1 NAME OF THE NATION. t5|
2 tradiccions, and with the union which it exhibits of turbulent inde-
3 pendence and gross opprefflion. Bat» the former would, perhaps, be
4 iiioet stnK^ with the deipotie preteoiiom the
5 nd, die Uft(er» with the demoentie licence} which preveik in Ihe gf>'
6 TWDineiit of ^le tribfiB*
7 - Let m adwr try whethcr» in e pmticMlg eiaminalion of the hiatoty
8 end pieaait oonditiim of Ihe A4^uniiii» tome of thefeatuiea exhibited
9 IB iheie two pietoiei wiU not be aoilened do^ end aome appaient
10 inoooditeneieBieooiieiled; but, thiooglioiit the wholes let it be borne
11 in mind, that ahhoogli I hftve endeevoiired to meenue them by the
12 aeale which will be applied in Emope} jet Ihe fiiat and moat natnnl
13 proceoi by which I estimated their chaiecter waa a oompariaoD with
14 their Indian and Fenian neighbotm.
15 The origin of the name of Afghaun, now bo goierally applied to
16 the nation, I am about to describe, is entirely uncertain ; but is, pro-
17 bably, modem. It is known to the A^baans themaelvea only dmMi^
18 the medium of the Persian language. Their own name for tiheir
19 nation is Pooshtoon ; in the plural, Pooshtauneh. The Berdoorau-
20 nees pronounce this word Pookhtaunch ; whence the name of Pitan,
21 by which the A^^^hauus are Juu>wn in India, may probably be
22 derived.
23 The Arabs call them Solimaunee ; but, whether from the ir pos*
24 sessin^ the mouiiLaiiis ot Solimaun from the name ol some cluef who
25 maj liave headed tliem, when first invaded by the Arabs, or from
26 some circumstance conne<:Aed with their supposed descent from the
27 Jews, is entirely uncertain. Tliey have no general name for tlit'ir
28 own country ; but sometimes apply the Persian one of A%haunistaun.
29 Doctor Ijeyjea has mentioned the name of Fboshtoonkhau, as bear-
30 ' ing this Boiae; but I never heard it used. Ihe term Sirhud i*
31 aometimei made nae hot eKeLodea the plaina onthe eaatem lideef
32 ^ range of SoUmaun ; and is, in &ct,nothing more than the P«srBian
33 word for a cold country. The name most generally qvplied to the
34 whole coontiy by its inhabitanta is JEXammmni; but this t^pelktloD
35 is obviously incorrect. For, on the one hands the whole the A£-
36 Digitized by Google