The Mohntand tribe are partly British sub jects, occupying a subdivision of the Peshawur district immediately south of Peshawur. When the Mohmand tribe immigrated from the west, the ancestors of this Peshawur clan advanced and dispossessed the Dilazak, and have since had no further connection with the main body, who located themselves in the hills to the N.W. of the Peshawur valley, between the Kabul and Swat rivers. This main body are independent, and have six clans,—the Baizai, Tarakzai, Halimzai, Khwazai, Utmanzai, and Dawezai, each with many subdivisions. The strongest in fighting men is the Baizai, who are estimated to have 12,000, while the total strength has been stated at 19,700 ; and Abmad Sher gave their numbers at 35,000, but it is probable they could never bring 16,000 into the field. The Mohmand country is rugged and unfruitful, the natural resources few, and mats are the sole manufacture. Like all Pathans, they boast of Pathan honour, but it is believed that they would sell, or prostitute, or kill any one for gold. They have no literature. They do not take service in the British army so readily as the other tribes. Three of their clans are known to the British,—the Pindi Ali, the Alamzai, and the Michni Mohmand. The last of these, the Michni Mohmand, after annexation, were allowed to hold from the British Government a fief or jaghir in Doaba, the fertile triangle near the junction of the Swat and Kabul rivers, of which they collected the revenue. A portion of the lands they them selves cultivated, and farmed out the remainder to other tribes of the plains as tenants. Many of their clansmen dwelt in the neighbouring hills, and others traded in the Peshawur valley The Alamzai Mohmand, whose headquarters are at Gandao in the hills, also held a fief of Panjao, in British Doaba, chiefly cultivated by tenants. A few of their clan lived on the plains, but the majority in the hills.
The Pindi All inhabit a very strong locality in the hills ; at a former period, prior to British rule, they had held a similar jaghir in Doaba, which, like other fiefs, had been granted by preceding Go vernments as black-mail, to buy off depredation. They belong to the Isa Khel and Barhan Khel subdivisions of the Tarakzai clan. They were the worst behaved of all the Mohmands, and for eleven years after the British occupation of the Pan jab, they worried the British border. They could muster about 2000 fighting men. For the first eight years, the Mohmands gave more trouble than any other of the Peshawur border tribes. In December 1850, they made an inroad on the village of Shabkadr ; in March, August, and October 1851, the Mani Mohmands were aggressors ; and on the 25th October, a force, under Sir Colin Campbell, was sent against them, and was vari ously engaged till the middle of December, by which time a fort had been erected to hold them in check, and the force returned to cantonments. In the following July (1852) the Michni and Panjao Mohmands, having been exiled from house and lands, and cut off from trade and all elminunication with the plains, tendered their submission, and their fiefs were restored. In the autumn of 1854, the Michni Mohmands again misbehaved, and in September Colonel Boileau a form against them, and destroyed some of the villages, which fired on the troops as they moved along the open ground. They continued to misbehave, and made eighty - three raids and attacks on British territory between 1855 and 1860 ; but they at length submitted to Lieutenant Colonel Edwardes, whohad written to Saadat Khan t test ho desired the honour and welfare and strength of himself and family. From that time until the Ambela expedition of 1853, the Mohmands ab t.tained from troubling the border. But Sultan Khan, son of Saadat Khan, then collected about 3 13 000 Mohmand, Safi, and ajawari, and they were met at Shabkadr by Captain Earle with 55 of the 6th Bengal Cavalry and 100 Native Infantry. Lieutenant Bishop charged and fell, but the enemy lost about 28 killed and wounded, and retired to Ragmlena and Gandao. But by the 1st January 1864, Sultan Muhammad had gathered around him about 4500 Mohmands, and advanced beyond Shabkadr. Here, Colonel Macdonell, C.B., met
them with 3 guns, 477 cavalry, and 1272 infantry, and defeated them with a loss of about 100 killed and wounded, and they dispersed to their homes. One of the wives of Sher Ali Khan, the Amir of Kabul, was a daughter of Saadat Khan. The Michni Mohmand murdered Lieutenant A. Bout nois, RE., near the fort of Miehni, on the 14th January 1852, and near that place Major Mac donald was murdered by them on 21st March 1873, for which there was no motive. The numbers of the fighting men the Mohmand clans could turn out have been given as 19,700, viz. the Baizai clan, 10,000 to 12,009 ; the Khwazai, 800 ; the Tarakzai, 2500 ; the 3000 ; the Ijtmanzai, 500; and the Dawezai, 900.
The Shalmani race inhabit the village of Shal man, on the Tartara hill in the Khaibar range. Elphinstone says they are originally from Kuram, were afterwards in Tira, and again in Hashtnuggur.
The Mula Guri tribe of 500 families, on the north slopes of the Tatars mountain, on the Peshawur frontier, are notorious thieves.
The Black Mountain is at the N.W. extremity of the Hazara district. It is a long narrow granite ridge of nearly uniform height, with higher peaks at intervals, and occasional deep passes. Numer ous large rocky spurs project from the sides. which are often precipitous ; the routes- to ascend the mountain being along the spurs from British territory, are those of Tanawal and Shunglai, Chats, Agror, Chajri, Barchar, Khun, and Gali. The more prominent passes and peaks are as under :— .
The view from Machai is grand. The jungle on the lower S.E. slopes consists of Berberis and Acacia modesta; at 6000 feet the Pinus longifolia and Pines Webbiana begins, Abies deodara awl oaks. The poplar and plane grow in the valleys. The Indus runs deep and rapid under the western foot of the mountain, and is there from 70 to 300 yards wide. In its course there are eleven ferries, with boats large enough to carry twenty to thirty passengers, and the natives all along cross it on inflated skins (Shine in Pushtu). The tribes of the mountain (from" N. to S.) are the Ilasanzai, Akozai, Chagharzai ; N. of Agror, on the E. face, are the Spud of Pariari and the Swati of Deshi. The Hasanzai and Akozai, the bravest, belong to the Isazai branch of the Yusufzai ; and the Chagh arzai, the most numerous, to the Malizai branch. The Hasanzai adjoin the frontier•of the Hazara districts of the Panjab. They reside on both sides of the Indus, those Cis-Indus living on the Black Mountain, and those Trans - Indus immediately opposite to it. They have ten khel or clans, who could furnish 1115 fighting men ; and the other races who are living amongst them—the Tilli, the Gujar, and craftsmen—could furnish 600 more. Every man possesses a sword and shield, and there are said to be 1100 matchlocks in their tribe. In 1851, Mr. Came and Mr. Tapp, two officers of the customs, were led into an ambus cade formed by the Hasanzai, near the Jhandrani ravine. Mr. Came parleyed with their leader, who swore that if they delivered up all their property, their lives would be safe ; but though agreed to, the Hasanzai bound the two officers, and, taking them a little off the road, cut their throats in cold blood. In December 1852, a force marched to punish the Ilasanzai. It was in three columns, under Lieutenant-Colonel Napier (now Lord Napier of Magdala), Major Abbott, and Major Davidson ; and from the 20th December to the 2d January, the British forces were engaged. The Hasanzai behaved bravely, defending their ground step by step, and gaining temporary ad vantages, but inflicting little loss on their British assailants. In August 1863, 500 or GOO Hasanzai made a raid on the Tanawal villages of Shuslii, Chumiar, Bandi, Nawashah, Jrabu, Dargarian, and Bai, burning them and carrying off some cattle. But they entered into agreements to be peaceful, and they adhered to their promises, until a section of them attacked the Oghi Thannah on the 30th July 1868. They were afterwards parties in all the Agror attacks during August, but submitted when General Wilde's force advanced up the Black Mountain.