Pashtun Horse Merchants in 1816: Images from the Fraser Album

The following painting, commissioned by William Fraser between 1816 and 1820, depicts Pashtun horse merchants belonging to the Miani, Bakhtiari, and Gandapur tribes of the present-day Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as a Ghilzai from Ghazni. They brought horses to Delhi for sale and were painted there. The figures were originally identified in Persian by William Fraser himself on the cover paper, which was later transcribed by E.S. Fraser as follows: 

1st figure. Gool Khan, an Affghan of Kundulpore, a Chlashie or tent pitcher.

2d. Namdar Khan, an Affghan, native of Damaun and nephew of Timorr Khan. 

3d. Ismael Khan, a Ghiljee Patan native of Ghaznee. 

4th. Loll Khan, a Buchtiaree, native of Drabaun in Damaun, a very rich merchant. 

5th. Nadir Khan, an Affghan, son of Timoor Khan. 

6th. Ozman Ghunee Khan, a Mearee Patan, nephew of Timoor Khan. 

7th. Timoor Khan, a Mearee Patan, a rich merchant inhabitant of the town of Drabaun. 

8. Imanee of the Sullum tribe, a native of Khorasan, servant of Tymoor Khan. These merchants brought capital horses to Dehlee for sale.

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The following painting, commissioned by William Fraser between 1816 and 1820, depicts five Pashtun and three Uzbek horse merchants. They brought horses to Delhi for sale and were painted there. The figures are transcribed by E.S.Fraser as follows:

1st figure: Damood Mahomed Khan, an Afghan, native of Drabun, servant of Huleem Khan.

2d: Yacoob Oozbeck, a rich merchant, native of Bokhara.

3d: Seyed Oollah Khan. A Mearee Patan, native of Damaun at Komul.

4th: Ghazee Khan Ghoree, a native of Drabun and servant of Huleem Khan.

5th: Huleem Khan, a Mearee Patan an inhabitant of the town of Ghaznee and a person of importance among his own tribe.

6th: Moollah Ullah Nuzzer, son of Meerza Jumun, an Oozbeck.

7th: Goolistan of the Bakhtiaree tribe, a merchant of the town of Daman.

8th: Meerza Jummun, an Oozbeck, an eminent and rich merchant of Bokhara.

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The fifth figure in the following painting, dressed in blue with a large peshkabz, is a Durrani Pashtun from Kandahar; he is a horse merchant and jeweler in Delhi on business. The rest of the figures are non-Pashtuns from Kabul, Kandahar, and Constantinople.

The inscription identifies the figures as:

"1 figure Kureem Beg, a Moghul of the tribe of Sasmun, native of Kand'har.

2nd figure Moolab Baba, of an Arab tribe, born at Shahabanee, but residing at Bokhara, a Scholar come to study with Ghulam Allee at Dehlee.

3rd figure Mudubak, a native of Caubul, who became a religious recluse at Dehlee.

4th figure Moluvee Abdul-Kaudar, Toork, born at Constantinople, who came to Dehlee upon a pilgrimage to Shah Gholaum Allee.

5th figure Khan Mahomed Dooraunee, (descended from Poopul) a Patan born at Kand'har, a horse merchant and jeweller, who came to Dehlee on business"

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In the following painting, commissioned by William Fraser, the armed man in the blue turban is identified as an Afghan named Deen Muhammad from Hyderabad, Sindh; he was in the service of Syed Mir Jalaluddin, the man to his right.

The inscription identifies the figures as:

"1 figure Deen Mahomed Affahan a native of Hyderabad the capital of Scind, a servant of Meer Jellaludeen

2nd figure Seyed Jellaludeen a native of Hyderabad of Scind

3rd figure Goolab Sing, of the Kulla cast, a native of Chum-Koor on the banks of the river Sutlej

4th figure Seedee Barral an inhabitant of Kallaal, nine days' journey from Kandahar"

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