The Red Cloud chief., 1880-07-08
The Ghaxis -t;allant Fanatics Who
Seek Paradise on the kafir's steel.

in Western eyes something very differ
ent from its Legitimate Specification. IL
originally meant a ~conqueror. or great
hero. and in this sense IL j. used in
modern Turkey. Osman Pasha was
dubbed Char when his splendid
resistance To The Russians saved for n
time the fate Of his country. aniihe title
j. n held in the highest respect BY
Mohammedans. From "conqueror'
the meaning has passed into lower
grades, one OF commOnest being "a
gallant soldier especially combating
in,idee); and at last, in the cOmmOn
IA Of events. il has boon appTopria-
ed in the all-comprehcnsive vocabulary
Of the English language with a distinct
and localized meaning. To Us now a
Ghazi is simply a man upon whom
fanaticism has had so powerful an
effect that all physical fear of death il
swamped in his desire TO take the life
of a katiir. and, with his soul purified
by the blood of the unbelicyer. To be-
translated at once To Paradise, A true
GhaZi counts no odds too great 10 face,
no danger too menacing 10 be braved;
the certainty of death only adds Ia his
III u M ~ - vi IA
madmen, desperation and insensrbiliiy
10 consequences add enormously To his
muscular powers and endurance. To
Kill such a man IS sometimes SO difficult
a task at close quarters that Our men
have learned to respect their peculiar
mode of fighting. and "A rifle bullet al q
fair distance checks the GhaZiNs course
before he can close upon his assailants
with the terrible sharp knife he knows
so well how 10 use. IL ever; Afghan
were u GhaZi. as | once said during the
siege OF Sherpur, u d~cfcnses would
have been carried and enormous slaugh-
ter would have followed on both sides:
but GhaZis are few and far between.
though a spurious imitation is not un-
common. This imitation is often taken
for the real article, whereas phang or
some other stimulant i, the motive
power, and not desperate fanaticism.
The, misuse of the word "Ghazi'' is
strikingly seen in the accounts of the
last war, forty years ago. We are told
of bands of Ghaz:s, many thousand
strong, harassing the retreIting army
aud cutting oil stragglers and these
Ghazis are always spoken of As being
quite out OF the control of Akbar-
Khan. II they had been true GhaZis
they would have made short work of
our little army long before it reached
the Khurd Cabul. To see how
thousands of Ghazis are ALWAYS being
spoken of, one would imagine they
were a powerful elan, similar 10 the
Ghilzais, kohistans or Afrids; but prac-
teal acquaintance with the form fanati-
cism assumes about Cabul shows only
too clearly that out Of Il crowd Of 3d.
600 armed fanatics. such a LACEY held
Cabul. not one in a hundred rises 10 the
supreme rank of n Ghazi. They are
not born and bred TO the vocation :
chance makes them what they are. and
our men know that a stray spark of en-
thusiasm may kindle their fanaticism
and send them into orr midst.
The Ghazi is the creature OK the mool-
lab. The ~latter's eloquence is listened
TO by some more than usually suscepti-
BILE villager, whose enthusiasm il
aroused to fever heat by a glowing story
of a GhaZi who went qua into the iniidel
camp. cut down two or three kailirs
and died the death of a martyr, his soul
going straight TO the laps Of the bOuris,
and his name living forever among
his kindred. Shall he not emulate
such n glorious example. SO
that his children and his children's
children may hand down his name to
all generations as a Ghazi Altah-din-a
Champion of the Faiih?' The
moollah's preaching has had its effect,
and a Ghazi has been called into being.
II a great jehad is being preached. that
man wi ! always be in the forefront OF
the battle, and will probably carry the
standard of his clan, blessed by the
moOllah who has aroused the tribes
men. But a few weeks ago the arch
moollah, Musk Alan. sent out lis mes
sage from Sharkh, and how well it was
responded to w are living witnesses.
With Ghazis in their midst to lead the
timorOus. and moollahs always at hand
TO fan their fanaticism. Mohammed
JAMS rabble did wonders. How the
Ghazis acquitted themselves our men
well know, many poor fellows 10 their
cost. In the action in the Charden Val
lev the standard bearers rushed in even
when our cavalry charged. and no more
reckless rush was ever made. Many
went down, but about them were others
equal in desperation. \ trooper of the
Ninth transtixed a man with his lance;
the Ghazi wriggled up like an eel,
grasped the lance with his left hand.
and with one stroke of the knife cut
through the l~ancer's hanl and the
tough shaft as il had been made of tin
der. This is not romancing, he troop
er is still living. but minus the fingers
of his right hand: With an
army of such men against US. even our
splendid arms and steady discipline
might avail nothing. But the true
Ghazi is a phenomenon-he. L least,
deserves the scientific and sOnorous title
and even Afghan fana,icism can not
bring forth many. however great may
be the eloquence of the moollahs--
Cor. Indian Pioneer.