The San Francisco call., 1897-06-27
THE SWAT VALLEY
And Its Cruel Type Of Native IndiaI
Inhabitants.

And Its Cruel Type Of Native Indian
Inhabitants.
1t cannot be said that the Swat variety
Of Pathan is very attractive person.
Among Pdthans the Swatis look some
v hat puny and in face not less ill-favored.
The type is intensely Semitic. and the
race here fanatically Mohammedan. 1t
would be unfair to Judge of what standard
OF civilization they may be capable Just
now, for our system of order has not yet
taken root, and murder and theft are still
things OF everyday life. Two mornings
before my arrival Sepoy, i'll of
confluent smallpox, was stabbed to
death in an isolated tent, and it is to De
deyoutly hoped that the public prophecy
OF the political officer Of its visitation on
the murderer or murderess NAV be full
filled. Only short time since his sails
went down to the polo ground in the up
per valley with a pony. On the way he
was killed by q Dirghar Swat, who evi =
IDENTIFY wanted TO get mold of the animal
but after mounting it took the wrong roa
and galoped into partV of Sikhs return
ing from drill. One OF them promptly
hit the pony over the nose, and the
scoundrel fell into their arms By 10
O'Clock the same morning he had paid
the penalty OF his crime. This sort of out
rage is common enough, and Swat opin-
ion, such as il is. does not condemn the
murder OF "Ksffir," white or black, Sikh
or English; but TO kill a Sahib is too
dangerous to the tribal POCKET and the
tribal existence 20 be lightly attem m pied.
Before long the district will settle down
10 more peaceful state.
From an archaeological and religious
standpoint this part OF the country is fnlI
OF a peculiar interest, for these Swat
I H. 49,
early Buddh hism. No mound is ever dis
turbed without great quantities of Budd-
hist relics and objects of worship being
discovered. First of all. there are the
statues of Asoka himself; then groups
collected round him after the manner of
the medieval pictures of the alteration !;
| and lastly, frfeZes OF q classical kino
/ The taste and style are somewhat varied
! the later ones betraying the usual evi-
dence of Hindu influence in the gFotesdue-
ness of their art Most OF the earlier kind
are full OF Greek types, and were, un-
doubtedly, the result of the conquest OF
Alexander the Great. At Chukdurra, ten
miles beyond the MalaEund, there is a
bridge over the Swat River, at q place
where tradition says certain portion OF
Alexander's army crossed, coming into
India the same way our forces went into
Chitral.
In the museums some of these Budd-
mist me moTIals have been pleced together
and in that way show how high was the
artistic power of artists OF early days
Sdch is the fanaticism of the Swat popu-
iation even now that they hardly ever
bring In Buddha without first Initiating
him BY chipping OF the classic nose.
Very properly the 6uCs thus spoiled earn
no reward. Ii is just this fanaticism that
requires keeping IN check. The brigade
st Melakund, and at the various posts and
} forts, is kept at full strength, and not
without need. Even 50 it strikes the most
casual critic that it is too near the base
and too concentrated 10 keep the Chitrai
road as open as il 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 reeollect, against the advane-
ing expedition by q large number OF
mountain tribesmen, probably to the
num- Der of Il. 900, ana 1t was generally be-
/ lieved in the countryside that ii was i'm
! preghaole. The people of the lower val
/ ley. who as q rule took no part, came up
/ in consequences day or two after the fair
/ 10 see the fun. They told our men that
| they were sure the heights would never be
taken under two days. For a time the
/ ridges round and above the existing for
were occupied By the Swats, lighting be-
''sangas. or stone works, which have al
ready been used up elsewhere. What dis
concerted them altogether vas the aTtil-