HOSTILE TRIBES MASSING.
THE ROAD BLOCKED.
' - Calcutta, March 27. Hostile tribes are gathering in great force round Chitral, and the road is blocked. • [Umra Khan, who has been mentioned in several cable messages as one of the chief opponents of the British in.Chitral,.is one of the most notorious and desperate chiefs of the Indian frontier. Even amongst the lawless clans of Yaghanistan he has'gained a reputation for boldness and craft that is quite unique. He'wae one of the younger sons of Aman Khan, hereditary ruler of Jandol, one of the four divisions of Bajau'r. On Aman's death in 1879 his eldest son succeeded to tho Khanship, whareupon Umra sought refuge in British About 1881 he decided to return to his native country, and set about making a name for himself by personal prowess. Stealing a Snider rifle and ammunition,1, ho made way to Jandol, shot his unsuspicious brother the Khan, and ulsq sereral followers who sought to avenge him. ' Then, through the intervention of his mother, Umra : got himself acknowledged aa chief of the, tribe in place of his murdered brother. By encouraging the theft of rifles from the Anglo Indian Army by the border tribes he got together some 40 Sniders. Ho organised a corps of 80 mounted men, the only cavalry in that part of the' world. This force he has since strengthened, and he has now a considerable army, both horse and foot. Mahomed Sharif, Khan of Dir, another division of Bajaur, found it politic to surrender four villages to his dangerous neighbour. But not satisfied with this, Umra allied himself with Miah Gul (eon of the famous Akhond of Swat), and defeated Mahomed, and then turned round on his ally, and in turn inflicted humiliations on him. Now we hear of this daring adventurer assisting the usurping Mehtar of. Chitral, himself a fratricide, whom the British authorities have ordered to quit the country, though Umra is a brother-in-law of the murdered ruler, and as he is able to command a large following serious trouble is imminent.]
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Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 74, 28 March 1895, Page 5
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340HOSTILE TRIBES MASSING. Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 74, 28 March 1895, Page 5
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