DAURANI, a tribe, or nation, inhabiting the tract of country, about 400 miles long, through which runs the road between Herat and Kan dahar. Its breadth in the N.W. is about 80 miles, and in the S.E. 150 miles. Their 'country is bounded on the north by the Paropamisan mountains, inhabited by the Aimak and Hazara ; on the west and S.W. is Seistaii and desert of sand, the cleSert Separating it from Baluchistan ; on the smith are Shorawak and the hills of Khajah Amrat, which separate it from the Tarin and the Kakars, and oh the east they join the Ghilzai. The chain of Khajah Amran, though not a mountain of the first rank, is high enough to bear snow for three months, and to be cold all the year. It is chiefly inhabited by shepherds, who belong to the Achakzai clan of the Daurani. They were formerly called the Abdali, till Ahmad Shah, in consequence of a dream of the famous saint at Chumkani, changed it to Daurani, and took himself the title of Shah Dur -i-Dauran. Some accounts describe the mottntains of Toba as their most hncient abode. More numerous traditions represent them as having descended into the plains of Khorasan from the mountains of Ghor, which belong to the Paropamisan group, but leave it uncertain whether that tract was their original seat, and by what causes their emigration was occasioned.
This tribe is divided into two great branches, Zeeruk and Panjpa ; but these divisions are now only of use to distinguish the descent of the different dans. That of Zeeruk is reckoned by far the most honourable. From those branches spring nine clans, of which four belong to Zeeruk, and five to Pfinjpa :—Zeeruk—Popalzai, Alikuzai, Barakzai, Atchakzai. Punka—Nurzai, Alizai, Ishakzai, Khugiani.
The whole population of the country number about 600,000, of whom the Daurani are about one-half. They are largely pastoral. The better sort have their lands cultivated by hired labourers, Buzgar, or slaves, but ofteu put their hand to necessary work. The poorer Daurani are often Buzur, but seldom labourers, these being chiefly Tajak and Afghan IIamsaya. The pastoral tribes dwell in kishdi or black tents, 20 to 25 feet long, and 10 or 12 broad, price about i4.