DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3909#0171
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HISTORY OF THE WARS WITH EASHIIR.
[ Committed to loriting from the statements of a Sazini, who took part in many of the
engagements.]
I.-STRUGGLES FOE THE CONQUEST OF CHILAS.
" About twenty-three years ago there was a very strong fort at Ohilas. Two years before
the outbreak of the wars, a man named Lassu came [on the part of Kashmir ?] to the frontier
of ChiMs. This man's ancestors had been in the service of the Dogras and for ninety
years had possessed property and the Sirdarship at Gore (?) (probably Guraiz) in the family.
It is not known why or whether he was dismissed the Kashmir service, but he came with his
family in 1847 to Chilas and became the cause of all the subsequent disturbances. This man
had been renowned tor bravery in his youth, but when he came was old and feeble, though
full of intrigue. In the valley of Marungd is a place called Neyatt, where he
established himself with about twenty families of Kashmiris and others, who had followed him
from Guraiz. His two brothers were also with him. Where he,fixed his residence there is—at
some distance below—a village of the name of Gosher, inhabited by the people of Takk. The
valley is called Kariinga at its exit. In these two years he cultivated his fields and the
friendship of the ChiMsis. Purchasing also cattle and horses he became a great chief, to
whom the Chilasis used to pay visits of ceremony. He also used constantly to visit
them, and when, he had acquired a decisive influence, he assembled all the Lumberdars of
Chilas and said, '" What a pity that Astor being- so near, whose inhabitants are all Shiabs, you
should not attack them according to the Shera' [religious Law]." The ignorant Chilasis then
began to go on plundering excursions in the direction of Astor, which were often
successful. When the Governor of Astor became unable to resist these attacks, he requested
the assistance of the Maharaja of Kashmir, who refused it to him, but himself advanced
direct on Chites with an army. (In this war I was present for about a month). One
day a battle began in the early morning and lasted till the evening. The Maharaja's
army drove us right into the Chilas Fort. We sent off men at once in all directions
for help. For two days there was no other engagement. On the 3rd day came allies of the
valley of Gine, from Darel, Jalkot, Takk and Torr, Harbann, Shatial, Sazin, Hudur, K61i,
and 200 Tangiris (we were in all about 20,000 men, women and children, in that great
fort). They poured in all day, and by evening the struggle was renewed in which, as I
saw myself, women took part. As the Sikhs were pressing on to the walls, the women
threw bedsteads and planks on their heads ; stones and kitchen utensils were also used. The
result was not decisive. A stream was flowing into the fort in which we had four
reservoirs kept filled in case of need. Hemur, a brave man, whose son Sadur is now a
Chief, a Yashkunn, sat there giving a pumpkin full of water (about half a pint) to a man
during the day and a pint at night, as it was more quiet then. There was a row of men
HISTORY OF THE WARS WITH EASHIIR.
[ Committed to loriting from the statements of a Sazini, who took part in many of the
engagements.]
I.-STRUGGLES FOE THE CONQUEST OF CHILAS.
" About twenty-three years ago there was a very strong fort at Ohilas. Two years before
the outbreak of the wars, a man named Lassu came [on the part of Kashmir ?] to the frontier
of ChiMs. This man's ancestors had been in the service of the Dogras and for ninety
years had possessed property and the Sirdarship at Gore (?) (probably Guraiz) in the family.
It is not known why or whether he was dismissed the Kashmir service, but he came with his
family in 1847 to Chilas and became the cause of all the subsequent disturbances. This man
had been renowned tor bravery in his youth, but when he came was old and feeble, though
full of intrigue. In the valley of Marungd is a place called Neyatt, where he
established himself with about twenty families of Kashmiris and others, who had followed him
from Guraiz. His two brothers were also with him. Where he,fixed his residence there is—at
some distance below—a village of the name of Gosher, inhabited by the people of Takk. The
valley is called Kariinga at its exit. In these two years he cultivated his fields and the
friendship of the ChiMsis. Purchasing also cattle and horses he became a great chief, to
whom the Chilasis used to pay visits of ceremony. He also used constantly to visit
them, and when, he had acquired a decisive influence, he assembled all the Lumberdars of
Chilas and said, '" What a pity that Astor being- so near, whose inhabitants are all Shiabs, you
should not attack them according to the Shera' [religious Law]." The ignorant Chilasis then
began to go on plundering excursions in the direction of Astor, which were often
successful. When the Governor of Astor became unable to resist these attacks, he requested
the assistance of the Maharaja of Kashmir, who refused it to him, but himself advanced
direct on Chites with an army. (In this war I was present for about a month). One
day a battle began in the early morning and lasted till the evening. The Maharaja's
army drove us right into the Chilas Fort. We sent off men at once in all directions
for help. For two days there was no other engagement. On the 3rd day came allies of the
valley of Gine, from Darel, Jalkot, Takk and Torr, Harbann, Shatial, Sazin, Hudur, K61i,
and 200 Tangiris (we were in all about 20,000 men, women and children, in that great
fort). They poured in all day, and by evening the struggle was renewed in which, as I
saw myself, women took part. As the Sikhs were pressing on to the walls, the women
threw bedsteads and planks on their heads ; stones and kitchen utensils were also used. The
result was not decisive. A stream was flowing into the fort in which we had four
reservoirs kept filled in case of need. Hemur, a brave man, whose son Sadur is now a
Chief, a Yashkunn, sat there giving a pumpkin full of water (about half a pint) to a man
during the day and a pint at night, as it was more quiet then. There was a row of men