Articles

Pashtun saints, sufis and derveshes

 

1- Rahman Baba (Abdur Rahman Mohmand)
2- Khwaja Hasan Afghan  (1206–1290 A.D) 
3- Shaikh Michan Niazi
4- Haro Ana
5- Arzani Kheshgi
6- Saint of Pre-Ghal
7- Musa Darwesh
8- Shaikh Qasim Sulaimani
9- Khwaja Khizr Sarwani

10- A ziarat (shrine) in Bust, Helmand, Afghanistan, 1959-61

11- Shaikh Isa Mashwani

12- Shaikh Jamaluddin Kasi

13- Mausoleum of Shaikh Imam al-Din (a Khalil Pashtun), Palosai, Peshawar

Ahmad Shah Durrani

1- Historical portraits of Ahmad Shah Durrani

2- Ahmad Shah Abdali's embassy to Beijing, China (1762)

3- Ahmad Shah Abdali has praised the bravery of Maratha soldiers at the battlefield of Panipat (1761) in a letter written to Raja Madho Singh 

4- Ahmad Shah Abdali hiding his face behind a bejeweled mask in 1761 : response to William Dalrymple

5- Its a local myth that Ahmad Shah Abdali conducted census of Wazir and Mahsud tribes

6- The rise and fall of the Abdali state of Herat in early 18th century

7- Debunking a malevolent statement of Jadunath Sarkar about Ahmad Shah Durrani 

8- Elite ghulam corps of Ahmad Shah Abdali

9- Correspondence between Zaman Shah Durrani and Tipu Sultan

10- Pir Sabir Shah (the spiritual pir of Ahmad Shah Durrani)

11- The so called "Sikh Holocaust of 1762" (Vadda Ghalughara), was actually a battle between two armies (Afghans and Sikhs)

12- Waris Shah has never referred to Ahmad Shah Durrani as 'Kabuli dog' in his poetry

13- Ahmad Shah Durrani had a high repute in early 19th century

14- The real particulars of the treaty between Nasir Khan (ruler of Kalat) and Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1758

15- The royal seal of Ahmad Shah Durrani

16- Library of Ahmad Shah Durrani

17- The flag of Ahmad Shah Durrani

18 Portrait of Ahmad Shah Durrani holding a flower

19- Portrait of Ahmad Shah Durrani seated on an lion skin

Sher Shah Sur

1- Ancestral village of Sher Shah Sur in Roh (Pakhtunkhwa)

2- The earliest extant account of Sher Shah Sur ( Padmavat of Jaisi, 1540 A.D)

3- Cannons of Sher Shah Sur

4- Roads and Sarais (inns) of Sher Shah Sur

5- Asad Umar of PTI and Sher Shah Sur's road

6- Bairam Khan and Sher Shah Sur

7- Postal system of Sher Shah Sur

8- Welfare activities of Sher Shah Sur 

9- Justice of Sher Shah Sur 

10- Currency reforms of Sher Shah Sur

11- Military reforms of Sher Shah Sur

12- Mirza Aziz Koka (foster-brother of emperor Akbar) acknowdged the achievements of Sher Shah Sur

13-  Gaju Khan (ګجو خان) at one point served under the banners of Sher Shah Sur In India

14- A late 16th century painting illustrating Sher Khan Sur's capture of Rohtasgarh fort through stratagem

15- Interesting historical tidbits about Sher Shah Sur

16- Sher Shah Sur also built a serai (an inn) in Makkah

Sites and Places 

1- Shaikh Badin hills (Lakki Marwat-Dera Ismail Khan)
2- Nimla' garden [Khogiani district, Nangarhar]
3- Bibi Mahru village[Kabul]
4- The Bridge over the Surkhab River [Nangarhar province]
5- Nowshera
6- Takht-i-Sulaiman [F.R.Dera Ismail Khan]
7- Bala Hissar Peshawar
8- Ghazni,
9- Chahar Chata Bazar [Kabul]
10- Bannu
11-Tank or Tak
12- Jalalabad
13- Islamia College [Peshawar]
14  Quetta or Kwatta'h
15- Shabqadar fort and town

16- Burj Hari Singh, Peshawar

17- Darazinda village (Dera Ismail Khan tribal Subdivision, KP)

18- The district and town of Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is named after a 16th century Mughal fort

19- Ancestral village of Bahlul Lodi in Pakhtunkhwa

20- Qalat-i-Ghilzai

21- Kurram valley

22- Khojak tunnel

23- Bahadur Khel salt mine

24- Kurram fort

25- Girishk fort, Helmand 

26- Old Kandahar
27- Tomb of Panju Khan Khajjak

28- Pre-Ghal (Waziristan)

29- Correcting Bharadwaj (aka True Indology) on the "temple gate" of Kandahar city

30- A zoo in Peshawar in early 20th century

31- Bagh-i-Sardeh, Kandahar

32 -Jamrud fort

33-  Jamrud fort was built by Mughals or Sikhs?

34- Copper-smith's bazaar of Peshawar city

35- Silk market (Bazaar i Abresham Gran), Peshawar

36- The mosque and tomb of Ghulam Hussain Hazratji Baba, Kandahar

37- Gor Khatri of Peshawar city

38- Kohat fort

39- Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan is named after whom?

40- Tomb of Abdul Rashid known as Bajauṛi Baba in Peshawar

41- Khirqa Sharif, Kandahar 

Tribes and castes of Pakhtunkhwa and environs

1- Gujars
2- Tanolis
3- Sayyids of Kunar
4- Swatis
5- Tirahi Dards
6- Farmulis
7- Yousafzais
8- Morcha Khel Mohmands
9- Ushtaranis
10- Shinwaris
11- Tarklanris
12- Khogianis
13- Gandapurs
14- Qambar Khel Afridis

15- Malikdin Khel Afridis

16- Zakha Khel Afridis
15- Barak Khattaks
16- Orakzais (and Alisherzai)
17- Marwats
18- Ormurs
19- Gigyanis
20- Shalmanis

21- Sherani
22- Shalmani
23- Tani

24- Turi

25- Ushtaranis
26- Wardak
27- Wazir

28- Zaimusht
29- Zarkun
30- Zazi (or Jaji)

31- Hazaras

32- Chamkani tribe

33- Zakha Khel Afridis

34- Kafirs of Kafiristan [Nuristan]

35- Mullagori tribe

36- Adam Khel Afridis

37- Dawars

38- Dehgans

39- Khajjaks

40- Afridis

41- Wanechi Spin Tarins

42- Tara Khels

43- Jafars

44- Mando Khels

45- Babis

46- Sheranis

47- Achakzais

48- Baitanis

49- Barechs

50- Kasis

51- Kakars

52- Dilazaks

53- Dotanis

54- Niazis

55- Barak Khattaks

56- Tarins

57- Utman Khels

58- Sarwanis

59- Mashwanis

59- Its Luhani or Nuhani (لوحاڼي ) , not Lawani (لواڼي)

Pashtun notables

1- Mullah Powindah
2- Mir Mast Afridi

3- Mir Dast Afridi
3- Nur Gul of Panjpao
4- Haji Khan Kakar
5- Multan Khan Afridi
6- Ajab Khan Afridi
7- Sher Ali Afridi
10- Malik Samad Khan Malikdin Khel Afridi
11- Fateh Khan Khattak

12- Kippat Khan, Mahomed Khel Waziri

13- The only authentic photos of Faqir of Ipi

14- The Khans of Teri

15- Usman Khan (Shah Shuja's Wazir)

16- Mohammad Akbar Khan

17- Mehr Dil Khattak, a Khalifa of Faqir of Ipi

18- Muhammad Akbar Khan of Hoti

19- Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan

20- Ghazi Dilasa Khan of Bannu
21- Malik Jiwan Panni

22- Pir Roshan

23- Bibi Mubaraka Yousafzai

24- Gaju Khan Yousafzai

25- Malik Mehr Dil Mahsud (the Pashtun who rebuffed Jawaharlal Nehru and tried to slap him)

26- In late 19th century Umra Khan "the Afghan Napoleon" refused to kill a Hindu banniya who was accused of cursing the Prophet and Islam

27- Babrak Khan Zadran

28- Ataullah Khan Ozai-Durrani 

29- Darya Khan Daudzai

30- Abdullah Khan Alkozai (a Pashtun governor of Kashmir)

31 -Khushal Khan Khattak II ; a contemporary of Ahmad Shah Abdali

32- Shahzada Sultan Jan Saddozai

33- Kalu Khan Yousafzai

Non-Pashtun notables of Pakhtunkhwa

1- Akhund Darweza

 

History of Indo-Afghans

1- Atia mosque of Bangladesh
2- Islam Shah Sur, the forerunner of Akbar in reforms and policies
3- Excerpts from Afsana-i-Shahan
4- Barmazid Kur

5- Sultan Nasir-ud-din Ismail Shah (Malik Makh Afghan)
6- Nawab Zahid Khan Saddozai
7- Amir Khan of Tonk
8- Barmazid Kur
9- Ghulam Qadir Rohilla
10- Diler Khan Daudzai
11- Multani Afghans

12- Ahmad Khan Bangash 

13- Malot fort in India, a 15th century fort built by a Pashtun

14- Hatimpur fort (a 17th century fort built by a Niazi Pashtun)

15- Mausoleum of Fateh Jang Khan (a Pashtun) in Alwar (Rajasthan, India).

16- Kusumba mosque (Bangladesh)

17- The Nuhani dynasty of Bihar

18- Pashtun soldiery and nobility of the Mughal empire

19- The role of Panni Pashtuns in Indian history

20- The Miyana (Afghan) nobles of Bijapur sultanate

21- Safdar Khan Babi

22- Rohillas, the Indo-Afghans

23- Defeat of Banda Singh Bahadur at the hands of Jalal Khan Orakzai  (1710)

24- Arakan (Burma) under Afghan rule

25- Dattu Sarwani,  a Pashtun soldier of early 16th century

26- Abundance and low prices during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi

27- Princess Subhan, daughter of Sultan Bahlol Lodi

28- Daud Khan Rohilla

29- Rashid Khan Ansari

30- The longest lasting Afghan dynasty in history : Lohanis of Jalore and Palanpur

31- Alam Khan Lodi (Sultan Alauddin Alam Shah)

32- The brave death of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi

33- Hemu did not declare himself an independent king

34- Baloch proteges of Najib Khan Yousafzai

35- Nawab Zahid Khan Saddozai of Multan

36- The twelve forts of Kasur

37- Daud Shah Karrani as depicted in the Mughal paintings

38- Ghulam Qadir Rohilla did not force the Mughal princesses to dance for him ;  Allama Iqbal made a blunder in his poem.

39- Pashtuns in Sri Lanka

40- Nawabs of Malerkotla

41- Karrani Sultans of Bengal belonged to which part of Pakhtunkhwa/Afghanistan?

42- Origin of the Langah sultans of Multan; they were Afghan (Pashtun) or Sindhi?

43-  Tafazzul Husain Khan, the Nawab of Farrukhabad

44-  When Mughal emperor Akbar expressed his desire to marry a Pashtun princess

45- South or Humayun gate of Purana Qila, Delhi

46- Baoli in Bayana (Rajasthan, India), built by Khan-i-Khanan Farmuli (Pashtun)

Anglo-Afghan Wars

1-  A Pashtun heroine of the First Anglo-Afghan War (1842)

2- Mohammad Akbar Khan's 1843 plan to liberate India

3- Return of a King - A critique of Dalrymple's book

4- The role of Hazaras during the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-42)

5- Hazaras collaborated with British invaders during the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-80)

6- Maiwand and Malalai - Afghanistan's lady liberty destroy the British army on 27 July 1880

7- Captain Robert Warburton married Shah Jahan Begum [allegedly a Durrani princess] through deception and force

8- Battle of Maiwand

9- Shia Qizilbashs of Kabul corroborated with British invaders during First Anglo-Afghan war (1839-1842)

10- The account of two 19th century paintings

Military history of Pakhtunkhwa

1- The revolt of Shaikh Kamaluddin Daudzai and Khan Jahan Lodi against the Mughals
2- When Orakzais defeated the Mughal army in Tirah ( The battle of Sampagha pass , 1619 AD)
3- When Pashtun tribesmen wiped out an entire Mughal army in the Khyber Pass (1672)
4- When 6,000-strong Baloch army of Nasir Khan of Kalat was completely wiped out by Kakars
5- The wars between Panni Afghans and Mughals (1576–1617)
6- Karrapa disaster : Aimal Khan defeats Mughals [1674]
7- Pashtun–Mughal War (1672–1677)
8- Afghan–Sikh Wars (1813–1837)

9-  The battle of Saragarhi – The cover-up of a failure marketed as a brave sacrifice

10- A band of Yousafzais made an attempt to conquer Chitral in 1593

11- Niazi uprising against the Sikhs  (1829-1830)

12- Jihad of Haji Sahib of Turangzai and the Mohmand blockade during the First World War

13- A Turkmen who killed more than one thousand Pashtuns by boiling them alive in large cauldrons

15- British abandoned their traditional red coats and adopted Khaki uniform for their soldiers because of the dusty hills of Pakhtunkhwa

16- The conquest of Baluchistan by Shah Hussain Hotak

17- Pashtun volunteers for the India-Pakistan War of 1965

18- Account of the Kashmir War of 1947-48 by a Pashtun tribesman from Barawal in Dir who participated in it

Sikhs and Pashtuns

1-  Ranjit Singh did not rule Khyber Pass and Afghanistan

2- Historical reliability and authenticity of the details concerning the Battle of Saragarhi (1897)

3- "Chup sha, Hari Singh raghlay"

4- When Hari Singh Nalwa suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Mashwanis and Saidkhanis 

Miscellaneous

1- Bollywood Khans - Are they related to Pashtuns?
2- Shah Tahmasp's advice to Humayun on Pashtuns
3- Lost Tajiks or the forgotten Dards of Pakistan?
4- Allama Muhammad Iqbal Lahori and Afghanistan
5- Pata Khazana, a forgery
6- Chasing 'A boy across the river'

7- Afghanistan is not 'Graveyard of Empires'

8- Some of the disciples of Guru Nanak were Pashtuns ?

9- A thirteenth-century description of Pashtuns

10-  Desecration of Pir Roshan's grave and dead body

11- Nadir Shah Afshar had hard time ruling the present-day Afghanistan

12- Guru Nanak was storekeeper of the Daulat Khan Lodi's grain before 1526

13- Description of Pashtuns by Niccolao Manucci (1638–1717)

14- Pashtuns were once principal inhabitants of Mastung (Balochistan)

15- Mir Chakar Rind : separating fiction from history

24- Nadir Shah Afshar had hard time ruling the present-day Afghanistan

25- Paolo Avitabile – The face of the brutal Sikh occupation of Peshawar

26- Nawabs of Dir

27- Pashtunistan and the Fqir of Ipi

28- Pashtun tribesmen of Kashmir War of 1948

29- Pashtun-Ottoman War (1725-1727)

30- Khalji Sultans of Delhi 

31- Pashtun Soldiers who refused to fight against Ottomans during World War I

32- Excerpts from Afsana-i-Shahan

33- Roh  (Medieval Pakhtunkhwa)

34- Mujahideen movement of Syed Ahmed Bareilwi

35- Dr. Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah Kakakhel thinks that there are no Afghans (Pashtuns) settled on the Sulieman mountains range

36- Response to Salman Rashid, a travel writer and a pseudo-historian

38- "Awghan" ( (اوغان)) is not a derogatory distortion of the word Afghan

39- Pashtuns in the armies of Sultan Shahabuddin Ghori and Prithviraj

40- Sikhs owed their rise in 18th century to Adina Beg Arain (a Punjabi Muslim) 

41- The Khans of Lalpura (Morcha Khel Mohmands)

42- An inscription in Maharashtra state of India dated to 1626 AD mentions the toponym Afghanistan

43- The British practice of burning the dead bodies of Pashtun Ghazis 

44- Ajab Khan Afridi – excerpt from "And Then the Pathan Murders"

45- Mollie Ellis and her Pashtun rescuers

46- The travel of Ottoman admiral through Pakhtunkhwa in 16th century

Pashtun culture and practices

1- Tattoo markings amongst Ghilzais
2- A Pashtun custom of old
4- Is Shalwar Kameez a Punjabi dress?
5- Yousaf Khan and Sher Bano

6-  Pashtuns used straight and heavy swords in 13th century

7- A twelfth-century description of Pashtuns

8- Khattak dance

9- Khattak horsemen

10- The traditional blue coloured dress of the Akali Sikhs was inspired from Pashtuns  !

11- Pir Roshan was very fond of Music

12- Pashtuns were worshipping a giant tree in mid 12th century ?

13- Pashtun intermediaries dominated the horse trade between Central Asia and India

14- Pashtun dresses in early 19th century. Paintings by Imam Bakhsh Lahori

15- Pashtun flags bearing the insignia of blood-red hand 

16- The ceremony of passing camels beneath the Quran

17-  Dresses of Afghanistan in early 19th century