DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3909#0216
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The following extract from a letter from Captain Ommaney,'Deputy Commissioner of
Hazara, appeared in th. Punjab Government Gazetteof 27th February 1868, " for general in-
formation" and may be quoted here, in connexion with the preceding accounts of (Jhilas. It
is followed by a page of words, which, however, are all to be found in Part I and II of my
Dardistan:—«•
8. " There is no correspondence in this Office, about the Chilas country and the information, I here
record regarding it, is meagre and open to correction. The tradition is that,near 100 years ago, the residents
of Chilas were conquered and converted to the Mahomedan Faith by the ancestor of the present Kahghan
Syads, Noor Shah, (Ghazie Baba), who, on his way to that country, conquered and took possesion of the upper
portion of the Kahghan glen, as it is now held by his descendants, what the religion of the. Chilasees was at
the time of their conversion is not stated, they were termed infidels, probably they were Hindoos ; from the date
of their conversion up to about 25 years ago, the Kahgfcan Syads received religious dues (Shukrana) in the
shape of certain quantities of gold dust from the Chilasees, but when 25 years ago, the Syads accompanied the
first Sikh Force in its unsuccessful attack on Chilas, these dues have not been given, though up to the present
date if a Syad goes and asks for it he gets something as a free gift (Khairat.) A S kh Force appears twice to
have entered Chilas, the first time as noted above it had to retire, on the second it was successful and a small
annual tribute is paid to the Cashmere Government, consisting of three Tolahs of gold dust and 100 goats,
this tribute, however, is only piid by the villages of Chilas, Tliuk and Boondar,' and their hamlets which do not
comprise all the territory of Chilas, there is no Police post of any kind in the country and I am told only one
writer of news lives in Chila3 to keep his Government acquainted with what goes on there and in the neigli-
bouriuo' tracts. The people are inoffensive and have never since the advent of the British rule committed any
offences within our border. Chilas proper may be said to be bounded on the north by the Indus river, on the
south by the watershed of the ridge over Looloomr Lake, the distance is nearly three days'journey from the
river to this ridge, though Lieutenant Robinson's map make3 it out only five miles, a manifest mistake, on the
east by the watershed of the same ridge as abare luoloosur Lake culminating iii the lofty peak of Muim-a
Parbut,, the Astor boundary marches with Chilas here, on the west to a point beyond the village of Sazeen where
the Indus takes a turn to the south-west. The country as seen from the British boundary consists of vast
mountain spurs which as far as the eye can reach are bare of trees, though covered with grass affording good
pasturage, but must be under snow for a considerable portion of the year, no villages can be seen. The inhabi-
tants.of Chilas are called generally by three names, Chilasees, Bhootteys, Thuds, they are apparently divided
into four classes each higher than the other as follows :—
1.—" Sheen " called also " Kaua" by Puthans.
2.—" Yeshkun."
3.—" Kumeen."
4 _"Doom."
The Sheens seem to be the proprietary class and superior in every respect; they claim an Arab origin
from an ancestor " Bhootta" whose father " Khurrar " came from Cashmere and took possession of Chilas*
The Yeshkun appear to have aided the Sheens and hold laiuls, but cannot alienate them by mortgage or sale
without consent of the Sheens. The Kumeen provide the Artisans, the D om as elsewhere perform all the lower
* From the division into i cl.is:es 1 should think it possible that this first eta was originally of the- Brahmin, or Khutreo caste.
The following extract from a letter from Captain Ommaney,'Deputy Commissioner of
Hazara, appeared in th. Punjab Government Gazetteof 27th February 1868, " for general in-
formation" and may be quoted here, in connexion with the preceding accounts of (Jhilas. It
is followed by a page of words, which, however, are all to be found in Part I and II of my
Dardistan:—«•
8. " There is no correspondence in this Office, about the Chilas country and the information, I here
record regarding it, is meagre and open to correction. The tradition is that,near 100 years ago, the residents
of Chilas were conquered and converted to the Mahomedan Faith by the ancestor of the present Kahghan
Syads, Noor Shah, (Ghazie Baba), who, on his way to that country, conquered and took possesion of the upper
portion of the Kahghan glen, as it is now held by his descendants, what the religion of the. Chilasees was at
the time of their conversion is not stated, they were termed infidels, probably they were Hindoos ; from the date
of their conversion up to about 25 years ago, the Kahgfcan Syads received religious dues (Shukrana) in the
shape of certain quantities of gold dust from the Chilasees, but when 25 years ago, the Syads accompanied the
first Sikh Force in its unsuccessful attack on Chilas, these dues have not been given, though up to the present
date if a Syad goes and asks for it he gets something as a free gift (Khairat.) A S kh Force appears twice to
have entered Chilas, the first time as noted above it had to retire, on the second it was successful and a small
annual tribute is paid to the Cashmere Government, consisting of three Tolahs of gold dust and 100 goats,
this tribute, however, is only piid by the villages of Chilas, Tliuk and Boondar,' and their hamlets which do not
comprise all the territory of Chilas, there is no Police post of any kind in the country and I am told only one
writer of news lives in Chila3 to keep his Government acquainted with what goes on there and in the neigli-
bouriuo' tracts. The people are inoffensive and have never since the advent of the British rule committed any
offences within our border. Chilas proper may be said to be bounded on the north by the Indus river, on the
south by the watershed of the ridge over Looloomr Lake, the distance is nearly three days'journey from the
river to this ridge, though Lieutenant Robinson's map make3 it out only five miles, a manifest mistake, on the
east by the watershed of the same ridge as abare luoloosur Lake culminating iii the lofty peak of Muim-a
Parbut,, the Astor boundary marches with Chilas here, on the west to a point beyond the village of Sazeen where
the Indus takes a turn to the south-west. The country as seen from the British boundary consists of vast
mountain spurs which as far as the eye can reach are bare of trees, though covered with grass affording good
pasturage, but must be under snow for a considerable portion of the year, no villages can be seen. The inhabi-
tants.of Chilas are called generally by three names, Chilasees, Bhootteys, Thuds, they are apparently divided
into four classes each higher than the other as follows :—
1.—" Sheen " called also " Kaua" by Puthans.
2.—" Yeshkun."
3.—" Kumeen."
4 _"Doom."
The Sheens seem to be the proprietary class and superior in every respect; they claim an Arab origin
from an ancestor " Bhootta" whose father " Khurrar " came from Cashmere and took possession of Chilas*
The Yeshkun appear to have aided the Sheens and hold laiuls, but cannot alienate them by mortgage or sale
without consent of the Sheens. The Kumeen provide the Artisans, the D om as elsewhere perform all the lower
* From the division into i cl.is:es 1 should think it possible that this first eta was originally of the- Brahmin, or Khutreo caste.