lens lying further
north, the chief of which is Allai.

[Illustration: Fig. 134.]

The mountainous tract on the Peshawar border lying to the west of
Tanawal and the territory of the Black Mountain tribes formed part of
the ancient Udyana, and its archaeological remains are of much interest.
It is drained by the Barandu, a tributary of the Indus. Its people are
mainly Yusafzai Pathans, the principal section being the Bunerwals.
These last bear a good character for honesty and courage, but are slaves
to the teachings of their _mullas_. The Yusafzais have been bad
neighbours. The origin of the trouble is of old standing, dating back to
the welcome given by the tribesmen in 1824 to a band of Hindustani
fanatics, whose leader was Saiyyid Ahmad Shah of Bareilly. Their
headquarters, first at Sitana and afterwards at Malka, became Caves of
Adullam for political refugees and escaped criminals, and their
favourite pastime was the kidnapping of Hindu shopkeepers. In 1863 a
strong punitive expedition under Sir Neville Chamberlain suffered heavy
losses before it succeeded in occupying the Ambela Pass. The door being
forced the Yusafzais themselves destroyed Malka as a pledge of their
submission. Our political relations with the Yusafzais are managed by
the Assistant Commissioner at Mardan.

The rest of the tribal territory between the Peshawar district and the
Hindu Kush is included in the Dir, Swat, and Chitral political agency.
It is a region of mountains and valleys drained by the Swat, Panjkora,
and Chitral or Yarkhun rivers, all three affluents of the Kabul river.
Six tracts are included in the Agency.

(_a_) ~Swat.~--A railway now runs from Naushahra in the Peshawar district
to Dargai, which lies at the foot of the Malakand, a little beyond our
administrative boundary. An old Buddhist road crosses the pass and
descends on the far side into Swat. We have a military post at Chakdarra
on the Swat river, and a military road passing through Dir connects
Chakdarra with Kila Drosh in Chitral. Most of the Swatis, who are
Yusafzais of the Akozai section, occupy a rich valley above 70 miles in
length watered by the Swat river above its junction with the Panjkora.
Rice is extensively grown, and a malarious environment has affected the
physique and the character of the people. The Swati is priest-ridden and
treacherous. Even his courage has been denied, probably unjustly. Swati
fanaticism has been a source of much trouble on the Pesha