est along
it to the Sikaram mountain near the Paiwar Kotal at the head of the
Kurram valley. From Sikaram the frontier runs south and south-east
crossing the upper waters of the Kurram, and dividing our possessions
from the Afghan province of Khost. This line was demarcated in 1894.
At the south of the Kurram valley the frontier sweeps round to the west
leaving in the British sphere the valley of the Tochi. Turning again to
the south it crosses the upper waters of the Tochi and passes round the
back of Waziristan by the Shawal valley and the plains about Wana to
Domandi on the Gomal river, where Afghanistan, Biluchistan, and the
North West Frontier Province meet. The Waziristan boundary was
demarcated in 1895.
~Political and Administrative Boundaries.~--The boundary described above
defines spheres of influence, and only in the Kurram valley does it
coincide with that of the districts for whose orderly administration we
hold ourselves responsible. All we ask of Wazirs, Afridis, or Mohmands
is to leave our people at peace; we have no concern with their quarrels
or blood feuds, so long as they abide in their mountains or only leave
them for the sake of lawful gain. Our administrative boundary, which
speaking broadly we took over from the Sikhs, usually runs at the foot
of the hills. A glance at the map will show that between Peshawar and
Kohat the territory of the independent tribes comes down almost to the
Indus. At this point the hills occupied by the Jowaki section of the
Afridi tribe push out a great tongue eastwards. Our military frontier
road runs through these hills, and we actually pay the tribesmen of the
Kohat pass for our right of way. Another tongue of tribal territory
reaches right down to the Indus, and almost severs the Peshawar and
Hazara districts. Further north the frontier of Hazara lies well to the
east of the Indus.
~Frontier with Biluchistan.~--At Domandi the frontier turns to the east,
and following the Gomal river to its junction with the Zhob at Kajuri
Kach forms the boundary of the two British administrations. Henceforth
the general direction of the line is determined by the trend of the
Suliman range. It runs south to the Vehoa pass, where the country of the
Pathans of the North West Frontier Province ends and that of the Hill
and Plain Biluches subject to the Panjab Government begins. From the
Vehoa pass to the Kaha torrent the line is drawn so as to leave Biluch
tribes with the Panjab and
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