But one innovation must certainly come with the presence of the British in the country : they will be taught the value and the need of money. I once asked a Chitrali why all the men of a certain valley, in a remote part of Chitral, were so much better, more loyal, and of simpler manners than the other Chitralis. He replied that they were so because they were off the main line of traffic, and no strangers and traders from outside came to corrupt them, make them buy things they did not want, and cause them to be discontented because they had not the things the traders brought round. In other parts of Chitral the people were exposed to all these temptations, and were corrupted by them. It seems hard to break in on the simplicity of such a people, and teach them a lust for wealth. But if a desire for money may bring with it some disadvantages, it cannot but contribute also to the strengthening of the character of the people. In some of these upper valleys the inhabitants had, until recently, no idea of the use or value of money. They had few wants. Their fields produced what they required in the way of food, and the wool from their sheep supplied them with material from which they could weave their clothing. If a man had need of a coat, he would give another a sheep or some corn for it. What, therefore, did they want with the round pieces of silver called rupees ? They could use them as ornaments, but for anything else they were useless. But they have gradually been learning that with these rupees they can buy cotton goods, salt, looking-glasses, matches, iron implements, knives, scissors, needles, etc., from traders ; and so they begin to want rupees.
IIIFカラー高解像度
