Leitner, Gottlieb W.; Ravenstein, Ernst Georg [Ill.]: The languages and races of Dardistan (Lahore, 1877)

( 55 )

exhausted with murdering, they took about 650 men, women and children, as prisoners for the
Sikh General and 120 were destined for the revenge of Jabar Khan and taken away with their
property. The fort was at once set on fire and burnt down. Such property as they could take
they did take. As for the fugitives, it was a running slaughter till sunrise, when we reached
Kitshdri. Here we rallied and renewed the fight. Kitshdri is 2 kos below Ghilas aad is a village
on the Indus. Our men fought, hungry and tired though they were, till noon and were consider-
ably thinned in numbers. It seemed now useless to us to continue the fight, for we said that we
should all be at last overpowered and cut down to a man. We must therefore flee. We, there-
fore, retraced our march in the direction of the mountains and were not followed up, as the enemy
did not, perhaps, think it worth while, our numbers being so reduced. The pursuers returned to
the Chilas fort. When they got there they agreed to return to Kashmir. As they reached the
place where the two roads branch off, [one for Astor, the other for Kashmir] the Sikh General
gave leave to Jabar Khan, who took his prisoners with him. All were in great joy. The fol-
lowing is the list of the Sirdars who escaped the slaughter :—

Alengir "\

Habba Khan > of Harbenn.

Mir Matta J

Kahmi of Darel.

Aladdin of Shatial and Ahmeti and Sir Andaz of Jalkot were killed ; also Azur, and Alah-
munofSazin. Mard Shah Baba of Torr got away, Azad of Takk was killed. N"asr Ali,
Hashm Shah, Paulad and Anwari of Chilas were all killed. They were all Yashkunns. Serr-

kushu of Tangir was killed. M......of Somer, a Shin, my cousin, was killed by a bullet going

through his mouth. 500 were killed and 803 taken prisoners—200 escaped. Among the
prisoners was Sirdar Rahmat Ulla Khan, who was sent to Jammu. When he was captured, a
Sikh went into the fort after his daughter, who threw herself off the walls in order to escape
disgrace and was dashed to pieces on a stone. There is no doubt that we were the first to be in
fault, as we attacked Astor without provocation and at the instigation of Lassu seven times before
the Maharaja went to war with us. I never joined these plundering excursions but my cousin,

M......, went every time and also S......, mv brother, who is still alive. Once they

brought back a man and 6 women to Minor—the whole razzia having secured 60 prisoners,
800 goats, &c. Thinking it was " halal" or lawfully acquired property, they divided it with great
glee and they ate the goats also as " halal," as they had taken them from Shiahs.

There is a suspicion that Lassu was an agent of Kashmir send to foment this discord
and bring about the subjection of Ghilas. In former times we used to assist Astor, being our
neighbour. There is also no difference in our language. That of Khapul (Khapoldr) is different.
It is Tibetan ; they call a man " shishek " and for " go there " say " gaz yut " and " bakhmula
gihrit" (there is a mistake here) and for " bury" say rt sumduk " and for " does he go or not "