Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-04-22
THE SWAT VALLEY.
And It's Cruel Type OF Native Indian
Inhabitants.


1t cannot be said that the Swat va
fiety OF Pathan is very attractive per
son. Among Pathans the Swatis looI
somewhat puny and in face not less
ill-favored. The type is intensely
Semitic, and the race here fanatically
Mohammedan. 1t would be unfair t.
judge of what standard of civilization
they may be capable just now, for ou1
system of order has not yet taken root
and murder and theft are still things
of everyday life. Two mornings before
my arrival a Sepoy, i'll of continent
smallpox, was stabbed to death in an
isolated tent, and it is to be devoutly
hoped that the public prophecy of the
| political officer of its visitation on the
murderer or murderess may be fulfilled
Only a short time since his sails went
down to the polo ground in the upper
valley with pony. On the way he was
| killed by Dirghar Swat, who evidently
wanted to get hold of the animal, but,
| after mounting it, took the wrong road,
| and galloped into party of Sil<hs re-
| turning from drill. One of them
promptly hit the pony over the nose,
and the scoundrel fell into their arms.
BY ten O'Clock the same morning he had
paid the penalty of his crime. This sort
of outrage is common enough, and
Swat opinion, such as it is, does not
condemn the murderer of ''kaffir,"
white or black, Sikh or English; but
to kill a Sahib is too dangerous to the
tribal pocket and the tribal existence
to be lightly attempted. Before long
the district will settle down to more
peaceful state. From an archaeological
and religious standpoint, this part of
the country is full of peculiar interest,
for these Swat valleys were the very seat
and center of early Buddhism. No
mound is ever disturbed without great
quantities of Buddhist relics and OBJ
jects of worship being discovered. First
of all, there are the statues of Asoka
himself; then groups collected round
him after the manner of medieval pic
lures of the alterations; and lastly,
friezes of classical kind.
The taste and style are somewhat
varied, the later ones betraying the
usual evidence of Hindu influence in
the grotesqueness of their art. Most
of the earlier kind are full of Greek
types, and were, undoubtedly, the re-
suit of the conquest of India the same
way our force went up to Alexander
the Great. At Chukudurra, ten miles
beyond the Malakund, there is a bridge
over the Swat river, at place where
tradition says a certain portion of Al
eXander's army crossed, coming into
Chitral. In the museums some of these
Buddhist memorials have been placed
together, and in that way show how
high was the artistic power of the art
lists of early days. Such is the fanat-
icism of the Swat population even now
that they hardly ever bring in Buddha
without first initiating him by chipping
off the classic nose. Very properly the
finds thus spoilt earn no reward. 1t is
just this fanaticism that requires keep
ing in check. The brigade at Malakund,
and at the various posts and forts, is
kept at full strength, and not without
need. Even so, it strikes the most casual
critic that it is too near the base and
too concentrated to keep the Chitral
road as open as it ought to be. A half
way house will soon have to be found
and furnished.
In April, 1895, the pass was held, as
your readers will recollect, against the
advancing expedition by a large num-
Der of mountain tribesmen, probably
to the number of Is, 900, and it was gen.
orally believed in the countryside that
il was impregnable. The people of the
lower valley, who, as rule, took nc
part. came up in consequence day or
two after the fair, to see the fun. They
told our men they were sure the heights
would never be taken under two days
For a time the ridges round and above
the existing fort were occupied by the
Swatis, fighting behind ''sangas," or
stoneworks. which have already been
used up elsewhere. What disconnected |
them altogether was the artillery fire |
from a small elevation opposite, where
by the groups We're quickly scattered. |
Then followed the gallant charge of |
the English regiments up the steep |
slopes of the hill. with the guides com !
ing over the topmost ridge. The mo- |
ment a number of them reached level |
ground n charge OF the guides was or
dered and great execution was done, |
after which the retreat of the tribes /
men became regular rout. What is
to the eye is the immense diff
ffculty of getting over the ground with
out any regular road. At that time
the only one even partially available
for some of the way was an old Bud
ihist road of pilgrimage, which had to
be uncovered as our force advanced.
Now through the pass there Is a SPLEEN
did mountain road which would do
credit to the best of engineers, and up
10 the Panchort beyond it is ''pudda"
highway of the first class. In the In
liam empire, as in the Roman empire
Of old, it is the high road which is the
secret, as it is the forerunner of civil
ization. Though the tribes of the Swat
ALLEY may still look askance at our
and resent our presence,
before many years are past. as with the
'eshawur valley SO with theirs, order
lnder the Raj will be firmly and peace
uIIy established up even to the further
INIT of the boundary commission
or. London Telegraph.
MARRIAGEABLE AGE.