Malik Mehr Dil Mahsud: The Pashtun Who Rebuffed and Attempted to Slap Jawaharlal Nehru

Malik Mehr-Dil Mahsud ends the conference before Nehru has finished his speech by raising his arm at Nehru. Robin Hodson (the Political Agent of South Waziristan) intervenes. Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Malik Mehr Dil Khan Mal Khel Manzaey Mahsud of Karma had been a fearless raider of his time. In 1919 he raised a lashkar and fought against the British. Later, however, he turned pro-British. In 1925 a murderer was arrested from his house in Tank for which he and his son were arrested. However his significant influence within the tribe and loyalty to the British helped him avoid serious trouble. For his services to the British, he was awarded the title "Khan Sahib" in 1928. [1] [2]

In 1947 Nehru and Dr Khan Sahib met a Mahsud jirga in South Waziristan. Robin Hodson, who was the political agent of South Waziristan and witnessed Nehru's address to the Jirga there, wrote: "Instead of remaining seated, to my astonishment Nehru got up and started addressing the tribesmen as though he were at a political rally, waving his arms around and marching up and down. At Jirga it is custom to sit on the ground and the person addressing the meeting would be seated on chair".  Robin Hodson is actually incorrect here. In traditional Pashtun jirgas, the speaker stands, as Nehru did, while the others remain seated.The colonial practice of a British officer sitting on a chair, dictating terms or issuing warnings to seated Pashtun elders, and then labeling those interactions as 'jirgas,' represented a distortion of the traditional institution..

Nehru spoke to the Mahsuds in Urdu, which the Mahsuds probably did not understand well. However, they did understand the insult he directed at them when he said that those present were debauched by British bribery. It struck a nerve of Malik Mehr Dil, who told Nehru: ''Hindu, if the British pay us money, there is a good reason. Our private parts are of extraordinary size as you will find out to your cost before long" [3]. With that Mehr-Dil advanced towards Nehru with intention of giving him a backhanded slap, but the the Political agent intervened.

The son of Malik Mahr-Dil Mahsud, Mir Badshah, joined British-Indian Army and lost one of his eyes in the First World War [4]. The one-eyed Mir Badshah led a large lashkar of Mahsud tribesmen to fight the Indians in Kashmir in 1948. Alam Jan, a grandson of Mahr-Dil, joined Pakistan Army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. [5]

Hostile Malik tribesmen squat in a wide semi-circle and listen glumly as Pandit Nehru begins to talk, pointing his finger towards them for added emphasis. Malik Mehr-Dil Mahsud is sitting in the front. Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Hostile Malik tribesmen squat in a wide semi-circle and listen glumly as Pandit Nehru begins to talk, pointing his finger towards them for added emphasis. Malik Mehr-Dil Mahsud is sitting in the front. Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Mahsud tribesmen walk out as Nehru (seated left) and his party sit by silently. After Nehru had called them "pitiful pensioners", they shouted at him "Islam is in danger". Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Mahsud tribesmen walk out as Nehru (seated left) and his party sit by silently. After Nehru had called them "pitiful pensioners", they shouted at him "Islam is in danger". Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Notes and References 1- "Khan Sahib" was a title conferred by the British-Indian government on their subjects. It was a title one degree lower than Khan Bahadur, but higher than that of Khan. 2- "History of the Pathans" , By Haroon Rashid, Vol-V, p-66 3- The Pathan Unarmed: Opposition & Memory in the North West Frontier By Mukulika Banerjee, p-185 4-  "History of the Pathans" , By Haroon Rashid, Vol-V, p-67 5- http://www.petaro.org/staff-adjutants/adj-alam-jan.htm

Local Pashtun tribesmen hurl stones at Pandit Nehru's convoy from embankment near Landi Kotal fort in the Khyber Pass. Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.