Mir Chakar Rind : separating fiction from history

Mir Chakar Rind is often glorified as the “King of Baluchistan”, and some modern accounts bestow upon him the epithet "the great." However, a rigorous examination of history reveals a different picture. Far from a king, Chakar Rind appears to have been no more than a tribal chieftain, his stature inflated by legend and fiction. Even according to Baloch folklore, his power was limited to that of a tribal leader, as evidenced by his inability to defeat the Lashari tribe in a protracted thirty-year war. [1]

It is often claimed that Chakar Rind, at the head of forty thousand Rind Baloch warriors, joined forces with Mughal emperor Humayun to secure the Delhi throne for the latter. However, this claim not corroborated by any contemporary or near contemporary historical source [2]. Eyewitness accounts penned by Gulbadan Begum, Bayazid Bayat, and Jauhar Aftabchi, all of whom accompanied Humayun, make no mention of Chakar Rind. This conspicuous absence suggests that Chakar Rind was either of little consequence to Humayun's endeavors, or that he did not join the Mughal camp to begin with.

The claim that Mir Chakar Rind joined Humayun against Sur Afghans, is also not supported by the Baloch ballads recorded in 19th century by Longworth Dames and other British officials. In fact, Baloch ballads narrate tales of Chakar Rind and his sons waging war against Humayun Chughtai and his Mughal forces, and emerging victorious [3][4]. These legends are not corroborated by Mughal sources.

Who was the historical Chakar Rind? According to the Tabaqat-i-Akbari by Khawaja Nizamuddin Ahmad (compiled in 1593-94), Mir Chakar Rind arrived in Multan from the vicinity of Siwi (Sibi) with his two sons, Mir Allahdad and Mir Shahdad, in the early sixteenth century. Chakar Rind sought to enter the service of Sultan Mahmud Langah of Multan but was thwarted by Malik Sohrab Dodai, a favoured noble of the Langah Sultan. Subsequently, Chakar Rind departed from Multan and sought the protection of Jam Bayazid Sammah of Shortkot (in modern-day Jhang district, Punjab), a former wazir of the Langah Sultans who had pledged allegiance to Sultan Sikandar Lodi. Jam Bayazid granted him a jagir from the royal lands (of the Lodi sultan?), likely Satgarah. The relevant passage in the Tabaqat-i-Akbari reads as follows:

"About this time Mir Chakar Rind came to Multan from the direction of Siwi (Sibi) with his two sons Mir Allahdad and Mir Shahdad. Mir Shahdad was the first man who promulgated the Shia religion in Multan. As Malik Suhrab Dudai was held in great honour by the Langahs, Mir Chakar Rind could not remain there; and sought an asylum with Jam Bayazid. As he was the head of a clan, Jam Bayazid received him with much honour, and bestowed on him and his sons a part of the territory which was in the Khalsa or crown land." [5]

Thus, we learn that Mir Chakar Rind was merely a jagirdar serving Jam Bayazid during the reign of Sultan Sikandar Lodi. The author of the Tabaqat-i-Akbari characterizes him as a clan leader rather than a former king.

Mir Chakar Rind is also mentioned in the Tuhfa-i-Akbarshahi, a biography of Sher Shah Sur compiled around 1580 AD by Abbas Khan Sarwani at the behest of Mughal Emperor Akbar. This source reveals that Chakar Rind was an official of the Suri empire and served as an administrator of the town and pargana of Satgarha (located in modern-day Okara district, Punjab) during the 1540s under the authority of Sher Shah Sur. Haibat Khan Niazi, Sher Shah's governor of Punjab, once visited Chakar Rind, who became apprehensive due to insufficient preparation time. The relevant passage in the Tuhfa-i-Akbarshahi reads as follows:

 

“When Sher Shah had laid siege to the fort of Raisin, he received a letter from Khawas Khan saying that he and Niazi had developed some differences between themselves. “The letter contained a request that Sher Shah should, therefore, summon one of the two. Having gone through the letters of Khawas , Sher Shah summoned Khawas Khan, Isa Khan Niazi and Habib khan. Then he conferred the country of Punjab on Haibat Khan Niazi and ordered him to rescue and rehabilitate Multan which had been usurped by the Balochs. He was also to chastise Fateh Khan Jat of Qabula, who had been, during the Mughal period, laying waste to the country up to Panipat. As soon as Haibat Khan received these orders, he summoned the representative of Chakar Rind – The hakim (حاکم) of Satgarah. The representative was told to go and inform Chakar Rind that Haibat khan Niazi was going to tour those areas. Chakar should be prepared to present his contingent for review. One who related the story that he had heard it from Wakil Fateh Khan Kanbo that when he went to Chakar Rind and disclosed to him what Haibat Khan Niazi has said, the former was thrown in panic, he had no time either to a reception or to put together the ‘lashkar’ as demanded. At this time Haibat Khan Niazi was merely two day’s distance away. Next morning the news came that Haibat Khan Niazi had already arrived. Hearing this, Chakar became nervous, although he did manage to get on his horse and to go out to receive the dignity.” [6]

The above passage from Tuhfa-i-Akbarshahi indicates that Chakar Rind was far from being an independent and powerful king of a vast realm. Instead, he was a subordinate of the Punjab governor, his estate limited to the pargana of Satgarh. There are no Mughal records of Mir Chakar Rind and his progeny pertaining to events after 1555 AD, suggesting that they were ignored by the Mughals due to their former affiliation with the Sur Afghans. He died at Satghara and is buried there.

References

1- "Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal", Vol-49, Part 1, p-140
2- "Popular Poetry of the Baloches" (1907), by M.Longworth Dames, Vol-1, p-32
3- Ibid, p-33
4- "Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal" (1880), Vol-49, Part 1, p-142
5- Tabaqat-i-Akbari", translated into English by Brajendranath De, Volume III, pp.804-804.
6- "Afghans of the Frontier Passes: A Study in the Historical Geography of Sibi and Dhader in the Balochistan Province of Pakistan" (1992), by A.Aziz Luni, Vol-1, p-86

Maueloum of Chakar Rind at Satgarha

Source

Sayyids of Kunar

Sayyids of Kunar

For centuries, the long and narrow valley of Kunar, with Pashat as its main town, had been ruled by a Pashtunized Sayyid family of Arab descent. They were descendants of Sayyid Ali Tirmizi, popularly referred to as Pir Baba by Pashtuns. He had accompanied Zahir al-Din Babur from Tirmiz. His shrine in Pacha Killay (meaning “the village of the king” in Pashto) in Buner is venerated to this day.

Emperor Humayun, the son and successor of Babur, granted him Kunar free of revenue. His descendants in Kunar collected revenue at the rate of one-third of agricultural production, and in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries their annual income fluctuated between sixty and eighty thousand rupees. [1]

Kunar remained more or less independent until the early nineteenth century. Muhammadzai interference began in the 1820s, taking the form of annexation of regions near Jalalabad (Shewa), occasional plundering raids against the Sayyids, and intervention in rivalries within the ruling family. Nevertheless, the Sayyids continued to control their core possessions until the 1880s. During Amir Sher ‘Ali Khan’s reign, the ruling Sayyid received an allowance and acted as a middleman for the Amir in dealings with the more remote regions of Bajaur and Dir. [2]

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Sayyid Mahmood, the “Badshah” of Kunar, 1879.

Syed Mahmud, 1879.

Sayyid Mahmud with Major Cavagnari.

Arrival of Sayyid Mahmood, Khan of Kunar, at Jalalabad, 14 January 1879. (Source)

References

1. A Political and Diplomatic History of Afghanistan, 1863–1901, M. Hasan Kakar, p. 69
2. State and Tribe in Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan, Christine Noelle, p. 205

Shah Tahmasp's advice to Humayun on Pashtuns and Rajputs

Tahmasp I (1514 – 1576) was an influential Shah of Iran of the Safavid dynasty. After getting defeated by Sher Shah Sur, Humayun sought refuge with Shah Tahmasp. Zakhirat-ul-Khawanin (Eng.trans, Vol-I, pp-103-104) records an interesting conversation that took place between Humayun and Shah Tahmasp:

Shah Tahmasp: "Among Indian which class commands the obedience of big tribes, possess princely grandeur and are brave"?

Humayun: "The Afghans and the Rajputs"

Shah Tahmasp: "Are they friendly with each other"?

Humayun: "No"

Shah Tahmasp: "You cannot win the friendship of the Afghans; deprive them of military service and force them to become merchants and artisans. Establish close relations with the Rajputs and promote them, for it is not possible to rule India, for it is not possible to rule India without controlling the zamindars."

According to Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, Sher Shah Sur had contemplated to form an alliance with the Ottoman Sultan against Safavid Persia. For this purpose, Sher Shah Sur sent Mir Saiyid Rafiuddin with his letters to the court of Sultan of Rum. (Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, English transl. Vol-I, pp-480-481.

The painting below depicts the meeting between Shah Tahmasp and Humayun at Isfahan.

Safdar Khan Babi

This large and imposing painting, of circa 1790-1810, depicts the Afghan nobleman of Mughal empire, Safdar Khan Babi. The painting is inscribed to the top in black nasta‘liq against scrolling white clouds, the letters intermingled with diagonal flights of birds. . The inscription may be partially read as follows:

J(?)…. khan ji al-mukhatab be-safdar khan bahadur babi ‘alamgir shahi

“J(?) (undeciphered)... Khan Ji, titled Safdar Khan Bahadur Babi [of] ‘Alamgir Shah”

Brief history of Babi Afghans in India 

Babis are Ghurghust Pashtuns, related to Kakars, Pannis, Mando Khels etc. Omar Khan Babi, one of the descendants of Babaey son of Ghurghust had joined Humayun's army in Hind. Bahadur Khan son of Osman Khan Babi, remained in the royal service of Emperor Akbar during the latter part of his rule and rose to prominence during the rule of Emperor Shah Jahan and received two villages in Gujarat state as jagir.  One of the sons of Bahadur Khan named Sher Khan was a favorite of Emperor Aurangzeb for his services in suppressing the uprisings in Gujarat and adjoining territory. In 1672, Kutbuddin, the Faujdar of Surat, invaded Jamnagar. Against stiff resistance Sher Khan captured the fort of Jamnagar. Kutbuddin appointed him the Faujdar of Gujarat and Baroda, in addition he was given the town of Piran Pattan in jagir. He died in Sidhpur and was buried in Ahmadabad. ("History of the Pathans" by Haroon Rashid, pp-190-191)

Safdar Khan Babi

In 1693 Jafar Khan, son of Sher Khan Babi, by his ability and local influence, obtained the faujddri of Radhanpur, Sami, Munjpur, `and Tervada, with the title of Safdar Khan. In 1704 he was made governor of Bijapur (in Gujarat), and in 1706 of Patan (Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 21, p. 23.)

In 1701, Safdar Khan Babi and his sons Muhammad Salabat Khan and Muhammad Jahan Khan along with their retainers, foiled the rebellious designs of Durgadas Rathor of Marwar. They pursued the rebels and gave them a strong fight. A grandson of Durgadas and a large number of Rajputs were killed at the hands of the sons of Safdar Khan Babi, but the latter failed to capture Durgadas, who fled to Marwar. In 1703 A.D, Safdar Khan Babi again offered to capture Durgadas. Similarly in 1703, Safdar Babi led his forces against Dhana Jadhav, the invincible Maratha thief, and resisted his depredations inside Gujarat. The Afghan leader was caught unaware by the enemy on the banks of Narbada and though he fought with "steadfastness and firmness" yet they were defeated by the Marathas. While Muhammad Osman lost his life, Safdar Babi was made captive by the enemy in a wounded state. Muhammad Azam Babi, the nephew of Safdar Khan Babi, managed to return with few retainers (Afghan nobility and the Mughals by Rita Joshi, p.164)

Safdar Khan Babi died in 1725 A.D. His grandsons founded the independent states of Junagadh, Balasinor and Radhanpur.

Dilazak Tribe

History of the Dilazak Tribe of the Pashtuns

Dilazak, more correctly Dalazak, is a tribe belonging to the Karlanri division of the Pashtuns. They once occupied a vast territory extending from Nangarhar to Hazara and from Bajaur to Peshawar, representing the dominant Pashtun element in what is now northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, before the arrival of the Khashi and Ghoria Khel Pashtun tribes in the region.

The tribe is now much diminished; they are scattered in Peshawar, with their major settlements in Haripur and Chach, where they have forgotten Pashto and now speak Hindko. According to their own tradition, as reported in Hayat-i-Afghani, they occupied the Peshawar Valley in the 11th century, where they found the inhabitants to be red-complexioned Kafirs (possibly Dardic people). The same account also claims that a large contingent of Dilazaks joined Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in his expedition against Somnath, under their chieftain Yahya Khan. H. G. Raverty, however, believed that they most likely moved into the Peshawar Valley in the early 13th century due to the onslaught of the Mongols.

In the 15th century, the Yusufzais sought help from the Dilazaks after being devastated by Mirza Ulug Beg. Generously, the Dilazaks offered the Doaba region, and also suggested Danish Kol, Ambahar, and Ashnaghar (Hashtnagar) if needed. Eventually, Yusufzais and Mandanrs took Doaba and later expanded into Bajaur and Hashtnagar, leading to conflicts with the Dilazaks.

Conflict escalated between the Dilazaks and Yusufzais, Gigyanis, and Mohammedzais. The Dilazaks, excellent archers, were eventually routed at the Battle of Katlang. Khan Kaju intervened to save the Dilazak chief and his family.

In 1519, the Dilazak chiefs allied with Babur against the Yusufzais. The fort at Peshawar, destroyed by the Dilazaks, was later rebuilt by Humayun. By the early 17th century, the Ghoria Khel Afghans displaced the Dilazaks, who were eventually moved near Lahore by orders of Mughal Emperor Jehangir.

By the 18th century, the Jadoons occupied areas previously held by Dilazaks. Dilazak individuals served in Mughal military campaigns across India, demonstrating notable archery and cavalry skills.

Military Careers in India

Purdil Khan Dilazak, nicknamed Chibi-Tani, governed Sarain in the Deccan. Many Dilazaks served in Mughal armies; Mirza Nathan describes them as excellent archers. Khan Jahan Lodi's army had 3,000 Dilazak cavalry in the 1615 campaign against Bijapur. Rashid Khan Ansari employed 500 Dilazaks among 4,500 Karlanri soldiers. Jamal Khan Dilazak served in naval campaigns against the Ahoms under Mir Jumla.

References

• "Afghanistan and its inhabitants" by Muhammad Hayat Khan, translated by Henry B. Priestley, 1874.
• Hugh R. James, Report on the Settlement of the Peshawar District, 1865, p.23–30.
• Olaf Caroe, "The Pathans", p.176–177.
• H.G. Raverty, "Notes on Afghanistan and Baluchistan", p.220, 517.
• Mirza Nathan, Baharistan-i-ghaibi, vol-1, p.550.
• Tuzk-i-Jehangiri, Vol.1, p.299, 308.
• Haroon Rashid, "History of the Pathans", Vol.II, p.432.
• Jagdis Nariyan Sarkar, "Life of Mir Jumla", p.253.

A village in the Khyber Pass, 1920 (c). Photo by R.B. Holmes.

Residents of Chach-Hazara, 1850 (c). Toor Collection.

Khalil Tribe

Ghoria Khel tribes

1- Khalil

2- Mohmand

3- Daudzai

4- Chamkani

5- Ziranis (extinct)

Khalil

Khalil was the eldest son of Ghoraey by his first wife . Khalil married Zarkhanda and by her had a so named Umar who was known as Shaikh Umar because of his religious nature. Umar had three sons, Yaqun, Yousaf and Shaikh Abbas. Its the progeny of Shaikh Abbas that has prospered and to some extent preserved the identity of Shaikh Umar.

Khalil, by his second wife, had another son named Bara who in turn had three sons namely, Barak, Talar and Ishaq. It is the offspring of Bara that has multiplied and gave birth to major clans of the tribe.

Early history

Khalils along with other Ghoria Khel tribes were initially settled in the neighborhood of Kandahar. Because of the scarcity of pastoral lands, they moved to the area west and south of Ghazni and settled on the banks of river Tarnak.

 

Tarnak river

Khalils continued their nomadic mode of life in pursuit of pastures.In 15th century the Mughals and Hazaras started harassing them and slowly and gradually drove them out to the neighborhood of Kabul and Nangarhar. From there, they  migrated to their final settlement, Peshawar valley.

At that time Khalil was a very powerful tribe and took active part in the struggle against Dilazaks.Babur in his Tuzk writes, "The most powerful of the Hazaras are the Masudis and the most powerful amongst the Afghans are the Mohmands and Khalils."

In 1517, a group of Khalils made inroads into Bajaur area. Subsequently Yousafzais gave them the Darra of Lashura as far as the Darra of Charmung and Nawagai for their sustenance. The brief account of the expulsion of the expulsion of the Khalils from Bajaur, wherein they never obtained a footing, is one of the blanks in their history. In 1550 AD, we find them supporting Prince Kamran against his brother Humayun. Kamran was defeated at Shutagram and while passing through the darrahs of Alinagar and Ali Shang, had taken shelter among the Khalils and Mohmands. The former , at this time, was a powerful tribe, indeed, the most powerful tribe among the Ghoria Khels. According to Raverty, Khalils had then not occupied their present seats in Peshawar district. However, from the perusal of the local history, it seems the Khalils were already in possession of their holdings in Peshawar area. It appears that in 1531 AD, on the death of Emperor Babur, Prince Humayun, the eldest and successor, confirmed his brother Mirza Kamran in his fief i.e Kabul province . The Dilazaks, then in the possession of the whole area east of Khyber pass, were loyal to Humayun. This fact was sufficient  to incite Mirza Kamran’s hostility towards them. The Khalils and Mohmands appealed to him (Mirza Kamran) and he agreed to help them militarily. This event , it is evident, would have taken place soon after Humayun’s accession, at a time when he was too much occupied in other far more momentous matters in Hind to be able to aid the Dilazaks by restraining Kamran. Had it not been for Kamran’s support, it is very probable that the Dilazaks would have successfully resisted the encroachments of the Ghoria Khels. After a severe fight, the Dilazaks were finally defeated.

In 1551, the Khalils and Mohmands , under Kamran’s orders, staged a fierce night attack on Humayun’s camp in Ningarhar. The tribesmen penetrated into the camp , killed Humayun’s other brother Hindal , slitting open his head from ear to ear, and were only beaten off by the steadiness of the Emperor himself who rushed from his tent and rallied his troops by taking up a position on horse back in the middle of the camp. The Afghan attack didn’t succeed and they were beaten off. After this engagement, Kamran found himself unable to continue longer with his Afghan friends west of Indus and took refuge with Islam Shah Suri at Lahore. Soon after this event, Humayun commenced operations against the Khalils and Mohmands, who had given shelter to Mirza Kamran

The real cause of their downfall was the hostility of the Khashi Afghans. Holding, as they did, all the country from Dakka to Attock, with the Khyber and Kharappa passes, they had become very rich, for the Peshawar district was very fruitful and as the royal road lay through it and all the trading caravans halted at Bagram (Peshawar), the Khalils levied tolls on them in return for escorts, and as their wealth increased so did their arrogance. The plunder of a Yusufzai caravan, the murders of the two sons of the Malik of the Abazai and of the Gagiani Malik, who was venerated as a saint, in a Khalil mosque, roused the Khashis and their allies to fury and under Khan Gaju they overthrew the Khalils at Shaikh Tapur in 1549 or 1550, according to Raverty..

The present Khalil tappa or tribal area consists of a tract 20 miles long by 10 broad along the foot of the Khyber hills from the Kabul river southward to the Mohmand tappa. It is 73 square miles in area.

The Khalil Arbabs

Acting as intermediaries for various governments and Khyber tribes, the Khalil ‘Arbabs’ played an important role during the Mughal period and afterwards. It is during Emperor Shah Jahan’s reign that they came into limelight. The Emperor appointed Muhammad Asal Khan of Ishakzai section of Mitta Khel clan the revenue collector of the Khalil tappa and called him ‘Arbab’ of the area. The title of Arbab though at variance with the traditional Pashtun titles such as ‘Khan’ or ‘Malik’ stuck to the Khalil notables who are still referred to as the ‘Arbabs’. . Arbab is the broken plural word of the Arabic and Persian word ‘Rab’ meaning a ‘lord’. However, the grey beards of the Mitha Khels say it comes from a word ‘ar’ meaning ‘lord of’ and word ‘bab’ meaning gate i.e, it alludes to Khyber. However , there is no such word as ‘ar’; meaning ;lord’ in Arabic, Persian or Pashto.

During the Mughal period, an ‘Arbab’ was expected to deal beside administrative measures , with the tribes of Khyber pass, Mullagoris, Shinwaris and Mohmands, collect revenue of the area and accompany the royal entourage while passing through the area and to provide the logistics for the royal forces operating in the area. He was also responsible for the distribution of ‘mawajib’ or the royal allowances amongst the Khyberi tribes. The ‘Arbab’ was handsomely rewarded in terms of money and ‘jagir’. Asal Khan Mitha Khel had received the title of ‘Arbab’ from Emperor Shah Jahan earlier than the Mohmands. He received Tahkal tappa as a jagir with sixty thousand rupes of annual revenue. His son Shaikh Abdul Rahman, who held practically independent control over the Khyber during the reign of Nadir Shah Afshar, followed him.

The location of the Ghoria Khels, particularly that of the Khalils at the mouth of the Khyber pass had always given them much importance no matter whatever dynasty bore sway in the area. Each of these tribes had aristocracy of its own. The Mitha Khel Khalils has the honour of being ‘Khan Khels’ or the aristocrats of the tribe. Their authoritative conduct and high living standards made them so distinct from the rest of the tribe that the Sikhs, and subsequently the British initially considered them to be a distinct tribe.


Book references:

1- History of the Pathans by Haroon Rashid, Vol-II, pp-514-525

2- 'The Pathans' by Olaf Careo, p-195

3- Notes on Afghanistan by Raverty, p-225