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A HISTORICAL AND ETHNOLOGICAL SKETCH 45<br />
settlement in the neighbourhood. In the Tarikh-i-Sher<br />
Shahi of 'Abbas Khan, a valuable authority, we find<br />
Chakur Eind established at Satgarha in Sher Shah's time, 1<br />
and the Baloches in possession of the whole Multan<br />
country, from which Sher Shah expelled them. It is<br />
evident that they would have been on this account disposed<br />
to join Humayun in his expedition to recover his kingdom<br />
from the Afghans, and although there is no historical<br />
evidence of the fact, the legend makes it very probable<br />
that they did so.<br />
It is not very clear how the Baloches came to be in<br />
complete possession of the Multan country. Shah Bug<br />
Arghun, after overthrowing the Sammas of Sindh, turned<br />
his arms against the Langahs of Multan, and was opposed<br />
at Uchh by an army of Baloches and Langahs. He was<br />
victorious, and advanced on Multan in a.h. 931 (a.d. 1524)<br />
where Shah Mahmud Langah was reigning. The army<br />
which opposed him is said to have been composed of<br />
Baloch, Jat, Bind, Dodal and other tribes. 2 The Shah was<br />
poisoned by Sheikh Shuja', his son-in-law, and the his-<br />
torian says :<br />
' The army, which consisted chiefly of<br />
Baloches, being thus deprived of its head, the greatest<br />
confusion reigned.' The son of the deceased king was<br />
placed on the throne, but the place fell into the hands<br />
of the Arghuns. 3 The conquest of Dehli by Babar followed<br />
almost immediately, and Shah Beg admitted his supremacy.<br />
It is evident that the Baloches were in great force in the<br />
South Panjab at this period, and they were in complete<br />
possession of the country, as has been seen, in Sher Shah's<br />
time. The Binds seem to have spread up the valleys of<br />
1 E. D., iv. 399, etc.<br />
2 Tarkhan-nama in E. D., i. 314. Dodai should evidently be read<br />
for Dadi.<br />
3 Darmesteter (' Chants des Afghanes,' p. 172) mixes up the Arghuns<br />
and the Baloch. He says :<br />
' Elle (i.e., la dynastie des Langahs) est<br />
renversie par la dynastie belucie des Arghuns, et la tribu des Langahs<br />
est exterminee.' The Langah tribe still exists in the neighbourhood<br />
of Leia.
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