Showing posts with label Siah Posh Kafirs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Siah Posh Kafirs. Show all posts

Tuesday, 2 November 2021

A Siah-posh Kafir from Katar (Nuristan) with a Pashtun from Swat, 1874

 

Siah-posh Kafir Jamshed from Nuristan with a Pashtun from Swat, 1874
A Siah-posh Kafir named Jamshed from Katar (Nuristan) with a Pashtun from Swat, 1874. From The Illustrated London News, 26 September 1874.
Nuristani dancer wearing black goatskin vest

The London Illustrated News has shared the following info about them:

"The name (Siah-posh Kaffir) denotes nothing more than 'Black dress infidels', as they are called by their Mohammoden neighbours, referring to the shaggy tunic of black hairy goatskin in which these men are usually clothed. The bare-headed man in this attire, with a dagger in his right hand appears just as he did when he brought down to Peshawar. The one with an axe, standing by a small tree or bamboo, with a turbaned Swati seated below, is the identical person now with Dr. Leitner in London. His name is Jamshed from Katar, is the Hindoo Koosh; he has blue eyes and reddish hair. He was captured in youth, with others of his family, by the Cabul slave-traders; and his uncle Feramore rose in the service of the Ameer of Cabul to high military rank, but was murdered in his camp near Herat in the civil war against the Ameer's rebellious son, Prince Yakub Khan."

                        Nuristani dancer in the video is wearing black goatskin vest. Source

Siah-posh Kafir portrait
Siah-posh Kafir group portrait

Tuesday, 31 August 2021

The people of Panjshir and Andarab were tributary to Siah Posh Kafirs (of present-day Nuristan) in medieval times


In 14th century the people of Panjshir and Andarab were raided and bullied by Siah Posh (black-clad) people of "Kafiristan" (present-day Nuristan). Siah-Posh "Kafirs" exacted annual tribute from the Muslims of these regions. Upon failure to pay the tribute, the Siah Poshan would slay the men, and enslave their women and children.

When Amir Timur arrived at Andarab, the chiefs of that country came and cast themselves at his feet, asking him to deliver them from the oppression of Siah-Posh Kafirs. This is reported by Zafarnama of Sharf al-Din Yazdi. 

The people of Panjshir (known as Panjhir پنجهیر in medieval times) were under the thumbs of Siah-Posh Kafirs even in the times of Mughal king Babur. The latter writes: " Panjhir is another tuman; it lies close to Kafiristan, along the Panjhir road, and is the thoroughfare of Kafir highway-men who also, being so near, take tax of it. They have gone through it, killing a mass of persons, and doing very evil deeds, since I came this last time and conquered Hindustan."




This drawing of a Siah Posh Kafir is from "The Illustrated London News", published on September 26, 1874.



Panjshir calley