They are all very proud of their descent; a great part of their histories is taken up by genealogies: they will hardly acknowledge a man for an Afghaun, who cannot make his proofs by going back six or seven generations; and even in their ordinary conversation, they often stop to enumerate the forefathers of any person who happens to be mentioned. *

They are all kind to their immediate dependants, of whatever nation or religion, but the case is different with people who are under their authority, without being personally connected with them. The countries which are completely subdued, as Cashmeer and the provinces on the Indus, suffer much from the rapacity of individuals; and if they do not often undergo the extremes of tyranny, it is only because wanton cruelty and insolence are no part of the Afghaun character.

Their independence and pretensions to equality make them view the elevation of their neighbours with jealousy, and communicates a

* I remember a striking instance of this in a Doulutkhail, whom I wished to interrogate about Tuk in Damaun, the chief town of his tribe; he began his answer, "Tuk is the

city of Surwur, the son of Kuttaul Khaun, the son of "Seleem Khaun, the son of Meer Sooltaun Khaun, the son "of Shauh Aulum Khaun, the son of Mahommed Zemaun “Khaun, the son of Zuffer Khaun, the son of Khaun Ze"maun, who lived in the reign of Jehaungeer, the offspring "of Timour the Lame."

deep tinge of envy to their disposition.

The

idea that they are neglected and passed over, while their equals are attended to, will lead them to renounce a friendship of long standing, or a party to which they have been zealously attached. Unless, however, they meet with particular wrongs or insults, they are said to be faithful in friendship once formed, and mindful of favours, if not effaced by subsequent slights. I can answer for this peculiarity in their character, that they will do any thing that is wanted of them with much more zeal, if a present is made to them in advance, than if it is withheld in the hope of quickening them by expectancy.

may

It be foreseen from their customs, which make private revenge a duty, that they will long retain the remembrance of injuries; but this is true only of such serious injuries as they are bound in honour to retaliate; in affairs of less consequence, they are neither irritable nor implacable.

I know no people in Asia who have fewer vices, or are less voluptuous or debauched; but this is most remarkable in the west: the people of towns are acquiring a taste for debauchery, and those in the north-east of the country are already far from being pure. The Afghauns themselves complain of the corruption of manners, and of the decline of sincerity and good

the Persians. Their sentiments and conduct towards that nation, greatly resemble those which we discovered some years ago towards the French. Their national antipathy, and a strong sense of their own superiority, do not prevent their imitating Persian manners, while they declaim against the practice, as depraving their own. They are fully sensible of the advantage which Persia has over them at present, from the comparative union and vigour of her councils, and they regard the increase of her power with some degree of apprehension, which is diminished by their inattention to the future, and by their confidence in themselves. To sum up the character of the Afghauns in a few words; their vices are revenge, envy, avarice,, rapacity, and obstinacy; on the other hand, they are fond of liberty, faithful to their friends, kind to their dependants, hospitable, brave, hardy, frugal, laborious, and prudent; and they are less disposed than the nations in their neighbourhood to falsehood, intrigue, and deceit.

401

CHAP. VIII.

OF THE INHABITANTS OF TOWNS.

I HAVE hitherto confined myself to those points of character or manners which apply to the whole, or nearly the whole, of the Af ghaun nation. I shall now proceed to describe the peculiarities of the different classes of which it is composed. Enough has been said, for the present, of the difference between the eastern and western Afghauns; some particular orders of men have also been incidentally described; and the pastoral and agricultural classes will be spoken. of in great detail hereafter. The first description of people whom I have now to examine, are, therefore, the inhabitants of towns; and here one is struck with the circumstance, that the greater part of this branch of the population is not composed of Afghauns. It may seem strange to a person in Europe, that the towns should not be inhabited by the masters of the country, yet such was the case in England after the Norman invasion, and such it still is in Uzbek, Tartary, and in some measure in Persia; and probably the reason has in all cases been the same; the ruling nation has thought it de

grading to pursue the trades which assemble men in towns, and none have resided there but great men and their retainers, who are drawn thither by the court; accordingly, the only Afghauns who reside in towns, are great men and their followers, soldiers, Moollahs, a few who follow commerce (a pursuit not despised among this people), and some of the poorest of the nation, who work as labourers. No Afghaun ever keeps a shop, or exercises any handicraft trade. The greater part of the people employed in these occupations are Taujiks, a nation who are intermixed with the Afghauns in great numbers, throughout all the western part of their country, and who are found even in the east ; where, however, the trades alluded to are more frequently exercised by Hindkees, a people of Indian origin, who are scattered over that part of Afghaunistaun, as the Taujiks are in the west. These nations, and the others which contribute to the population of Afghaun towns, will be considered as distinct races, after I have described the Afghauns; at present I have only to speak of the place they occupy as citizens of those towns. In this point of view, we find them divided into bankers, merchants, artisans, and labourers.

The prohibition in the Koraun against Mussulmans taking interest, makes most of the business of banking fall into the hands of