In the same sense in the Ain Akbari.
Clerkship is also the predominant occupation of the East-Indians, and
hence the term Karani is applied to them from their business, and not from
their mixt blood. We shall see hereafter that there is a Tartar term
Arghun, applied to fair children born of a Mongol mother and white
father; it is possible that there may have been a correlative word like
Karaun (from Kara, black) applied to dark children born of Mongol
father and black mother, and that this led Marco to a false theory.
[Major Sykes (Persia) devotes a chapter (xxiv.) to The Karwan
Expedition in which he says: "Is it not possible that the Karwanis are
the Caraonas of Marco Polo? They are distinct from the surrounding
Baluchis, and pay no tribute." - H. C.]
[Illustration: Portrait of a Hazara.]
Let us turn now to the name of Nogodar. Contemporaneously with the
Karaunahs we have frequent mention of predatory bands known as
Nigudaris, who seem to be distinguished from the Karaunahs, but had a
like character for truculence. Their headquarters were about Sijistan, and
Quatremere seems disposed to look upon them as a tribe indigenous in that
quarter. Hammer says they were originally the troops of Prince Nigudar,
grandson of Chaghatai, and that they were a rabble of all sorts, Mongols,
Turkmans, Kurds, Shuls, and what not.
