The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-10-19

MOslem country, now that the power
of the Turkish caliph at CONSTANT.
nople is broken, he yields far-reach-
! ing influence throughout the Moham-
medan world. And it is probably that
because his land happens to lie just
as 1t does on the map Of the world, he
will be for long time to come an
active force in the political destinies
Of middle Asia.
The amir's word, his veriest whin,
Is law to his millions of subjects. He
is. In truth. the last of the despots, a
sort of modern oriental patriarch on
grand scale. His judgments are, of
course, based primarily on the Koran,
or on the common law of the land.
There Is no statute book, no penal
code and no court.
The amir reserves to himself the
right of passing death sentences. The
cruel Afghan forms of punishment,
such as shooting a prisoner from the
lannon's muzzle, sabering off his head.
stoning him to death, burying him
alive, cutting off his hands and feet
or putting out his eyes, are seldom EN-.
ployed nowadays; yet often the crimi-
nal himself will choose quick, though
violent, exodus to paradise rather than
suffer long Imprisonment in filthy
iron cage, perhaps to die eventually
of starvation.
The way Of the transgressor in Az
ghanistan continues to be uncomlnonly
hard, however. Time and again. in
the recorded history of this land, de.
posed amirs, troublesome relatives and
political enemies have been deliber-
ately blinded, there being a tradition
here that no man with any physIca,
affiiction may hold a public office of
honor or profit.
Its Mountains and Tribes.
Politically, Afghanistan Is divided
into four provinces: Afghan Turke.
stan, Kabul, Kandahar and Herat,
geographically Its most conspicuou.
features are the high peaks in the
northeast; where 1t touches the great
Hindu Kush. the Tirach Mir attains a
height Of over $4,000 feet.
Through these mountains of north.
east Afghanistan wind some of the
most picturesque and historic trails of
the whole world. For centuries the
trade between Turkestan and India
mas flowed over these high masses
and the story goes that often these
annual caravans number as mapy as
10000 loaded animals, including cam.
els, mules and horses.
Afghanistan is Babel of races and
tongues; more than half it's population
are not Afghans at all. The majority
group embraces the Iranian.Aryap
TadjikS, who irhabit the settlements
and large towns; the Mongolian Hazo.
rahs, who roam the mountainous cen.
trail regions of the country. and the
rurkomans and Uzbegs of northern
Afghanistan. The real Afghans or
"Pahtos' PathanS). as they call them.
selves live In the high ranges stretch.
Ing from the Solimans past Ghazni and
handahar to the west, toward Herat
The tribes are divided into minor
clans. called "khel." and thew 1.-Two nj.
most entirely Off their herds of cat.,e
camels and sheep
Persian culture has nodded tho 90.
rlal life in Afghanistan through con.
1ur'eS; Notwithstanding the Religions
hatred between the Sunnis and tho
Shias. Persian customs have been moro
or less adopted in the upper RANKS
OF all middle Asiatic Moslem sociotv
from the Persians the Afyhans got tho
lden of marrying more than ono VITO.
nut like the rerSians. too they b,vo
round t" their diSmay that polvynnv
Is nowadays a most expensive custun
Amir Hahibullah Khan twho w,.
assaSsiHnted in. 1870 had n borer,
iH' women. ard among these s,r,n,.
~ e"o"sh' were ~ few E,,rnr,rrs 80
present amir. Amanu!al
but one Nifr