The Afridi is the most important tribe of all on the Panjab frontier. Their country is about 80 miles long, and, on the average, 8 miles in breadth, and mountainous throughout. One or two thou sand of them are serving as soldiers in the Bengal army and Panjab Irregular Force. The Afridi in appearance are fine, tall, athletic highlanders, whose springy step, even in traversing the dusty streets of Peshawar, at once mark their mountain origin. They are lean but muscular, with long gaunt faces, high noses and cheek-bones, with fair complexions; they are brave and hardy, and make good soldiers, but are subject to home-sickness. They are care ful shots and good skirmishers, but their speciality is hill fighting. Lieutenant-Colonel Edwardes, de tailing the occurrences in the Peshawur district during the Mutiny, mentions as an instance of the strange things that happened in those days, that one morning 500 Afridi of the Malik Din Khel (who were in disgraceand under blockade) marched from the hills into the cantonment, armed to the teeth, and said they had come to fight for the British and be forgiven. He accepted them at once, and they repulsed the first assault of the 51st Bengal N.I. when it rose, and then formed the nucleus of one of the Panjab regiments.
The Afridi round the Kohat pass are carriers and traders, and cut and sell firewood. They occupy the mountains in summer, living in move able mat huts ; but, as winter draws near, they descend to the Khaibar, Bazar, Kajurai, Bagiara, and Lower Bara districts, and the low valleys and hills bordering on the west of the Peshawur basin, in order to avoid the snows of Maidan, which is 7500 or 8000 feet above the sea ; Dwatawi and Tordara being about 6000 feet. None of the Afridi clans are found west of the Safed Koh or Rajgal ranges. They have the command of the Khaibar and Kohat roads. The Adam Khel Afridi are located in the hills and glens westward of Jalala Sar ; and in the glens on each side of the defile leading from the Peshawur valley to Kohat, it holds the entire pass in its grasp. They are permanent residents in villages, strengthened by towers, possess many camels, and are large carriers of salt.
The Adam Khel Afridi is their largest and most powerful clan, has always been quite independent, and has never acknowledged any authority. Their possession of the Kohat and Jawaki passes have given them great importance. They are separated from the great body of the Afridi. Their sections are the Gali, Jawaki, Hasn, and Asha Khel, who can muster 4540 fighting men.
The Hasn Khel, of the Adam Khel Afridi tribe, are in two great sections, the Akhorwal or Tatar and the Janakhori, and can muster 1900 fighting men from their five villages. After the punish
ment of the Bori in 1853, they submitted ; they subsequently gave annoyance, and again, in 1867, tendered submission.
The Jawaki Afridi live in 22 villages in the hills to the east of the Kohat pass, and from time to time, up to the year 1878, have given great trouble to the British. They have, according to Major Cavagnari, 18 khel, according to. Major Coke 7 khel, with about 1000 fighting men. They are almost the sole wood carriers of .Kohat ; they possess many camels. Their importance is increased by the circumstance of their holding the Jawaki pass, for which they, get Rs. 2000.
In 1853, after the assassination of Colonel Mackeson, an expedition was sent against the village of the Bori section, 33 miles N.E. of Kohat. The force was 1532 strong, under Brigadier Boileau, and that village was destroyed, with a loss of eight killed and twenty-nine wounded on the British side.
The Kambar Khel, in the Maidan of Tira, have two divisions, with ten subdivisions. The Kamr Khel are mostly scattered about the hills south of the Dwatawi pass to Tira Maidan.
The three sections of the Malik Din Khel are in the central portions of the Tira Maidan.
The Zakha inhabit the Khaibar pass from Gar gore to Garhi Lal Beg. They are the most im portant and most powerful of all the Afridi clans, and can muster between 4000 and 5000 fighting men, and have eight subdivisions, viz. Bari, Khas rozai, Mohib, Paendah, Pakhai, Zaodin, Nasr-u Din, and Shan. They move in summer to Maidan and Bara, and in winter dwell in the caves and hamlets Of Bazar and Khaibar. The Kiu Khel have their summer quarters in Bar Bara and Tor dara, and winter in the caves of Kapirai, and to the mouth of the Khaibar.
. The Ashu Khel are located to the south of Fort Mackeson, on the first range of hills, and in the Uchalgada valley. They live in five villages, and can muster 700 matchlocks.
The Afridi of Janakhwar are the best of the Afridi, bold and intrepid in action.
The Aka Khel are in the dreary hills to the S.W. of Peshawur, from the Bara river to near Akhor, going to Tira in summer, in winter living in caves. They are of a reddish-white colour, with strong physique; and are notorious for theft and robbery.
The Sipah section of the Afridi have three clans,—the• Abu Bakr, Hormaz, and Landi Khel, and can muster about 1500 fighting men. They have nine villages in Bara, between the Kann' and Zakha Khels, but separated from the Zakha by the long range of the Surghar hills. They winter in the caves of Kajurai, near Gandao and Mehmani.