Kakar

Kakar, a large division of the Afghan people, between the Ghilzaes and Baluchistan N. and S., and conterminous on the W. with the Waziri. Since 1881 Yaghistan ("Free Land"), as they call their territory, has been brought within the advanced frontier of British India towards Candahar. The Kakars are not the fierce and bellicose hillmen that they have been represented, but, on the contrary, peaceful pastoral nomads, who encamp in small groups of three or four families under their kizhdi (black tents), and some of whom take part in the caravan trade between Herat and India. All are Mohammedans, and speak a Pushtu (Afghan) dialect, although doubts have been thrown on their Afghan origin, some affiliating them to the Turki race, others regarding them as fundamentally Rajputs or perhaps Jats. There are two detached groups, the Gaduns of the Mahaban and Chach valleys north of Attock, and the Taimani Char-Aimak of the Ghor Mountains, both of whom claim to be pure Kakars. Of the Kakars proper there are nine main divisions: Jala, Musa, Kadi, Usman, Khidar, Abdula, Kabi, Hamza, Shabo, with whom Elphinstone includes the Sanatials; total population, about 200,000.