They are supposed to be descendants of the mountaineers, whose chief Ambiances sent ambas sadors with presents to Alexander. In the time of Mahmud they inhabited the Salt Range or Jhow mountains between the Indus and the Behut (Hydaspes). Baber names them Gakar ; but it is also written Ghaka and Kakha. At an early period of history, old writers tell us that they were given to infanticide and polyandry.. It was a custom, says Ferishta, 'as soon as a female child was born, to carry her to the market place, and there proclaim aloud, holding the child in one hand and a knife in the other, that any one wanting a wife might have her ; otherwise she was immolated.' By this means they had more men than women, which 'occasioned the custom of several husbands to one wife. When any one husband visited her, she set up a mark at the door, which, being observed by the others, they withdrew till the signal was removed.
The Dhund, Tanaoli, Kurral, and Gakkar tribes are known only by their tribal names, without any common appellation ; they live north of the Salt Range. They are described by Mr.' Campbell as the finest and handsomest men in India, perhaps in the world. They profess Muhammadanism, and have fanciful Muhammadan genealogies, but are wholly Indian in their lan guage, manners, habits, and constitutions. Their language is Panjabi. They have no connection with the Pathan races, and they claim none with the Jat and NI:Alt, the Dilzak alone claiming to be of Hindi origin. Their features won ttl seem to show that they have kindred with the Kishmiri, or with the pre-Hindu congeners of thd earlier Indians found in the hills far west, but their language and character, dress, and the architecture of their houses, would indicate that they are nearly allied to the Panjabi.
Peshawur, in the Panjab, is the name of a pro •ince, a district, a city, and military cantonment. It is British territory, in India proper. The city is in lat. 34° 1' N., and long. 71° 37' E., and 1200 feet above the sea. The district lies between lat. 50' to 34° 30' N., and long. 30' to 50' E. The cantonment in 1868 had 21,720 inhabit ants ; the city, 60,974 ; while that of the district was 523,152, principally various tribes of Afghans, with Paracha, Khojah, Tajak, Karshiniri, and Brah mans, giving souls to the square mile, the chief races as under : Europeans, . . . 3,375 Orakzai, . . . . 153 Eurasians, 15 Waziri, . . . . 105 Americans, 17 Lohani, . . . . 157 Syuds, 10,498 Laghari Balucla, . 107 . . . 21,426 Bhoti, 572 Yusnfzai, . . . 82,170 Jat, 629
Khatak, . . . . 4,735 Gujar, 10,384 h1ohmand, . . . 28,043 Pamel', . . 4,135 Khalil, . . . 17,699 Kashmiri, . . 12,236 Dundzai, . . . 15,311 Khojah, . . . . 596 Muhammadzal, . 22,089 Brahman, . . . 2,186 Kamalzai, . . . 107 Khaki, . . . . 6,398 Sacluzai 276 Bania, 3,444 Popalzai, . . 259 Arora, 11,957 Awan, 9,584 Sud, 604 Hindki, . . . . 15,824 Parsee, 30 Shikarpuria, etc., . 7,000 The tribes on the Peshawur and Kohat borders are in two political factions,—the Gar and the SamaL The tribes who are of the Gar faction arc the Abdul-Aziz, Adam, Afridi, Akhel, Alikhcl, Bazoti, Firoz, Kambar, Kuki, Mann, Masuzai, Sipah, Turi, Ustura, Utman. The Samal faction are the Afridi, Aka, Ali-Sherzai, Bar-Muhammad, Kamr, Khadarzai, Malik Din, Mishti, Mamazai, Orakzai, Rabin, Shekhan, Sipah, Soda, Waziri, Zaimusht, and Zakha. The factions arose two hundred years ago, in the quarrels of two Hindu brothers.
Peshawur is said to be a corruption from Fur shawur. Major James thinks it means the seat of Purrus or Porus, the name of a king or dynasty, as similarly Lahawar means the seat of Lava.
The Peshawur valley is at the extreme north of the Trans-Indus territory. On its north are the hills of the Molimands, Utman Khel, Swat, Buner, and the Mahaban tribes. It is bounded on the E. by the Indus, S. by the Khatak and Afridi hills, and IV. by the Khaibar mountains. Its area is 1928 square miles; the valley is closed on the N.W. and S. by a more or less continuous range of high hills. To the east for about 20 miles is a gap occupied by the plain of Chach. 'The northern boundary is a continuous range of hills extending in an arc from the Indus, opposite Torbela to the Swat river, where it debouches on the plains at Abazai Fort. The highest points in this range are Mahaban, 7471 feet, Tatars, 6862 feet, Mulagarh, 7060 feet. Its N.E. is inhabited by Yusufzai ; the Khatak, Khalil, Mohmand, and Daudzai occupy districts with these names ; the Muhammadzai and Miana inhabit Hashtnuggur, and Lunkhor has the Khatak and Utman Khel ; while many tribes are in Doaba and Khalsa. It is highly fertile and well peopled. Its rivers are the Indus, the Swat river, the Kabul river, which divides into streams. The Yusufzai have the best climate and are the finest people. In this district Lieutenant-Colonel Mackeson was wounded on the 10th September 1853. Major Adams, wounded on the 15th January 1865, died on the 26th of that month, and on the 3d October 1865 Lieu tenant Ornmaney was killed.