An Inquiry Into the Ethnography of Afghanistan/Preface
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By H. W. Bellew
The Oriental University Institute, Woking, 1891
Preface
A FEW words are necessary to inform the reader how this " Inquiry into the Ethnography of Afghanistan " came to be written by me.
In the beginning of this year, when invited by Professor G. W. Leitner to join the Ninth International Congress of Orientalists, to be held in London in September, 1891, I was at the same time asked to contribute a Paper or Monograph towards the work of the Congress. I had no hesitation in accepting the invitation to join the Congress as a member ; but to become a contributor to its work was quite another thing. For some time I was in doubt whether I could offer anything worthy the attention of the learned men who would take part in the work of the Congress.
I happened to have by me a mass of miscellaneous notes and memoranda, and carried in my head a variety of information- acquired amongst the people themselves — all relating to the in-habitants of Afghanistan, and which I had thought of embodying in a book which I intended some day to write as a record of my experiences and observations during a long and exceptionally varied career in the active service of Her Most Gracious Majesty's Grovemment of India. But that "some day," from one cause and another, seems to be as intangible as the term itself is indefinite. Reflecting on this, it occurred to me that the present occasion offered a good opportunity to put before the public some part of what up to the present time remained with myself as so much useless information — useless from want of participation in it with others better qualified than myself to utilize the materials collected for the advancement of knowledge by the elucidation of the truth from the various data. I therefore decided to prepare, as a Monograph for the Congress, an Inquiry into the Ethno- graphy of Afghanistan, confident that — however defective the Inquiry itself must necessarily be under the hurried conditions of its execution — it would at all events furnish the Orientalists with an inviting subject for investigation and further research.
In the course of the Inquiry, I have, amongst other identifications, identified certain tribes now inhabiting Afghanistan as the
[page iv] representatives of the posterity of the Greeks who anciently ruled in that country. But I have not had time to enter into this subject as largely as it deserves ; though I may here state that the discoveries recorded in this Inquiry regarding these tribes of Greek descent are not for that reason to be rejected off-hand-Because, if anything is required by way of proof to substantiate the accuracy of my identifications in this connection, no evidence could be more conclusive than the fact, that the vocabulary of the language they at this day speak as their vernacular dialect is to the extent of one half, more or less — more rather than less either unaltered Greek or Greek changed so little from the original as to be easily recognisable.
With regard to the other numerous tribes dealt with, I have had no time to do more than record and suggest identifications en passant. But those of Rajput descent deserve especial attention, from an historical point of view, owing to their intimate connection anciently with the Greeks whose posterity I have above referred to. For the rest, I must perforce let my Paper now go forth to the Congress for what it is worth, carrying its defects and its deficiencies with it.
H. W. BELLEW.
Fabnham Royal.
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