Miangul Abdul Wadud, the Wali of Swat state (photos)

Miangul Abdul Wadud (left), Miangul Jahanzeb (center), Miangul Aurangzeb (right), December 1947. Photo by Margaret Bourke-White. Miangul Abdul Wadood was founder of the Princely state of Swat. Although he was popularly referred to as "Bacha" (king) by Swatis, he was not allowed by the British to have such title officially and he had to content with the title of Wali. Miangul Jahanzaib was his son and the last ruler of Swat state. Miangul Aurangzeb was Miangul Jahanzaib's son.

The daily exercise of Miangul Abdul Wadud, the founder of the princely state of Swat (now part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), was to climb a thousand-foot peak in afternoon.

Margaret Bourke-White who took this photo in December 1947, writes : "I was photographing this potentate one afternoon, in his air-conditioned palace, when the time came for his exercise. Since his daily stint is to climb a thousand foot-peak, I hoped to photograph him in the first few feet of the peak. To my dismay I found the lower part of the mountain in shadow ; the sun was swiftly sinking behind the jagged peaks.

Far ahead of me the Wali leaped up the crags like a mountain goat, followed closely by his guards. ("Halfway to freedom" by Margaret Bourke-White)

December 1947: Miangul Abdul Wadud, Wali of Swat, gesturing as he talks in his office. Photo by Margaret Bourke-White.

The Wali of Swat on the terrace of his residence at Saidu, 1926. Photo by Aurel Stein.

Source

Miangul Abdul Wadud, the founder of the Swat state. From: ''The Story of Swat as Told by the Founder Miangul Abdul Wadud Badshah Sahib to Muhammad Asif Khan'' (1963).

"The capture of a Mohmand raider", 1908

"The capture of a Mohmand raider", 1908. From The Sphere newspaper. Source

Caption: "The Zakka Khel people, crushed by the recent expedition, have ceased raiding in British Territory for the time being but have handed on their restless spirit to near neighbours, the Mohmands, who lately have committed several raids in British territory. Gangs of these raiders swoop down suddenly at night on villages known to contain wealthy Hindy banniahs, and closing all exits from the village they loot and burn a few houses, then, scattering in groups of twos and threes, disappear as rapidly as they come. The raider shown here was captured thirty miles from Peshawar."

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Portrait of Ibrahim Khan Mohmand

Mohmand chiefs of Peshawar, 1861

Group of Turis in Kurram valley, 1907

 

Group of Turis in Kurram valley, 1907

Death of the Rohilla Chief (Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech) while fighting soldiers of the British East India Company during the Rohilla War of 1773 to 1774

Death of the Rohilla Chief (Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech) while fighting soldiers of the British East India Company during the Rohilla War of 1773 to 1774. 

From "Alden's Oxford Monthly Illustrated Journal", Volumes 2-3, 1871.

Painting of Abdul Karim Khan Miyana (Pashtun) titled Bahlul Khan of Bijapur hunting on horseback

Painting of Abdul Karim Khan Miyana (Pashtun) titled Bahlul Khan, a noble of Bijapur sultanate, hunting on horseback, with elephants and cavalry. Source

Abdul Karim Khan Miyana titled Bahlul Khan became Commander-in-Chief of the army of Bijapur sultanate, and later served as regent for the child king Sikandar Adil Shah (r. 1672-1686.

Portrait of Ibrahim Khan Mohmand (Pashtun)

Portrait of Ibrahim Khan Mohmand (Pashtun), undated. Source

The 'Free Library of Philadelphia' has not shared any details about him. I could not find concrete information regarding Ibrahim Khan Mohmand. He was most likely a noble of the Mughal Empire. He could be the Ibrahim Khan Mohmand who was an officer during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and a resident of Rashidabad. (Ref: Mughal Documents: pt. 1. 1666 A.D, Andhra Pradesh Archives).

Portrait of Nawab Ikhlas Khan Miyana (Pashtun)

 

Portrait of Nawab Ikhlas Khan Miyana (Pashtun). Source

Portrait of Nawab Daler Khan Miyana (Pashtun)

Portrait of Nawab Daler Khan Miyana (Pashtun). Source

Portrait of Nawab Abdur Rauf Khan Miyana (Pashtun) titled Daler Khan. Undated. 

He was son and successor of Bahlul Khan Miyana (who served as Commander-in-chief of the army of Bijapur sultanate). After the fall of Bijapur sultanate, Abdur Rauf Khan Miyana entered into the service of Mughals. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb awarded him the highest mansab of 7,000 zat and the title "Daler Khan" in 1686. 

1- The Miyana tribe belongs to the Saraban division of Pashtuns. They are found in Baluchistan province of Pakistan. Luni, Jafar, Zmari and Gharshin tribes are remnants of the Miyana tribe. 

2- Bijapur sultanate was located in south-western India, straddling the Western Ghats range of southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka. It was ruled by the Adil Shahi dynasty from 1490 to 1686. After the fall of Bijapur sultanate and decline of Mughal empire, the Miyanas established their own principality at Savanur (now part of Karnataka state of India) which became princely state of British-India in 19th century.

Portrait of Nawab Daler Khan Daudzai (Pashtun)

Portrait of Nawab Daler Khan Daudzai (Pashtun). Source

Kuki-Khel Afridi tribesmen, circa 1880s

Kuki-Khel Afridi tribesmen, circa 1880s-1890s. From "tribes on on our frontier" series of photographs.

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Portrait of Nawab Abdul Karim Khan Miyana (Pashtun) of Bijapur on horseback

Portrait of Nawab Abdul Karim Khan Miyana (Pashtun) of Bijapur on horseback. Source

Portrait of Ahmad Shah Durrani seated on an lion skin

 

Source

Source

Portrait of Ahmad Shah Durrani

 

Portrait of Ahmad Shah Durrani. Undated. Source: Free Library of Philadelphia

Portrait of Ahmad Khan Bangash (r.1749-71), the ruler of Farrukhabad

 

Portrait of Ahmad Khan Bangash . Source

The grandfather of Ahmad Khan Bangash migrated from Pakhtunkhwa to India during the reign of Aurangzeb and settled at Mau Rashidabad (a Pashtun town in India founded by a grandson of Pir Roshan).

Imam Shah (a Punjabi convert to Christianity) preaching Christianity to Afghans at Peshawar, 1878

 

"The Reverend Imam Shah Preaching to Afghans at Peshawur". Illustration from the magazine The Graphic, volume XVIII, no 471, December 7, 1878.

Imam Shah was son of a Muslim farmer in the Amritsar district. He was influenced by Daud Singh (a Sikh convert to Christianity) and in 1861 he was baptized by R.Clark at Khairabad (in Nowshera district, KPK) where Daud Singh was at that time ministering to the Christians in the Mazhabi Sikh regiment. He married Daud Singh's eldest daughter. 

From 1872 onwards Imam Shah served as pastor of the Peshawar congregation. In 1879 Imam Shah travelled to Kabul and and ministered to the small Armenian congregation there. 

Imam Shah preached Christianity to Pashtuns for decades but he met with almost no success.

A group of happy children in Kurram, April 1949

 

Source

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A group of boys wearing hats in Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province, 1929

 

A group of boys wearing hats in Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province, 1929. Photo by E. O. Hoppe.

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Gandhi with Abdul Ghaffar Khan in Peshawar in 1938

 

The ceremony of passing camels beneath the Quran, Jumrud, Afghanistan, 1879

"Camels passing beneath the Koran at Jamrood, Afghanistan", 1879. From "Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine".

Caption: "This sketch depicts a curious ceremony gone through every Thursday evening, the Mussulman's Saturday night, by the camel-drivers of the camp at Jumrood. When the camels come back from grazing they are driven under the Koran, which is folded in a turban, and held up suspended between two lances. This is supposed to protect them from sickness and other evils. The drivers are most particular in seeing that no camel strays or otherwise avoids passing under the book." 

Koran = Quran 

Jamrood = Jamrud of Khyber district of KPK 

Thursday's evening = Shab-i-juma "شب جمعہ"

Pashtun tribesmen shooting and rolling big stones on British invaders during First Anglo-Afghan war

Pashtun tribesmen shooting and rolling big stones on British invaders during First Anglo-Afghan war. 

Artist : Joseph Ratcliffe Skelton. 

Source: https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Joseph-Ratcliffe-Skelton/117633/Crushed-by-rolling-stones,-mown-down-by-volleys-of-musket-shot,-the-men-fell-in-hundreds-.html

Bakrak Khan Zadran

Babrak Khan Zadran was influential Malik of the Zadran tribe. Acted as a sort of " Warden of the Marches” on the Khost border. In 1898 had under him five companies of Zadran Khasadars , whom he maintained on a contract. In 1898 had under him five companies of Zadran Khasadars , whom he maintained on a contract system with Amir Abdur Rahman, but these were subsequently disbanded, and their place taken by regular troops. He took an active part in the suppression of the Mangal and Zadran revolt in 1912.

In Third Anglo-Afghan war (1919) Babrak Khan Zadran commanded a lashkar of 4,000 Khostwals and Wazirs and was promoted honorary Brigadier and Naib Salar.  He was killed in 1924 while aiding King Amanullah's crackdown on the Khost rebellion. 

One of his son Said Akbar Babrak assassinated first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaqat Ali Khan.

Photo of Babark Khan Zadran

References: 

1- "Historical and Political Who's who of Afghanistan" - Volume 7 by Ludwig W. Adamec 

2- "Afghanistan 1919 : an account of operations in the Third Afghan War" by George Noble Molesworth 

Portrait of a Khattak (Pashtun) in military head-dress, 1898

Portrait of a Khattak (Pashtun) in military head-dress, 1898. Painting by Hubert Vos.

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The flag of Ahmad Shah Durrani

When you google "the flag of Ahmad Shah Durrani", this black triangular flag pops up. It is fake.

Iranica Encyclopaedia says:

 "Almost nothing is known about the flags of Afghanistan during the reign of the Sadōzay dynasty and the early decades of the Moḥammadzay dynasty. Traditionally, nonstandard flags of different colors were used in wars. In the reign of Amir Dōst Moḥammad (1819-63) and Šēr ʿAlī Khan there existed triangular, red and green military flags bearing the words of the Islamic confession of faith (šahāda) as well as the name of the four caliphs and verses from the Koran relating to jehād “holy war,” all in white color". The earliest Afghan flag shown in vexillological books of the 19th century has green-white-green horizontal stripes." 

 In the reign of Amir ʿAbd-al-Raḥmān Khan (r. 1880-1901), black became the standard color of the royal/national flag. Contemporary stamps and coins reveal the formation of a modern coat of arms which became a persistent symbol on the national flags for coming decades: a temple/mosque flanked by two flags, inside of which are a meḥrāb (prayer niche) and menbar (pulpit). The arms were surrounded by muskets, sabres, cannon, and it appears in white on the black flag (“Bayraq”).

 

Read the full article about flags of Afghanistan here 

The tree like structure in the fake flag is straight from the Lord of the Rings movies (thanks to Saddam Yousafzai in the comments for pointing it out)

 

Library of Ahmad Shah Durrani

Notes and seals on folios of a large 17th century Safavid illustrated and illuminated manuscript of the Shahnamah state that by the mid-18th century the manuscript was in the library of Ahmad Shah Abdali.

By 1822 it had passed to his great-grandson, Kamran Shah Saddozai of Herat. In 1837, the army of Muhammad Shah of Persia laid siege to Herat and the British government put pressure on him to withdraw by declaring it would consider the Persian occupation of Herat a hostile act. Kamran Shah subsequently sent this manuscript to Queen Victoria as thanks for British support. Kamran Shah’s wife Zahra inscribed a letter to Queen Victoria on folio 401r of the text, dated 21 December 1839. She addressed Victoria as ‘the Queen of Sheba of the West, Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, at whose command the mighty government of England, during the late siege, and subsequent to it, afforded timely and valuable assistance to the country and people of Herat.’

Queen Victoria received the manuscript on 5 May 1841. She confused the name of the text when she recorded its receipt in her journal: ‘After dinner we looked at a very curious book sent to me by the wife of a Shah of Herat, called, "the Book of Namah", all in manuscript & splendidly illuminated’.

Source: https://www.rct.uk/collection/1005014/shahnamah-shhnmh-the-book-of-kings

Farasnamah

The Farasnamah is a work on horses and farriery. According to the preface it is a Persian translation of the Arabic medieval veterinary manual Kamil al-Sinaatayn fi al-Baytarah wa Zardaqah, which made on the instructions of Qazi Muhammad Idris Khan by order of Ahmad Shah Durrani (reg.1747-73). 

The entire book is available here : https://www.rct.uk/collection/1005031/farasnamah-frsnmh-a-treatise-on-horses-and-dawlatnamah-dwltnmh-a-treatise-on

Pashtun volunteers for the India-Pakistan War of 1965

" A group of tribesmen from Waziristan, who have taken up arms to fight Indian forces in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. The conflict centres on the disputed region of Kashmir".  Hulton Archive. Source

September 9, 1965:  A group of Pashtun tribesmen raise their rifles as they assemble in Rawalpindi prior to moving up to the fighting front. Reference

A weaver at Jalalabad, Afghanistan, 1879

A Weaver at Jellalabad, Afghanistan, 1879. From "The Illustrated London News", 17 May 1879. Artist: Frank Dadd.  Source

'Shah Soojah Rajah of Cabool' (Shah Shuja Durrani), India, 1835 (c)

 

'Shah Soojah Rajah of Cabool' (Shah Shuja Durrani), India, 1835 (c). Gouache on mica by a Company artist, 1835 (c). Source

Malik Wali Khan Kuki Khel (Afridi) of the Pashtunistan movement

 

Malik Wali Khan, leader of the Kuki Khel Afridis, presenting Muhammad Ali Jinnah with a .303 rifle made in his own factory at Jamrud, 1948.

Malik Wali Khan Kuki Khel and his lashkar fought in the Kashmir war (1947-1948). Later he played a very active role in the Pashtunistan movement. In December 1952 Malik Wali Khan Kuki Khel, Malik Said Ahmad Zakha Khel and Maulvi Ghairat Gul of Jamiat Ulema-e Islam called a jirga of the Afridis, at Mamanri to take decisions about Pakhtunistan. Pakistan Air Force dropped bombs on the Afridi jirga, killing 18 men. Three days after the incident, Pakistani government destroyed the house of Malik Wali Khan Kuki Khel. 

References: (1) "Some major Pukhtoon tribes along the Pak-Afghan border", by S. Iftikhar Hussain (2) "The Pathan Borderland" by James Spain

More details about Malik Wali Khan Kuki Khel are provided by Dr.Nafees Ur Rehman as follow:

"Malik Wali Khan Kuki Khel moved to Kabul after his home/hujra was demolished and he remained in Kabul along with other Pashtunistanis working against Pakistan till 1962 but then President Ayub Khan won him over and he also got a seat in the Pakistani parliament.

Interestingly, owing to the Zakha Khel and Kuku Khel rivalry, Malik Nadir Khan Afridi then got upset at the proceedings and he moved to Kabul doing the same what Malik Wali Khan Kuki Khel was doing earlier. Nadir Khan switched sides in the 80s and started working for Pakistan." 1

George Cunningham (Governor of NWFP) speaking to Pashtun Maliks, after his speech to the jirga outside the Khyber House, Peshawar, December 1947. Photo by Margaret Bourke-White. Malik Wali Kukikhel is second person from right.

Wali Khan Kuki Khel with Ayub Khan

Photo of Maulvi Ghairat Gul Afridi. Via Nafees Ur Rehman

Muhammad Sharif Khan (the Nawab of Dir) and Safdar Khan (the Nawab of Nawagai), 1903

Nawab Mohammad Sharif Khan (the Khan of Dir), Shuja ul-Mulk (Mehtar of Chitral) and Nawab Safdar Khan (the Khan of Nawagai) with attendants 1903. Source

The Nawabs of Dir were descendants of Mullah Ilyas (commonly known as Akhund Baba), a 17th century Yousafzai Pashtun saint.

The Miyana (Afghan) nobles of Bijapur sultanate

The Miyana tribe belongs to the Saraban division of Pashtuns. They are found in Baluchistan province of Pakistan. Most of its branches have become extinct or have lost their identity. Their en-mass migration to India greatly weakened them and they fell easy prey to their Baloch neighbours. Luni, Jafar, Zamari and Gharshin tribes are remnants of the Miyana tribe.  

Some of the Miyanas became nobles of the Adil Shahi Sultans of Bijapur (1518-1686). Jan-Nisar Khan Miyana held the rank of 2,000 horse in the reign of Ismael Adil Shah who ruled from 1510 to 1535 AD. Bahlul Khan Miyana, a descendant of Jan-Nisar Khan Miyana, became Commander-in-Chief of the army of Bijapur sultanate, and later served as regent for the child king Sikandar Adil Shah (r. 1672-1686).

Bahlul Khan Miyana died in the reign of Sikandar Adil Shah. He was succeeded by his son Dalil Khan Miyana who kept on good terms with Sikandar Adil Shah, but when Aurangzeb again entered the Deccan in 1681 AD for its subjugation, Dalil Khan joined him with 2000 Afghan cavalry and 3000 foot, many of them of his own tribe, and all in his own pay.

References: (1) "Notes on Afghanistan and part of Baluchistan" by H.G.Raverty (2) "History of the Pathans" by Haroon Rashid.

Portrait of Bahlul Khan Miyana, made in c.1686 by an anonymous artist. Source

Portrait of Abdul Aziz Khan Miyana, brother of Bahlul Khan Miyana. Source

A portrait of Bahlul Khan Miyana, late 19th century painting. Source