'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1865 to December 1867. (Edited by the Honorary Secretary.) Volume XVIII.' [‎40] (175/268)

40
NOTES ON ME KEAN.
E ious faith took rise, and spread over all Mekran, about the era of the
Tt 1 and the majority of the inhabitants, including the Ameers,
nTme derived from their h.bit of repeating » set formula, "Had,
Midi" [Mehdi is our guide] whieh serves for all devotional observance,
they believe that this last and greatest of prophet. Mebd, appeared
Kef and having brought a new dispensation, abolished all older fo,„
ofreligion- At the present time this sent is tolerably numerous ,u some
oarts of Mekran, but the most respectable portion of the inhabitant,
f , i a-e, Tdeim and the Zikrees, though unmolested, are no
longer held in good repute.
In the latter part of this period Poordil Khan, a Nowsherwanee
Belooch and native of Kharan, acquired great notoriety m Mekran.
He is the favorite hero of the Mekranees, and his exploits form the
burden of most of their ballads. His achievements have little to do
with Mekran history, but the Mekranees mix his name up so with it
in their somewhat confused accounts, that it is well to assign him his
proper position, which may be likened to that of Rob Roy Macgregor,
of Highland renown. His life was spent in raiding, and not content
with looting the adjacent Mekran districts, he boldly entered Persian
territory, and much to the approval of all Beloochees, succeeded in
carrying'off large booty from Minab in Persia. His forays at length
attracted the attention of Nadir Shah, who took measures to effectually
crush him. Reduced to extremities Poordil Khan fled first to Khelat,
and then to Sind, but obtaining no aid from the rulers, resolved to throw
himself on Nadir’s mercy. His bold avowal of all his hostile deeds so
took that monarch’s fancy, that he was not only forgiven, but a force
placed at his disposal to enable him to make himself master of Kej
Mekran, of which he was promised the government; he is said to have
set out on this expedition, but ere reaching Kej was seized with
small-pox and died, on which the expedition was broken up. Much
of all this is probably fabulous, but an expedition later against the
Kharan Beloochees, and their chas-
Firfe appended Extract. No. 2. . . -i • Tifp
tisement are mentioned m tne niie
of Nadir. The present Azan Khan of Kharan is a descendant of
Poordil Khan, and seemed recently to have a notion of emulating the
deeds of his renowned ancestor.
Some time between the vears 1 730 and 1/40, Sheik Bilar Boleidee