the word 1 daddi,’ we must do so by 
taking as our integer neither the whole land of the tribe nor the 
whole land of the nalah, but the land of each family or 1 Khel’ 
in the nalah. By marking off the lands of each Khel, a feasi¬ 
ble though difficult task, and by ascertaining the number of mem¬ 
bers in the Khel with the number of daddis held by each mem¬ 
ber, the word daddi ceases to be a mere metaphysical expression. 
This, however, is not the only difficulty in Gandapur tenure. Al¬ 
though the daddis represent ownership in commonalty not in 
severalty, each plot of land may and must have some one authoriz¬ 
ed to dispose of it. He is called the ‘ latband’ or ‘ adna rnalik,’ and 
differs from an hereditary tenant inasmuch as he has authority to 
sell. Add to these difficulties a universal system of mortgage ; 
add also the complications caused by the peculiar mode of irriga¬ 
tion, and we have in the Gandapur villages a tenure unequalled 
for confusion and complexity. Partly in consequence of this com¬ 
plexity, and partly from the perpetual quarrels of the tribe, it has 
been found necessary to bold the ‘ alaqa kham tahsil,’ Government 
taking three-tentlis and the daddidars one-tenth of the produce, 
while the remainder goes to the latband and his cultivators. 
Further to the south, beyond the Gandapur territory is Drab and, 
the country of the Mian Khels and Bakhtiaris. The great body of 
the Mian Khels are still wandering merchants, who visit India in 
the cold weather and return to Khurasan in the summer, but a por¬ 
tion of the tribe has settled down to agriculture. The chieftain of 
the Mian Khels, best known in the history of the district, was named 
’Umar Khan. He fought with the Saddozai rulers of Dera, until 
he was captured and beheaded by an act of shameless treachery. 
