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ORAKZAI

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 145 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ORAKZAI , a See also:

Pathan tribe on the See also:Kohat border of the See also:North-See also:West Frontier See also:Province of See also:India. The Orakzais inhabit the mountains to the north-west of Kohat See also:district, bounded on the N. and E. by the Afridis, on the S. by the Miranzai valley and on the W. by the See also:Zaimukht See also:country and the Safed Koh mountains. Their name means " lost tribes," and their origin is buried in obscurity; though they resemble the Afghans in See also:language, features and many of their customs, they are rejected by them as brethren. One See also:branch, the See also:Ali Khel, has been traced to See also:Swat, whence they were expelled by the other inhabitants, z Farnell, Cults, vol. iv. p. 300, Hibbert Lectures, pp. 139-152. a See also:Aelian, See also:Var. Hist, iii. 44: Anth. See also:Pal. xiv. 71 and 74. and it is not improbable that the whole tribe consists of refugee clans of the surrounding races.

They are very wiry-looking mountaineers, but they are not as See also:

fine men or as brave fighters as their neighbours the Afridis. They cultivate a See also:good See also:deal of the Khanki and Kurmana valleys in the See also:winter, but in the hot months retire to the heights of See also:Tirah, of which they occupy the See also:southern See also:half called the Mastura valley. They have been estimated at 28,000 fighting men, but this estimate must be largely exaggerated, as the country could not possibly support the consequent See also:population of over 1oo,000. They have been the See also:object of various See also:British military expeditions, notably in 1855, 1868, 1869, 1881, and the Tirah See also:campaign of 1897.

End of Article: ORAKZAI

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