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AFRIDI

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 362 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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AFRIDI , a See also:

Pathan tribe inhabiting the mountains on the See also:Peshawar border of the See also:North-See also:West Frontier See also:province of See also:India. The Afridis are the most powerful and See also:independent tribe on the border, and the largest with the exception of the Waziris. Their See also:special See also:country is the See also:lower and easternmost spurs of the Safed Koh range, to the west and See also:south of the Peshawar See also:district, including the Bazar and Bara valleys. On their See also:east they are bounded by See also:British districts, on the north by the Mohmands, on the west by the Shinwaris and on the south by the See also:Orakzai and See also:Bangash tribes. Their origin is obscure, but they are said to have Israelitish See also:blood in their See also:veins, and they have a decidedly Semitic See also:cast of features. They are possibly the Aparytai of See also:Herodotus, the names and positions being identical. If this theory is correct, they were then a powerful See also:people, and held a large See also:tract of country, but have been gradually driven back by the encroachments of other tribes. The tribe is divided into the following eight clans:—Kuki Khel, Malikdin Khel, Kambar Khel, Kamar Khel, Zakka Khel (the most numerous and the most turbulent), Sipah, Aka Khel and See also:Adam Khel. The first seven clans live in the vicinity of the Khyber Pass, and migrate to See also:Tirah in the summer months. The Adam Khel (5900 fighting men) live See also:round the See also:Kohat Pass, and are more settled and less migratory in their habits. In See also:appearance the Afridi is a See also:fine, tall, athletic highlander with a See also:long, gaunt See also:face, high See also:nose and cheek-bones, and a See also:fair complexion. On his own hillside he is one of the finest skirmishers in the See also:world, and in the See also:Indian See also:army makes a first-See also:rate soldier, but he is See also:apt to be See also:home-sick when removed from the See also:air of his native mountains.

In See also:

character the Afridi has obtained an evil name for ferocity, See also:craft and treachery, but See also:Colonel See also:Sir See also:Robert See also:Warburton, who lived eighteen years in See also:charge of the Khyber Pass and knew the Afridi better than any other Englishman, says:—" The Afridi lad from his I So See also:Eusebius, See also:Syncellus says See also:Alexander See also:Severus, earliest childhood is taught by the circumstances of his existence and See also:life to distrust all mankind, and very often his near relations, heirs to his small See also:plot of See also:land by right of See also:inheritance, are his deadliest enemies. Distrust of all mankind, and readiness to strike the first See also:blow for the safety of his own life, have therefore become the See also:maxims of the Afridi. If you can overcome this mistrust, and be See also:kind in words to him, he will repay you by a See also:great devotion, and he will put up with any treatment you like to give him except abuse." In See also:short the Afridi has the vices and virtues of all Pathans in an enhanced degree. The fighting strength of the Afridis is said to be 27,000, but this estimate is excessive, judged by the number and See also:size of their villages. They derive their importance from their See also:geographical position, which gives them command of the Khyber and Kohat roads, and the See also:history of the British connexion with them has been almost entirely with reference to these two passes. There have been several British expeditions against the See also:separate clans: (I) Expedition against the Kohat Pass Afridis under Sir See also:Colin See also:Campbell in 185o. The British connexion with the Adam Khel Afridis commenced immediately after the See also:annexation of the Peshawar and Kohat districts. Following the example of all previous rulers of the country, the British agreed to pay the tribe a See also:subsidy to protect the pass. But in r85o a thousand Afridis attacked a See also:body of sappers engaged in making the road, killing twelve and wounding six. It was supposed that they disliked the making of a road which would See also:lay open their fastnesses to See also:regular troops. An expedition of 3200 British troops was despatched, which traversed the country and punished them. (2) Expedition against the Jowaki Afridis of the Bori villages in 1853.

When the Afridis of the Kohat Pass misbehaved in 185o, the Jowaki Afridis offered the use of their route instead; but they turned out worse than the others, and in 1853 a force of 1700 British traversed their country and destroyed their stronghold at Bori. The Jowaki Afridis are a See also:

clan of the Adam Khel, who inhabit the country lying between the Kohat Pass and the See also:river See also:Indus. (3) Expedition against the Aka Khel Afridis under Colonel See also:Craigie in 1855. In 1854 the Aka Khels, not finding themselves admitted to a See also:share of the allowances of the Kohat Pass, commenced a See also:series of raids on the Peshawar border and attacked a British See also:camp. An expedition of 1500 troops entered the country and inflicted severe See also:punishment on the tribe, who made their submission and paid a fine. (4) Expedition against the Jowaki Afridis under Colonel See also:Mocatta in 1877. In that See also:year the See also:government proposed to reduce the Jowaki See also:allowance for guarding the Kohat Pass, and the tribesmen resented this by cutting the See also:telegraph See also:wire and. raiding into British territory. A force of 1500 troops penetrated their country in three columns, and did considerable damage by way of punishment. (5) Expedition against the Jowaki Afridis under Brigadier-See also:General Keyes in 1877-78. The punishment inflicted by the previous expedition did not prove sufficiently severe, the attitude of the Jowakis continued the same and their raids into British territory went on. A much stronger force, therefore, of 7400 British troops, divided into three columns, destroyed their See also:principal villages and occupied their country for some See also:time, until the tribe submitted and accepted government terms. The Kohat Pass was afterwards practically undisturbed.

(6) Expedition against the Zakka Khel Afridis of the Bazar Valley under Brigadier-General See also:

Tytler in 1878. At the time of the British advance into See also:Afghanistan, during the second Afghan See also:War, the Zakka Khel opposed the British advance and attacked their outposts. A force of 2500 British troops traversed their country, and the tribesmen made their submission. (7) Expedition against the Zakka Khel Afridis of the Bazar Valley under See also:Lieutenant-General See also:Maude in 1879. After the previous expedition the Afridis of the Khyber Pass continued to give trouble during the progress of the second Afghan War, so another force of 3750 British troops traversed their country, and after suffering some loss the tribesmen made their submission.

End of Article: AFRIDI

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