The Clio messenger., 1921-09-29


Moslem country, now that the power
Of the Turkish caliph at CONSTANT
nople is broken, he wields far-reach-
Ing influence throughout the Moham-
medan world. And 1t is probably that
because his land happens to lie just
as Ii does on the map Of the world, be
will be for long time to come an
active force In the political destinies
of middle Asia.
The amir's word. his veriest whim,
is law to his millions Of subjects. He
Is, In truth, the last of the despots,
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 prisoner from the
cannon'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 a quick, though
violent, exodus to paradise rather than
suffer long Imprisonment In a filthy
iron cage, perhaps to die eventually
of starvation.
The way of the transgressor in At
ghanistan continues to be uncommonly
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 physical
affliction may hold 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 conspicuous
features are the high peaks in the
northeast; where 1t touches the great
Hindu Kush, the Tirach Mir attains Il
HciSut Va oNti -o,OOU lttt.
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
has flowed over these high passes,
and the story goes that often these
annual caravans number as many 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-AryaD
Tadjiks, who iEhabit the settlements
and large towns the Mongollan Haza-
rahs. who roam the mountainous cen
tral regions Of the country. and the
Turkomans 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
Kandahar to the west, toward Herat.
The tribes are divided into minor
clans, called "khel." and they live al.
most entirely Off their herds of cattle
camels and sheep.
Persian culture has nodded the so
cial life In Afghanistan through cen
turies; Notwithstanding the religious
hatred between the SunnIs and the
Shias, Persian customs have been more
or less adopted In the upper ranks
of all middle Asiatlc Moslem society.
From the Persians the Afghans got the
ideu of marrying more than one wife; {;
but. like the Persians. too, they have
found TO their dismay that polygamy
is nowadays a most expensive custom.
Amir HabIbullah Khan (who was
assassinated In 1919) had harem of
100 women, and among these, strange
ly enough, we're a few Europeans. The
present amir, Amanullah Khan, has
but one wife.
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