Sunday 13 March 2016

"Sir Bolan" (Sar Buland), an Achakzai Chief (c.1878)




Haji Sar Buland Khan , an Achakzai Chief (the one sitting on chair), c.1878. Photo by Sir Benjamin Simpson.

In the original caption he is named "Sir Bolan". But neither he was knighted nor he was named after the region of Bolan. The name sounded like "Sir Bolan" to the British photographer but his actual name was Sar Buland (سربلند). His father name was Yar Muhammad Khan. During First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-42), the two leading chiefs of the Achakzai tribe were Sar Buland Khan Achakzai and Abdullah Khan Achakzai (the founder of Qila Abdullah). Sar Buland Khan supported the cause of Shah Shuja Saddozai+British while Abdullah Khan supported the Barakzais and died fighting the British. [See Quetta-Pishin Gazetteer 1907 for reference)..


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