Gazetteer Of The Dera Ghazi Khan District 1883-84

· 1883 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1Chapter ITI, D.

2Tribes and Castes.

3Kasrdnis,

4Sori Lunds,

5(Punjab Gazetteor,

65) CHAP. IIL.—TIHE PEOPLE.

7Nicholson, Deputy Commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan, was sent

8against the hill portion of the tribe anda severe punishment in-

9flicted. Ten years later in (1862) Mitta Khan died, and his son

10Faz] Khan being a minor, the office and authority of chief, or

11timanddr, was practically usurped by one Kaura Khan, mokaddam

12of Tibbi, at that time in the Dera Ismail Khan district. In 1868

13Lieutenant Grey, Deputy Commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan, wont

14out to Tibbi to investigate a charge of murder against Kaura Khan’s

15son, but was seized by Kaura Khan and carried “off to the hills.

16Lieutenant Grey was soon released, and Kaura Khan havVing* takon

17refuge, first with the hill Kasrdénis andethen with the Musakhel

18Pathans, was surrendcred to the British Government. He was for

19a time imprisoned, but has now received an indm of Rs. 300 per

20annum. Tuibbi has recently been transferred to this district, so that

21the whole tribe now comea under one jurisdiction. The present

22timanddr of the tribe is Fazl Ali Khan, son of Mitta Khan. He

23receives an indm of Rs. 1,200, granted to him at the recent Settle-

24ment, which is payable from the revenue assessed upon the Kasrani

25villages. The tribe is divided into seven sections : Laskarani, Ribdan,

26Budani, Wasuani, Lagari, Jarwér, and Rustamani. The number df

27fighting men is estimated to be 1,109. The témanddr belongs to

28the Rabdan section.

29Tho Lands of Sori* occupy the country lying between the Khosa

30tribe on the south and the Kasranis on the north. They are di-

31vided into six sections, and gre estimated to number 2,120 fighting

32men. ‘The tribe has rison to importance under! British rule. Faz

33Ali Khan, the grandfather of the present Chief, was an energetic

34and clever man, and rendered himself deservedly respected in the

35country. From the first he exerted himself on the side of Govern-

36ment. He joined Lieutenant Edwardes’ camp with 200 horsemen

37and was present during the siege of Multan. To his services at

38this time, which were acknowledged and rewarded, may be traced

39the turning-point in the career of his family, as well as the influen-

40tial position which the tribe and its present chief now possess. The

41part which they took in the wars and feuds which convulsed the

42country under former Governments were chiefly confined to aiding

43their powerful neighbours, the Khosas, in carrying on their wars

44with the Legharis and Bozdars, and are not deserving of special

45mention.

46Fazl Ali Khan cut or excavated a canal at his own cost’ through

47the Lind estates, which was called Fazlwah after him. The cnter-

48rise proved very successful, and greatly enhanced the value of the

49ind properties and the well-being of the tribe, Ghulam Haidar

50Khan, father of Mahamad Khan, the present Chief, used to receive the

51fifth share of the produce in kind (mahsdl) of the estates of his clans-

52men, and be responsible for the payment of the revenue. At the

53recent Settlement a new arrangement was made, the chief receiving

54an indm of Rs. 4.000 per annum. Muhammad Khan is one of the

55wealthiest Chiefs in the whole district; and there is a rumour

56i nen eee

57* There is ancther settlement of Lunds, known as the Tibbi Liinds, occupying

58langs in we midst of the Gurvhéuis (see p. 62). The obief hasan indém of Rs. 800

59per annul.