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0402 Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1
Report of a Mission to Yarkund in 1873 : vol.1 / Page 402 (Color Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000196
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some fragments from the rock in situ and brought them away. They consisted of a sort of soft fibrous stone which can be twisted into the shape of a wick, and when saturated with oil will burn almost for ever.* From the Fatila stone he went two miles further down the river to the village of Pigish, the furthest point reached by him. At this point the Oxus, which from Ishkashim _, a dïstänce of about 100 miles, had been flowing due north, takes a sudden bend to the west, and going in that direction for a few miles turns apparently to the north.

The Roshin territory is divided into three districts—the Wi,mur on the right bank embracing the upper portion of the Oxus valley, and containing about 800 houses. The district of Pa-e-Khoja lies on the left bank of the Oxus, below the turn to the west before alluded to, and is said to contain about 1,000 houses. It is at a long day's journey below Wâmur. This district is inhabited by Kkojal st who pay no tribute, but give their services as soldiers in time of war. The third district is that of Bartang,4 which lies up the river of that name, and is said to contain about 500 houses. The direct approach to this district from the Panjah valley is very difficult, owing to the precipitous defiles through which the river passes ; so that the most frequented road between Wâmur and Sirich Fort, the chief place of the Bartang district, lies by the somewhat roundabout way of the Ghund valley.

The Miinshi gives the following particulars about Shighnin :-

"The country of Shighnn and Roshân is sometimes called Zinn (or two-lived) ; its climate and water being so good that a man on entering the district is said to have come into possession of two lives. The inhabitants state that their country is called Lubnân in the Gulistan of Sheikh Sidi of Shiraz, and that it is by this name that their country is known in Persia. Sheikh Sidi writes that `there is one good Mussulman in Lubnin' (Ek-iaz-Sulhai Lubnin)."

"In time of war, the two countries combined can produce 7,000 armed men, which allowing three men from each two houses would give a present total of about 4,500 for the number of houses in Shighnan and Roshin together."

"The family of the Shah-i-Shighnin originally came from Persia. The first arrival from that country (said to have taken place about from 500 to 700 years ago) was the ' Shak-i-Khamosh,' who was a Syud and a fakir. The country was at that time in the hands of the Zerdushtis, a very powerful and learned race. The Shah commenced to teach these people the Korân. There were already at this time Mussulmen in the neighbouring country of Darwâz, A.H. 665, and on the arrival of the Shah-i-Khamosh many people flocked thence into Shighnin. In about ten years' time he had converted large numbers of the people, and a civil war commenced which ended in the Sbah-i-Khamosh wresting the kingdom from Kahakah, the then Governor of Shighnin and Roshân, under the Zerdushtis, the seat of whose Government was in Balkh. After another ten yearsthe whole of the people were converted to the Shiah religion. The tomb of Shah-i-Khamosh now exists at Bar Panjah. Every Thursday people meet to worship there."

"The Chinese during their occupation of Kashghar used to pay to the surrounding countries a kind of subsidy, in return for which the States to whom the payments were made used to guarantee to keep the roads open, and safe for merchants. For this service the Shah-i-Shighnin used to receive an annual payment of ten Yarrmboos;§ the ruler of Sarikol

j used to receive six ; the Kanjudis four ; and the ruler of Wakhin three."

" At one period it is said that Wakhâ n and Darwaz and all the surrounding States were f ? under the rule of the King of Shighnin."

The Mnnshi did not succeed in bringing back much information about the course of the Oxus below Wimur. The furthest point down the river reached by him was Pigish, a village

* Probably asbestos.

1 i.e., whose ancestors are Syuds on one side only.

*~ Or " Above the Narrows."

§ A yamboo is a large piece of silver valued about Rupees 170 or seventeen pounds sterling.