A Pashtun from Bannu, 1946

 

"Fierce glance and hawklike eye tell the Pathan character". From "The National Geographic magazine", 1946. 

Caption: "Seen at Bannu, this young blade wears an inverted lambskin jacket. On his turban he keeps an amulet to ward off snipers' bullets. Some of his friends may reach 6 feet 9. Tribal legends tell him he is descendant of Israel's lost tribes. What a Hollywood villain he would make ! ".

Bannu tongawala, 1939. Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Collection.

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Ghazi Dilasa Khan of Bannu (born 1777 A.D.)

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Shaikh Badin hills

Sheikh Budeen or Marwat range, 1864. Watercolour dated August 20, 1864. By Henry Brabazon Urmston.

The locals call it Shin Ghar or ghund. Its crest divides the districts of Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan. It rises abruptly to a height of 4,516 feet. This range is mostly composed of soft sand stone, and is rapidly disintegrating. Surface soil of southern Marwat has been formed by denundation from this and other neighbouring ranges.

British built a hill station there. Major Urmston writes in 1864 that, "There are no two opinions on the healthiness of the sanatorium. It has been proved beyond doubt to be a most valuable place of resort for officers and families on the frontier during the hottest months of the year; and, after the experience of two seasons, I can safely affirm that, though its outward appearance is less attractive than other hill stations, its beneficial effects upon the constitution, especially of ladies and children, are very great. The cool breeze which sets in towards sunset is very refreshing, and dense fogs and clouds are rare."

History of the Marwat tribe of Pashtuns

The Marwat tribe is a branch of the Lohani section of the Lodi tribe, mostly found in Lakki Marwat district of KPK. They are said to be descended from Nuh and his first wife Mashirah alias Shiri. It has four sub-sections of Musa Khel, Tapi, Nuna Khel and Salar. According to Makhzan-i-Afghani (composed in 1613 AD) :-

"Lohani's original name was Nuh. He had two wives ; the one, Toori ; the second, Shiri. From the first wife he had five sons, Mamya, Mia, Tatur, Patakh, Hud. Sheeri, the second wife of Lohani, had one son, whom she called Marwat : his descendants are denominated Marwatkhail" [1]

Initially, the Marwats and other Lohani tribes nomadized between Ghazni Plataea and Derajat and also had permanent settlements in Katawaz, Wana and Mahsud land of Waziristan during fifteenth century. The Marwats who were the aborigines of what is now South Waziristan, also appear to be engaged in agriculture. Evelyn Howell writes: -

"Nothing is more remarkable throughout Waziristan than the traces of terraced fields which remain to show that once men grew corn where there is no tillage. In Waziristan anyhow local tradition is unanimous that it was in the days of the Marwats or the Urmars that, these lands were cultivated and mainly all the water channels of any size or length which still survive were cut. " [2]

Around mid-fifteenth century, Marwats lost Katawaz to Suleiman Khel Ghilzais. A dispute arose between the Marwats and Suleiman Khel Ghilzais over return of a Suleiman Khel boy who had abducted a girl of his clan and taken refuge with the Marwats. On refusal by the latter, the Suleiman Khels, with the help of other Ghilzai clans, expelled the Marwats from Katawaz. [3]

In the time of Babur, Daulat Khel branch of Lohanis got involved in a feud with the Prangis who were settled in the fertile tract of Tank. Shahbaz Khan alias Khan Zaman Khan Daulat Khel sought help from his kinsmen, the other Lohani tribes in the area. The Marwats supported the Daulat Khels. So fierce was the battle that Prangis were almost decimated, and the survivors joined their kinsmen in Hind. Khan Zaman Khan divided the acquired territory of Tank tract into four equal shares amongst the four Lohani tribes who had taken part in the battle against Prangis. Lohani clans are said to have afterwards quarreled among themselves about the lands taken from the Prangis, but eventually they all settled down in the countries which they now occupy: the Marwats in the Lakki Marwat district; the Daulat Khel and Tators in Tank; and the Mian Khels at Draban and Musahzai in the Kulachi tahsil of Dera Ismail Khan district.

Miscellaneous information

1- Lakki is a town of Lakki Marwat district. The word Laka'i, in Pushto, signifies, “tail,” “termination,” “extremity,” “after-part,” “rear,” and the like. This place was formerly in the possession of the Sarang clan of the Niazi tribe of Afghans. When Khushal Khan Khattak, held the Chautarah district, under his father, Shahbaz Khan, he made a raid from thence on the Sarangs of Laka'i. [4]

2- Syed Ghulam Muhamamd, an Indian surveyor, passed through Marwat region in 1780 and gave the following account of the Marwat country and its people:-

“The Marwat Afghans are a section or sub-tribe of the great tribe of Nuharni. The Marwat section consists of about 40,000 families, the greater number of whom follow a nomadic life, but many of them have taken to fixed abodes, and the cultivation of the soil. There are at present two Sardars or Chiefs in this tribe: one, Nur Khan of the Pahar Khel, before referred to as being the rightful chief, and the other, Gul-rang Khan of the Khafiz Khel, who has been lately set up by some sections of the tribe. Nur Khan dwells at Pahar Khel, and Gul-rang Khan, the rival chief, at Pathan-Kot; and between these rival chiefs there is no accord. Both pay allegiance to Timir Shah Sadozi, Badshah of Kabul, each pay into his treasury 5,000 rupis as a tenth, and each furnishes a contingent of 200 horsemen to the Badshah's army. Their principal wealth is in cattle; and they likewise possess numerous flocks of sheep, and herds of camels. In the wintertime they come into the garam-sir or hot parts, in the tracts east of the mountains towards the great river, but, in the summer months, they resort to the sard-sir or cool tracts in the mountains.

“Their country, which, previous to their arrival in it, was known by the Hindi name of “Thal,” extends, from east to west, for about fifty kuroh in length, and forty kuroh in breadth from north to south. The chief place, and seat of government, is styled Laka’i, which is a town of considerable size, but the houses are merely constructed of reeds, and thatched with grass laid on the branches of trees." As this tract of country consists chiefly of sandy tracts and desert, as its name indicates, and is surrounded on all sides by mountains at greater or lesser distances, it is exceedingly dry and hot; and, as large trees and long grass do not grow hereabouts, its inhabitants have no other stations or dwelling-places save such like unsubstantial abodes. The river Gambila'h and river of Kurma'h flow through the middle of the Marwat territory; and on both sides of these rivers the land is exceedingly fruitful and produces fine crops. The Gamila'h, as before mentioned, comes down from the hilly country of Karni-Gram, and, passing on the north side of the town of Laka'i, unites with the river of Kurma'h and its many minor tributaries three or four kuroh farther east. The united streams then flow through the lower part of the country of the 'Isa Khel, receiving some minor streams from the hills of that part, and finally unite with the Abae Sin. Like some other Afghan tribes, the Marwat Nuharnis re-distribute the lands of their villages every ten or twelve years, sometimes after longer periods; and each member of the community, even to the infant in arms, has a share allowed. This re-distribution is, however, restricted within certain customary regulations.

“The lalmi lands, or lands dependent on rain for irrigation, are chiefly unproductive. In the cold season, however, much rain falls, and snow likewise, but, in the hot season, the heat is very great. It is not the custom in this country to sink wells, and the people use the river water for drinking purposes. The chief produce consists of wheat, barley, jowor, bajra'h, and muthh, in great plenty, but of sugar-cane, rice, and cotton, the produce is scanty. Traders have to pay a tax.

“Laka'i lies about equidistant from the several mountain ranges surrounding it, being about twenty kuroh from each, save those in the direction of Bunnu and Tak, which lie farther off. 

“The language of the people of the Marwat country is Pushto only, save in a few instances where the Baluchi and Panjabi languages are also spoken, but by persons of a different race.” [5]

3- Agha Abbas of Shiraz passed through Marwat region in 1837 and gave following account of the tribe: -

"3rd Zeehijah.—Proceeded to Marwat to the village of Lakki. The cultivation depends on the rain. This is the principal town of Marwat. A small portion of the Kurram river is applied to cultivation. There are three tribes of Marwats. 

Bahram, under Feroz Khan and Muhablat Khan, resident of Ghuzni khel; amount of fighting men two thousand. 

Dreplarah, under Noora Khan and Allaiyar Khan, resident of Sangookhel and Asakkhel; amount of fighting men two thousand. 

Musakhel, under Hyder Khan, resident of Adamzai, and Kashmir Khan, resident of Wali; amount of fighting men one thousand and five hundred. 

The former amount of the revenue of Murwat, in the time of the Sadozais, was 18,000 rupees, and in the time of the Nawabs of Dera, 50,000 rupees. 

The town of Lakki is situated in the division of Bahram; but the whole three divisions dispute about their claims to it. The Maliks of Lakki are four in number; viz. Deewana Khan, Gouhar Khan, Jahan Khan, and Alam Khan. The town of Lakki is composed of four hundred houses and twenty shops, three dyers, and two black smiths. They are now subjects of Runjeet Singh, but compulsory ones, and their revenue is only collected by detachments of Sikh troops. They are friends of the Bannuwals, and enemies of the Waziris. [6]

References:

1- "History of Afghans" by B.Dorn, Vol-II-, p-51
2- "Mizh", by Evelyn Howell, p-97
3- "History of the Pathans" by Haroon Rashid, p-408
4- "Notes on Afghanistan and part of Baluchistan", by H.G.raverty, p-322
5- Ibid, pp.322-323
6- Journal of a tour through parts of Panjab and Affghanistan in year 1837 ; translated by Major R.Leech.

Read also: Marwat uprising against the Sikhs (1847) 

Type of Marwat, c.1909. Source: "Among the wild tribes of the Afghan frontier " by T.L. Pennell

Shaikh Michan Niazi مچن نيکه | Michan Khel tribe

Ziarat of Mechan Nika (مچن نيکه) , Wana, South Waziristan.

Shaikh Michan Niazi was a medieval Pashtun saint . His real name was Muhsin and he is generally said to have been 6th in descent from Khako, son of Niazi. He was given the title of Michan (meaning handmill in Pashto) when one day, while on hunt in wilderness, he started rotating like a hand-mill in religious ecstasy. A brief account of him is given in Makhzan-i-Afghani (composed in 1612 AD) as follow ;

"Shaikh Mechan, is related, in the prime of youth, to have been addicted to hunting and sporting. One day, while hunting, the divine attraction entered him, and the breeze of the Almighty's grace breathed into him, so that he became affected with with ecstasy and contrition , and, by excessive love , was subjected to periodical rotation. In consequence of which , they called him Mechan , which in the Afghan language, signifies a 'mill' ; that is to say , he turned around like a mill. His descendants, among the Mati tribe, enjoy great authority ; and his threshold is a place of pilgrimage to high and low." [B.Dorn translation]

The descendants of Michan Baba are reputed to posses charms against Snake bites and hydrophobia. They are known to catch living snakes with no fear or danger. Michan Baba is buried at Wana in thr hills of Waziristan. Haji Murad, a descendant of Michan, is a saint of great repute, and his tomb is on the bank of Kurram near Lakki.  ["A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West", Vol-3, p-101]

Marwat uprising against the Sikh (1847)

In 1842 Raja Sher Singh, the adopted son of Ranjit Singh, deputed Malik Fateh Khan Tiwana for collection of the revenue of the Marwat area. The Nazarites sought favour with the new rulers and supported Tiwana. Malik Fateh Khan was a brave, highly intelligent and singularly energetic man. Under a promise to make perpetual settlement of the revenue of the Marwats at the low rate of one sixth of the produce in kind, he convinced the chiefs to give their consent to the building a fort in the heart of their country at Lakki, on the left bank of the river Gambila. The Marwats' Khan was replaced by Diwan Daulat Rai, who interpreted the loan as a regularly established tax and added six thousand rupees to it; these 'tappas' now had to pay fourteen thousand rupees year in addition to one sixth of the produce for which they had originally bargained. The imposition was rendered all the more arduous by the method of assessment and collection. he made it a poll tax and the locals, in derision, called it the 'Pataka' or turban tx, the most honoured portion of the Pashtun's dress. Every male who was of age was liable to this tax and consequently, it fell heaviest on the large families.[1]

Musa Khel of Marwat, lies towards Bannu and the Waziri hills, and consequently never submitted to regular payments; so that the authorities were obliged to make incursions into it, and harry the people till they came to terms. When Sir Edwards passed through Marwat to Bannu, he found the smouldering embers of more than one village of this tappeh, which had been burnt by Dewan Dowlat Rai's orders, for refusing to pay the revenue. In the end they used to compound for all demands, but never would allow either their crops to be measured, or their polls to be counted.

In addition to the hated 'Patka' and the land taxes of one sixth, the avaricious Diwan Daulat Rai impose on newly conquered Afghans, all the vexations custom dues of the Sikh system in Punjab. In the the beginning of 1847, the rage of the Marwats at the 'Patka Tax' rose to such a pitch that they rebelled. The Dre-Plari 'Khan' sounded a 'nakarah' (battle drum) at mid-night in his village. The well-known signal was taken up and echoed in the town of Lakki and the Sikh fort was besieged. The news of the rising spread like wild-fire in the neighboring Pashtun tribes; the Wazirs and Khattaks rushed to the scene of the expected action and soon the Marwat 'Lashkar' numbered over twelve thousand men. [2]

The fort was commanded at that time by a very brave Pashtun, Niazam Khan Khudakka; he first burnt the town of lakki to ashes to deprive the besiegers of shelter and then defended the fort with his garrison for seventeen days, until his master, the Diwan, arrived from Dera Isamel Khan with guns and reinforcements and raised the siege. The Marwats efforts ended in failure. Diwan daulat Rai was replaced by Cortland when Edwardess reported to Khalsa Darbar about Diwan daulat Rai's malpractices.

Mina Khel and Sikander Khel clans of Marwats distinguished themselves in 1848 when major Taylor besieged the Sikh garrison in the, now dismantled lakki fort.

Role of Marwats in Anglo-Sikh wars

During the Anglo-sikh war of 1848, both Begu Khel and Esak Khel clans of Marwats sent their men to Multan to assist the British in the siege of Multan. Achu khel division gave full support to the British in the battle of Gujrat that destroyed the Sikh army. While Hakim Khel (Mina Khel) and Sikander Khel clans distinguished themselves in 1848 when Major Taylor besieged the Sikh garrison in the Lakki fort. The band of Midad Khel Marwats also accompanied Sir Edwards in 1848, during the Multan campaign. [3]



References 

1-Sher Muhammad Khan Mahmand, The Marwats,  p-17
2- Edwardes, " A year in the Punjab", Vol-I, p-136
3- History of the Pathans (Vol. III) by Haroon Rasheed

Naurang Khan Gandapur

Nowrung Khan , a Gandapur chieftain, circa 1867.

The Photograph has following description of Gandapurs ;

"The Gundapoors are Soonnee Mahomedans, frank and hospitable, and free from vices and treachery of the Afghans of the frontier. As yet they have not become infected by Wahabeeism, nor the fanatical desire for a holy war; nor do they much affect military service, though well fitted for it both by their spirit and physique"

From Hayat-i-Afghani (1867);

"Naurang Khan is the leading man among the Brahimzai (Gandapurs), and in consideration of his services during the mutiny (1857's) , has received from the Government the title of Khan Bahadur."

From the The Golden Book of India (1893) ;

"The title Khan Bahadur was conferred on Naurang Khan on 11th March 1859, as a personal distinction, for very distinguished services during the Multan rebellion and the Mutiny of 1857. Belongs to the Gandapur (Afghan) family of Kulachi in the Dera Ismail Khan district of the Punjab. He raised 50 horse and 100 foot for service in the Multan campaign, and was desperately wounded at that time. At the close of the campaign he joined the Police, retiring on a pension after three years; but continued to volunteer for service on the frontier, and his son, Muhammad Zaman Khan, was killed in this service. When the Mutiny broke out in 1857 he raised 600 men; and leaving 200 foot with the Deputy Commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan, he joined Sir Herbert Edwardes with the residue at Peshawar, and marched at the head of these followers into Hindustan. He was engaged in the actions against the rebels at Jhelum, Delhi, Najafgarh, and elsewhere; and on one occasion saved Lieutenant Lind's life by killing a Sepoy who was about to bayonet that officer when dismounted. For these services he received a jagir in perpetuity, and the title of Khan Bahadur. His son, Muhammad Zaman Khan, mentioned above, left a son named Bakhtiyar Khan. Another son, Mehardil Khan, has three sons—Faiz Muhammad Khan, born 1862; Sayyid Muhammad Khan, born 1864; Abdulla Khan, born 1866. A third son, Sarfaraz Khan, Risalddr, has two sons—Gulzar Khan and Kunidad Khan . A fourth son, Sikandar Khan, has a son named Samandar Khan.."

The Tehsil and town of Serai Naurang in the Lakki Marwat district is named after Naurang Khan Gandapur. In 1869 British granted him a perpetuity jagir of Rs.600, party in Dera Ismail Khan district and partly in the Marwat region (then part of Bannu district)

 

Hindus of Bannu

Source: www.apnabannu.com

The Hindus were much equally scattered throughout all parts of the district except the Waziri tracts, in which there were very few. Of the 30,000 in the district in 1877-78, fully two-thirds were engaged in trade, the rest gained a living as agriculturists in different villages. The majority had been Aroras (Kirars), the rest being Brahmins and Khatris. They were much reserved to their communities, acquisitive (very necessary and useful it may be in their places in those days due to their position as minority), but possessed of few manly qualities and both despised and envied by the Musalman tribes of the district for the wealth and property they possessed. Of the Aroras, 11,275 were Uttaradhi and 10,580 were Dakhana as recorded at the Census of 1881. This strength was doubled when they left Bannu in 1947. They were chiefly guarded by Musslaman Malluks in the villages and by the District Administration in the walled city of Bannu. In 1947, about 50,000 Hindus souls migrated to India. They were given a peaceful send off by the local Malluks. Only one dozen families are now residing at Bannu. They were mainly known as Bannuwal Hindus and Lakkiwal Hindus among the tribes. They were learned class in the district who remained peaceful in Bannu throughout their stay. In Bannu, they had been speaking Hinko language but were well versed in Bannusi and Marwat accents. Those living in Mianwali used to speak the Niazis accent. Bannu city was occupied by almost 60% Hindus which percentage was reduced to 50% by 1940 AD since many of them shifted to villages where they purchased land once a ban on purchase of property by non-Muslims in villages was lifted by the Provincial Congress Cabinet under Chief Minister Doctor Khan Sahib in 1939. The ban was imposed by Sahibzada Abdul Quyyum Khan, the first Chief Minister of NWFP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in 1937/38.

In 1947, many Hindu families sold their land under compulsion of leaving their homes for migration to India. The Hindu property thus unsold by then was taken over by the Pakistan Government and a department known as Custodian Department looked after the property till the time much of the property was auctioned in 1954 to 1960 but a lot of it was given to the Mahajirs who migrated from India. The religious places of Hindus and Sikhs are still guarded by the District Administration.

Like Niazis who were once a part of District Bannu but driven out by the Marwats, the role of Hindus in Bannu who migrated to India due to partition, cannot ignored. The Hindus community (as well as some Sikh families) had a complete hold on the business line in Bannu except arms making, and 80% of houses and shops at Bannu city were purely held by them. In fact, Bannu city was erected for their protection by Lt. Edwardes in 1847 thence completed by Major Taylor in 1848; and they doubtlessly attained distinction in Bannu by virtue of hard work. They left their immovable property under the assurances from the Malluks and the district administration that their property would be returned to them if they might not find their migration to India and subsequent settlement there, either impossible or hard. However, when ten years passed and none returned, the property at city was completely taken over by Custodian Department (raised for the purpose) and after letting some houses and shops given to the Mahajirs from India, the rest was auctioned under government auctioneers which properties are now possessed by different classes. The land in villages was possessed by the Malluks and then after 30 years declared as their property.

The Hindus were not touched or molested at Bannu at the time of partition, rather they were looked after well and transported in their transports to Bannu Railway Station. The wealthy families managed to go by Air from Pakistan but majority of the families travelled by trained and while entering Punjab, many families at the hands of the Muslim bandits, suffered badly. Very touching scenes were observed when Hindus kissed the soil of Bannu while moving off the land with tears in their eyes. Their places of worship are still guarded by the District Administration through the Custodian Department and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Government of Pakistan. Even after their settlement till this date in India, they speak Bannuwal language at homes and love the language. In marriages they also play Bannuwal dhol and enjoy typical Bannuwal dances. However, here at Bannu, they are remembered with good words, people talk about their ways and manners, in places of meeting. Despite some incident that took place like the sad case of Islam Bibi, a newly converted girl to Islam who had fallen in love with a pir of Jhando Khel, in 1936; they all remained much respectful to the Bannuchi communities and maintained peace, wishing tranquility for the district in general.

Apart from their business line in grains; and sell or purchase of audible items like ghee, sugar, gurr and tea in the district; they even had been running the cinemas and private mechanized transport. Many of them were even tangewala (ekkawala). There were two cinemas in Bannu known as Regal Cinema and In-city Cinema, erected in 1930, run by Khanna family ( Hindu) and Kania Singh family (Sikh) respectively. ‘In-city Cinema’ was initially known as ‘talkies’ but when in 1947, Kania Singh embraced Islam and was named as Sheikh Saleem, the cinema was consequently named as ‘Saleem Theatre’. Regal cinema was owned by Bannu Garrison in 1947 when Khanna family left for India. It was subsequently leased out to Late Amanullah Khan and his brothers (Kachozai family). These two cinemas have been demolished recently by their owners due to the old brick structures that had gone dangerous after eighty years (or perhaps due to threats from Taliban), and now new commercial centers are being erected in place.

Till late in 1962, the Hindus of Miranshah and Bannu who opted to stay in Pakistan, had been collectively and regularly celebrating dosehra, dewali etc., with whom many Bannuchis also used to join them on such occasions at the specified parks. They had been distributing sweets on such occasions and sending these to the Bannuchi families living close to them. Typical bilateral relations of the mebers of the two religeons existed that remained combined for centuries.

After partition, as mentioned above, many Hindu families migrated to Delhi, Faridabad, Kanpur, Haridwar, Dehradun, Lucknow, Bareily, Rampur, Agra, Vrindavan and Bombay. Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) is having majority of Bannuwal communities.

The Hindus community dressed like Bannuchis with only a difference in Turban which they used to wear around their heads differently. Some Hindus in Bannu were well off and politically well placed. The most influential among them was Kanwar Bhan Bagai, a famous transporter, grain supplier and owner of many houses and around 100 shops in Bannu city in the second quarter of 20th century. He was the head of the Bannuwal Hindus and carried weight in his decision at the British offices.

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