Cricket match in Kohat, 1862 (c)

 

Recommended Books

Photos of Ajab Khan Afridi

Photo of Ajab Khan Afridi. Undated. Source: "Adam Khel Afridi tarikh kay ainay may" by Azeem Afridi.

Ajab Khan Afridi. From "Khyber: tourist guide" (1980).

Shahzada, the brother of Ajab Khan Afridi. From "Khyber: tourist guide" (1980).

📖 Related Posts

Mollie Ellis, Ajab Khan Afridi and her Pashtun rescuers

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

A village scene of Kohat, 1902

A village scene of Kohat, 1902. Photo taken by Warren Crowe. Source

Kohat fort

 

Kohat fort, a 19th century painting. Source

An aerial view of Kohat fort and city, taken by Royal Air Force, North-West Frontier, 1930's (c). Source

Entrance to bazaar, Shah Faisal gate, Kohat, 1928

Entrance to bazaar, King's gate, Kohat, 1928. Photo by Lieutenant Colonel H. E. Crocker of the Britis Army.

It was later renamed to Shah Faisal Gate in the honour of King Shah Faisal of Saudi Arabia. In 2021 Ziaullah Khan Bangash of PTI changed the name of the gate to Bab i Khatam-i-Nabowat. 

Gramophone in a Pashtun village, Kohat district, N.W.F.P, 1928.

 

Jawaki expedition (1877-1878)

Khattak levies at Chorlakai (Kohat district, KP), 27 October 1877. Campaign against Jawaki Afridis. . Source

Village of Bagh "Meela Alum Gool" (?). British campaign against Jawaki Afridis, December 4, 1877. Watercolour in private collection. Via Farruk Husain

The British battles with the Jawaki Afridis at Zal Beg's village, 13 October 1877. Via Farrukh Husain

Khattak levies, campaign against the Jowakis, 1878. Illustration from the magazine The Graphic, volume XVII, no 430, February 23, 1878.

Recommended Books

Historical photographs of Kohat

The early history of Kohat is limited to the vaguest traditions. It is said that in Buddhist times two Rajas named Adh and Kohat settled along the northern border of the district. Raja Kohat gave his name to the town of Kohat, and Raja Adh to the ruins of an old fort on the hill side north of Muhammadzai, a village four miles to the west of Kohat. The remains of this fort, which is known as Adh-i-Samut, consist of the ruins here and there of the old ramparts.

The first historical mention of Kohat is to be found in the memoirs of the Emperor Babur. The district was then being taken possession of by the Bangashes and Khattaks who now hold it. Babur's annals, however, throw little or no light on the extent of their occupation. He narrates that in the year A.D. 1505, when at Peshawar, he was induced by Baki Cheghaniani to visit Kohat on the false hope of obtaining a rich booty. Babar had never before heard even the name of Kohat. He reached the town through the Kohat pass in two marches, and fell on it at luncheon time. After plundering it he sent foraging parties as far as the Indus. Bullocks, buffaloes and grain were the only plunder. He released his Afghan prisoners. After two days he marched up the valley towards "Bangash." When he reached a narrow part of the valley, the hill men of Kohat and that quarter crowded the hills on both flanks, raised the war shout and made a loud clamour. At last they foolishly occupied a detached hill. Now was Babur's opportunity. He sent a force to cut them off from the hills. About a hundred and fifty were killed. Many prisoners were taken. These put grass in their mouths in token of submission, being as much as to say "I am your ox," a custom which Babar first noticed here. Notwithstanding he had them beheaded at once. A minaret of their heads was erected at the next camping place. Babur gives us no further account of Kohat . He uniformly speaks of the inhabitants of the country as Afghans, making no mention of special tribes by name.

References:

1- "Report on the Settlement of the Kohat District in the Panjab" , 1884, by G. Tucker , p-35

"Mosque and Afridi hills", Kohat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), 1862 (c). Photo by Charles Patton Keyes.

A scene of Kohat, c.1900

Local People posing in front of a car at Kohat, 1929 (c)

General view of the cantonment including the church, Kohat, 1865. Photo by William Henry Baker.

Kohat, 1920's Aerial photograph

Usterzai village, Kohat, c.1900.

A view of Kohat Cantt, 1924

Cantt Bazar Kohat, 1945). Union Jack can be seen in the back ground.

Khushal-garh railway bridge, 1920's Aerial photograph

Entraining at Kohat, 1919.
 

Illustration from late 16th century manuscript (1590-1593) of Baburnama depicting foray to Kohat 

.....

Recommended Books

Bangash tribe

Bangash was originally name of an extensive territory, and not of a specific tribe. The region of Bangash stretched from River Indus to Spin-Ghar. The present-day districts of Kohat and Hangu constituted the Lower Bangash while Kurram district along with the adjoining territory of Zazai tribe, constituted the Upper Bangash. The Lower and Upper Bangash were collectively referred to as 'Bangashast'. It includes some of the major passes, namely Khost, Kurram, Aryob, Paiwar, Shalozan, Ziran and Karman. The Pashtun tribes of the Bangash region are referred to as 'Afghans of Bangash' or 'Aqwam-i-Bangash' (tribes of Bangash) in Mughal sources. They, with very few exceptions, are Karlanris. With time, 'the tribes of Bangash' (Aqwam-i-Bangash) nomenclature morphed into 'the tribe of Bangash' (Qaum-i-Bangash). Only three among several tribes of the Bangashast, became the Bangash tribe. They are Baizai, Malik Miri and Kaghzai.

The Baizai, descendants of Bai, and the Malik-Miris or Miranzais, sprung from Malik Mir, were the parent tribes of the Afghans of Bangash, and to these were affiliated the Kaghzi, descended from Kakhai or Kaghai, daughter of Malik Mir, by a husband of an unknown tribe. The Malik-Miris, as Malik Mir's descendants in the male line, held the chieftainship, but it subsequently passed to the Baizais. The latter has several brandies, the Mardo, Azu, Lodi and Shahu Khels. The Miranzai khels are the Hassanzai, with the Badah, Khakhai, and Umar khels. A third branch the Shamilzai, apparently identical with the Kaghzi, produced the Landi, Hassan Khel, Musa Khel and Isa Khel.

Like the other Karlarni tribes,  the Afghans of Bangash were disciples of the Pir-i-Roshan, and their attachment to that heresy brought about their ruin, the Mughal government organizing constant expeditions against them. After the Khataks had moved towards the north-east from the Shawal range (in Waziristan), the Baizai, Malik-Miris and Kaghzis then settled in the Upper Bangash, invaded the Lower (Kohat) and, in alliance with the Khataks, drove the Orakzai who then held the Lower Bangash westwards into Tirah. This movement continued till the reign of Akbar.

The history of the Bangash tribes and the part they took in the Mughal operations against the Roshanias are obscure. Probably they were divided among themselves. But those of them who had remained in Kurram appear to have adhered to the Roshania doctrines.

After Aurangzeb's accession in 1659, we find Sher Muhammad Khan, of Kohat, chief of the Malik-Miris, in revolt against the Mughals. He was captured, but subsequently released and became an adherent of the Mughals. Khushhal Khan the Khatak gives a spirited account of his little wars with Sher Muhammad Khan which ended in his own defeat and the final establishment of the Bangash in their present seats.

A Bangash, 1827-1843. By Imam Bakhsh Lahori, Illustrations des Mémoires du général Claude-Auguste Court, Lahore. Source

Group of Buland Khels (Bangashs), 1907 (c). Postcard by Raphael Tuck & Sons.