YUSUFZAI, an Afghan tribe on the N.W. frontier of India, partly within and in part be yond the British border. It comprises the inde pendent districts of Swat and Buner to the north of the flazarno and Maliaban range of mountains, and the level plains to the south of the mountains lying between the river Swat and the Indus. Its boundaries are Chitral and Yasin t,o the north, Bajawar and the Swat river to the west, the Indus to the east, and the Kabul river to the south. The southern half of Yusufzai to the south of the mountains Hazarno and Maha ban is under British rule, and corresponds with the ancient district of Peukolaitis or Pushkalavati, called also Pahkalaoti. Its inhabitants are about 140,000 Afghans and 125,000 other tribes. Water is entirely absent in the northern half.
The Yusufzai quitted their ancient habitations between Ghazni and Kandahar, and, after various unsuccessful attempts to obtain a settlement in Kabul (at the time when Mirza Ulug, surnamed Kabuli, ruled that kingdom), finally established themselves in Swat and Bajawar, which at the period were governed by a dynasty of princes styled Sultani, who derived their lineage from Alexander the Great. Bajawar is certainly the. Bazira of Alexander, and the celebrated rock of Aornos ought to be situated either in Bajawar or Swat, or the adjoining country of Kuttor. The
Yusufzai possess, in addition to Swat and Bajawar, the tract situated between those provinces and the rivers of Kabul and Indus.
The Yusufzai tribes now hold all the districts to the north of the Lauddaey Sind, or eastern half of the Kabul river, though they were in Baber's time new comers. Their Ranizai division all reside beyond the British border in the Sani and Bar or Swat districts. Sani Ranizai was a refuge for malcontent criminals who made inroads, and in 1852 a force under Sir Colin Campbell obtained their submission ; since which they have fulfilled their engagements.
Few even of the scores of mounds which cover the plains of Yusufzai have yet been in any way investigated, much less opened ; and still fewer have been the attempts to search the bills which abut on this plain, although every attempt in this direction has been abundantly rewarded. Amongst the art remains spared by the Muhammadans, with their traces of Greek origin, are such as the nude figure in chain armour, with the Macedonian ehlamys, and the Greek head of Buddha, the chin of which only is Indian, found at Jamalgarhi.
The Yusufzai are revengeful, envious, avaricious, and obstinate, fond of liberty, faithful to friends, kind to dependents.—MacGregor, p. 43.