Jesus In India — Page 183
APPENDIX were led by him out of Bokhtnassr's dominions, and con- ducted to the Kohistan of Ghor, where their descendants settled. Their number increased daily; and people called them Bani Israel, Bani Asif, and Bani Afghanah. Page 64. Fareed Uddeen Ahmed, in the beginning of his discourse, says on this point: “Concerning the denomi- nation, 'Afghan, some have written, that they, after their expulsion, ever bearing in mind their wonted abode, uttered bewailings and lamentations )افغان Afghanand were on that account called 'Afghan. ” See Sir J. Malcolm's History of Persia, Vol. I. p. 101, where the same derivation of this word is mentioned. . . Farid Uddeen Ahmed mentions, that in standard works, as in the Tareekh Afghani, Tareekh Ghori, and oth- ers, it is asserted that the Afghans were, for the greater part, Israelites, and some Copts. See also Abul Fazl, P. ii. p. 178: "Some Afghans consider themselves to be of Egyptian extraction; asserting, that when the Children of Israel returned from Jerusalem to Egypt, this tribe emi- grated to Hindoostan. ” Page 65. The Afghans, according to almost all the Oriental historians, believe themselves to be descended from the Jews; an opinion that was even adopted, or considered probable, by some modern writers. . . . . . The use of Jewish names, which the Afghans employ, is undoubtedly attrib- utable to their being Mussulmans. . . . The only proof that might be adduced in favour of their pretended Jewish 173