Morning journal and courier., 1880-05-12
The Afghan Ghazis.
Gallant Fanatics Who Seek Paradise
 on the KafGir's Steel.


 [sherpur Correspondence Indian Pioneer.1 The word "Ghazi" has come to mean in
 Western eyes something very different from It's legitimate signihcation. It originally meant conqueror, or great hero, and in this
 sense 1t is used in modern Turkey. Osmau
 Pasha was dubbed 'Ghazi' when his spIendid
 resistance to the Russians saved for time the
 fate of his country, and the title is one held
 in the highest respect by Mahometans From
 conqueror" the meaning has passed into
 lower grades, one Of the commonest being "a
 gallant soldier" Especially combating inidels)
 and at last, in the common course of events it
 has been appropriated in the all-compreheu-
 sve vocabulary of the English language with a distinct and localized meaning. To us now Ghazi is simply man upon whom fanati-
 cism has had so powerful an effect that all
 physical fear of death is swamped in his de- sire to take the life of Ksff1r, and, with his
 soul purified by the blood of the unbelever
 to be translated at once to Paradise. true Ghazi counts no odds too great to face, no
 danger too menRcing to be braved; the cer-
 tainty of death only adds to his exultation
 and, as in the case of other madmen, despera-
 ton and insensibility to consequences add
 enormously to his muscular powers and en-
 durance. To kill such man is sometimes so
 difficult task at close quarters that our men
 have learned to respect their peculiar mode of fighting, and rife bullet at a fair distance checks the GhazTs course before he can close
 
 knife he knows so well how to use. If every Afghan were Ghazi, as ones said during the siege of Sherpur, our defenses would have been carried and enormous slaughter would have followed on both sides; but Ghazis are few aud far between, though spurious imi- tation is not uncommon This imitation Is often taken for the real article, whereas bhang or some other stimulant is the motive power and not desperate fanaticism. The misuse of
 the word "Ghazi" is strikingly seen in the &C.,
 counts of the last war forty years ago. We
 are told of bands of Ghazis, many thousand strong, harrassing the retreating army and
 cutting off stragglers; and these Ghazis are al- ways spoken of as being quite out of the con trol of Akbar Khan. If they had been true Ghszis they would have made short work of
 our little army long before it reached the Khurd OabuI. To see how thousands of | Ghazis are always being spoken of one would imagine they were powerful clan, similar to the Ohlzais, Kohistanis or Afridis; but prac- tical acquaintance with the form fanaticism assumes about Cabul shows only too clearly that out of a crowd of 50, 900 armed fanatics, such as lately held Cabul, not one in a hun dred rises to the supreme rank of a Ghazi. They are not born and bred to the vocation; chance makes them what they are, and our
 men know that stray spark of enthusiasm | may kindle their fanaticism and send them into our midst. The Ghazi is the creature of the moollah. The latters eloquence is lis tened to by some more than usually susoepti- | ble vllager, whose enthusiasm is aroused | to fever heat by glowing story of Q Ghazi l who went out into the infdel camp, cut down | two or three Kafirs and died the death of 8 | martyr, his soul going straight to the laps of the hours, and his name living for ever among his kindred. Shall he not emulate | such glorious example, so that his children | and his children's children may hand down | his name to all generations as a Ghazi Allah | din-a Champion of the Faith? ?" The moo llah's preaching has had it's effect, and Ghazi l has been called into being. If great | iehad is being preached, that man will | always be in the forefront of the battle, and will probably carry the
 standard of his clan, blessed by the moollah l who has aroused the tribesmen. But few weeks ago the arch-moollab, Musgi Adam, sent out his message from Charkh, and how
 well it was responded to we are living witness es With Ghazis in their midst to lead the timorous, and moolahs always at hand to fan their fanaticism, Nahommed Jan's rabble did wonders. How the Ghazis acquitted them selves our men well know, many poor fellows to their cost In the action in the Chardeh Valley the standard bearers rushed in even when our cavalry charged, and no more reck less rush was ever made. Many went down, but about them were others equal in despera- ton. A trooper of the Ninth trensfxed 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 lancer's hand and the tough shaft as if it had been of finder. This is not romano | ing; the trooper is still living, but minus the | fingers of his right hand With au army of l such men against us, even our splendid arms | and steady discipline might avail nothing. l But the true Ghazi is a phenomenon-he, at least, deserves the scientific and sonorous title and even Afghan fanaticism cannot bring | forth many, however great may be the elo- quence of the moollahs.