KOHISTAN, literally hill country or highlands, and so applied to mountain tracts on the N.W. frontier of British India.
Kohistan of Aba Sin is a glen which drains into the Indus, between Gilgit and the Pathan valleys of Ghorband and Chakesar, supposed to be occu pied by a race similar to those of Gilgit, named Rauza, Yashun, Karmin, and Duman.
Kohistan, a think in Sind, a British tract in the Karachee district, is a barren hilly tract, composed of outlying hills of the Kirthar range. Its chief streams are the Ilab, Baran, and Malir. The people are nomades, Baluch, Numria, Jokia, who had long been at feud, and adhere to the vendetta. The Balueh inhabit chiefly the northern portion ; the Numria and Jokia, who are Sindi tribes, range over the central hills and the southern plains. None of the people erect any buildings more sub stantial than a mat hut, which can be put up in a couple of hours. All the tribes are great adepts at cattle-lifting.
In the Kohistan of Kabul, the people occupy partially the valleys of Ghorband, Punjir, Nijrou, Tagow, Alishang, Alighur, and the Lower Kuner. To the south-east, the Kohistan extends to the bills of Tagow, and farther away, to Lughman, the Lamghau of Baber, and so called because the tomb of Lamech, the father of Nuh or Noah, is fabled to be seen there. On a detached and com paratively low hill, a whitish streak is observed, extending from the summit to the foot of it. This is the Reg-rawan or running sand mentioned by Baber. The natives say that it runs up again, and that it is never diminished ; and that there is a cave at its foot where noises are heard. It is the scene of some romantic tales, which have been alluded to by Abul Fazl. It has been described by Burnes, Vigne, and other travellers.
In the Kohistan of the Jalandhar, the natives of Sukeyt, Mundi, and Kulu have sallow com plexions, but appear to he of the same race as the inhabitants of 13a.shahir. The men are generally tall and strong, but few of them are handsome. Many of the young women are pretty, but at the age of 20 or 25 become coarse and stout. The dress of both sexes is nearly the same. It consists of a drab-coloured woollen frock, trousers of the same or of leather, and a flat skull-cap, generally black, with sandals made of coarse grass. The women, instead of the cap, sometimes have a coloured piece of cloth tied round the head, and occasionally twist their hair into one long plait, the end of which is then ornamented of coloured cloth or shreds of worsted. The plait is by no means unbecoming to the young. The dress of the women on the western side of the Seukandir range consists of a tightly-fitting body and sleeves, with a full petticoat having a broad.
border at the bottom.
The women of Kulu and the adjoining states are inordinately fond of ornaments. These are of the usual descriptionovith the exception of mother of-pearl amulets, which both men and women use, consisting of small thin plates of mother-of-pearl of various sizes, and engraved with mystical figures. Several of these are hung around the neck, and hang conspicuously on the chest. Polyandry is said to be unknown amongst them, nor are they guilty of infanticide, but polygamy is general.
The Guddi inhabitants of the Chumba range are shorter and appear much stronger, and are certainly cleaner about their persons. They call themselves Rajputs, and say they belong to the Guddijat. They are sharp, and able to impose upon their less knowing neighbours. Most of the witch - finders are of the Chumba Guddi. When Europeans made their first appearance in the Kangra valley, these men had very slight notions of caste, and would eat or drink anything the former gave them, whereas, since their contact with the natives of the plains, they have become as bigoted as any Hindu. The Chumba Guddi may always be known by their peculiar conical caps, with lappets to turn down over the ears, like an English travelling cap. Witch-finders feign the power of discovering evil spirits, which wander over the mountains in the tangible form of witches. If a cow or any other living creature die, its death is immediately attributed to some evil eye, and a witch-finder is employed to discover it. This impostor having selected some old woman who bad no means of propitiating him by gifts, places his victim in the centre of a group, whilst all interested in the case sit around her in a circle. Ho then dances round the poor creature, and ultimately nods his head towards her, whereupon all the lookers-on do the same, which coincidence is deemed a sufficient proof of guilt. Formerly she was condemned to be burnt to death. But since that district became a British province, and these inhuman proceedings have not been allowed to take place, they declare the victim of their superstitious credulity an out-caste, and refuse her the commonest necessaries of life ; thus she is abandoned to her fate, and would probably starve to death, but for the timely gift of a goat or a sheep by some one of her relatives to the witch-finder, who forthwith fastens the guilt on some other person, in the hope of extorting a present in a similar manner from the relatives of the person last accused.