Pashtuns offering Salat, 1880

 

Pashtuns offering Salat, Afghanistan, 1880.

Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 20 March 1880.

Sadda village, Kurram valley, 1897

 

Sadda village, Kurram valley, 1897. From The Illustrated London News, September 18, 1897.

Recommended Books

Pashtun tribesmen in the Khyber Pass, 1878

 From London Illustrated News, October 5, 1878.

An Afghan mill at Gandamak, Afghanistan, 1879

An Afghan mill at Gandamak, Afghanistan, 1879. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 8 November 1879. Artist: William 'Crimea' Simpson. Source

Fight at Wana (South Waziristan) : Wazir tribesmen rush on the British camp, 1895

Fight at Wana (South Waziristan) : Wazir tribesmen rush on the British camp, 1895. 

From "London Illustrated News", February 2, 1895. 

Artist: Richard Caton Woodville junior 

Source: https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Richard-Caton-Woodville-junior/159377/The-Campaign-in-Waziristan-.html

Photos of Mahsud Pashtuns, 1948

 

Mahsud men. From "London Illustrated News", January 3, 1948.

Captions:

1- "A typical Mahsud : his tribe occupy the greater part of the Southern mountains of Waziristan".

2- "Member of the fiercest and most turbulent tribes of the North West Frontier : A Mahsud".

3- "A Mahsud of Waziristan: Frontier tribes have been in constant conflict with the British". 

Conflict of Afghan cavalry with the cavalry of British-Indian army, 1879, Second Anglo-Afghan War

Conflict of Afghan cavalry with the cavalry of British-Indian army, 1879. Second Anglo-Afghan War. 

Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 7 June 1879. Artist: Richard Caton Woodville junior. Source

A weaver at Jalalabad, Afghanistan, 1879

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

Mangal tribesmen (Pashtun) attacking the baggage train of British invading army near Kuroh, Second Anglo-Afghan war, 1879

Mangal tribesmen (Pashtun) attacking the baggage train of British invading army near Kuroh, Second Anglo-Afghan war, 1879. 

From "London Illustrated News". 

Source: https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Richard-Caton-Woodville-junior/259398/The-Afghan-War,-Attack-on-a-Baggage-Train-near-Koruh,-by-Marauders-of-the-Mangal-Tribe-.html

Pashtun flags bearing the insignia of blood-red hand

The war flags of Umra Khan and Sar-tor faqir had insignia of blood-red hand. The following image From "London Illustrated News" (issued on 18th September 1897) is captioned as :

"Chief among the fanatical mullahs, or priests, who have been stirring up the tribesmen on the North West Frontier of India is the Mad Mullah of the Swat valley. His standard bears the same insignia as did of Umra Khan in the Chitral campaign, namely a blood-red hand upon a green field."  

 

The blood-red hand was noted on the flag of Afridis who were making peace offerings to a British officer in 1930. The following photo is captioned as follow in "The Graphic" :

The above picture shows an Afridi jirgah, or peace assembly, meeting a British political officer to whom a native Political is presenting the two headmen of the clan and their peace offering of a couple of goats. The tribal banner of Afridis is embroidered with a red hand.

A Siah-posh Kafir from Katar (Nuristan) with a Pashtun from Swat, 1874

 

A Siah-posh Kafir named Jamshed from Katar (Nuristan) with a Pashtun from Swat, 1874. From The Illustrated London News, 26 September 1874.

The London Illustrated News has shared the following info about them:

"The name (Siah-posh Kaffir) denotes nothing more than 'Black dress infidels', as they are called by their Mohammoden neighbours, referring to the shaggy tunic of black hairy goatskin in which these men are usually clothed. The bare-headed man in this attire, with a dagger in his right hand appears just as he did when he brought down to Peshawar. The one with an axe, standing by a small tree or bamboo, with a turbaned Swati seated below, is the identical person now with Dr. Leitner in London. His name is Jamshed from Katar, is the Hindoo Koosh; he has blue eyes and reddish hair. He was captured in youth, with others of his family, by the Cabul slave-traders; and his uncle Feramore rose in the service of the Ameer of Cabul to high military rank, but was murdered in his camp near Herat in the civil war against the Ameer's rebellious son, Prince Yakub Khan."

                        Nuristani dancer in the video is wearing black goatskin vest. Source

📖 Related Posts

The people of Panjshir and Andarab were tributary to Siah Posh Kafirs (of present-day Nuristan) in medieval times

Sketches of Afghans and of Afghanistan made in 1879

The Rock-Cut Statue of Bamian, 1886

The Rock-Cut Statue of Bamian, 1886. 

From "The Illustrated London News", 6 November 1886. 

Artist: William Crimea Simpson.

Source: https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/William-Crimea-Simpson/272910/The-Rock-Cut-Statues-of-Bamian,-Central-Asia,-the-Largest-Statue-.html

British troops leaving Afghanistan, floating sick and wounded down the Kabul River from Jalalabad, 1880.

British troops leaving Afghanistan, floating sick and wounded down the Kabul River from Jalalabad, 1880. 

From "The Illustrated London News", 25 September 1880. 

Artist: William Heysham Overend 

Source: https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/William-Heysham-Overend/196695/Our-Troops-leaving-Afghanistan,-floating-sick-and-Wounded-down-the-Cabul-River-from-Jellalabad-.html

The mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani

Ahmed Shah Abdali's tomb, from Khirqa Sharif, Kandahar, 1880. Photo taken by Benjamin Simpson. Source

Tomb of Ahmad Shah Durrani. From " The Illustrated London News", 4 September 1880. Source

Tomb of Ahmad Shah Abdali. Illustration from book "Afghanistan" by Angus Hamilton, published in 1910. It is reproduction of an illustration published in London Illustrated News, published on 4 September 1880.

Tomb of Ahmad Shah Durranim 1840 (c). Painting by James Rattry. Source

Kandahar, Afghanistan, circa 1950's, showing a street scene and the mauseoum of Ahmad Shah Durrani. Photo by Paul popper.

James Rattrey writes:

"The sovereign who sleeps there, called by the Afghauns “the faultless King,” was the greatest monarch their country ever produced. The people of every Eastern nation, whether friend or foe, speak still in terms of the greatest admiration of his military skill, his nobleness of heart, clemency, and decision of character. His virtues were as numberless as his victories. Among the latter was the conquest of Delhi. Ahmed Shauh, with his son Timoor, crossed the Jumna, and after a severe battle with the Mahrattas took that city in 1759. The latter having regained the capital, entrenched themselves at Pauneeput, and prepared to meet the Douraunee monarch, who, with an inferior force and a few guns, destroyed nearly their whole army, consisting of a hundred thousand men and two hundred pieces of cannon. Thus Hindoostaun was at the mercy of the Afghaun; but policy and forbearance forbad him to extend his victories further in so remote a region, while his enemies the Seiks, whose star was in the ascendant, lay between his own mountains and the scene of his mighty conquests, and insurrection at home was rife in his absence. So, making over posts of importance to chiefs of Hindoostaun who had fought under him, he returned in 1761 to Candahar, the seat of government. Afterwards he returned to the Punjaub, to punish the insolent and gradually-aspiring Seiks; and having signally defeated them, he again retired to his capital, where he died of cancer in the face in 1773. In addition to his science and military skill, he was fond of study, and patronised men of learning and piety. In his latter years he was anxious to obtain the character of a saint: in this his Majesty’s wishes have been fulfilled, for his temple is regarded as the very perfection of sanctity, and is resorted to as a place of retirement by nobles or chiefs, who, discontented or tired with the world, profess to meditate and pray there. It is also frequented as an asylum by murderers and malefactors of every degree, and neither justice, nor power, nor rank, nor even the hand of royalty itself, dares to molest or touch them there. I believe that no European has ever been permitted to cross the threshold of this holy edifice; and though I, among others, often essayed it, no sooner did we show our unbelieving heads at the outer court yard than it was the signal for the Moollahs and Hadjees (pilgrims), who abounded there, to drive us away with boots and cries of disgust. Ahmed Shauh was succeeded by his son Timoor (father of Shujau ool Moolk), who was born at Meshed, and made Caubul the capital of his dominions, where he died."

A Sikh sepoy of British-Indian army bringing in a captured Mohmand (Pashtun) freedom fighter, 1897

A desi sepoy of British-Indian army bringing in a captured Mohmand Pashtun freedom fighter, 1897.
From London Illustrated News. Source  

John Charlton, actually never visited North West Frontier, or any part of India for that matter, and did not witness any of the battles of 1897. He created vivid, imaginative illustrations, using descriptions, reports, or second-hand visual materials, for publication in The Graphic. His works drew inspiration from news dispatches and accounts rather than firsthand sketches. The lack of the background in this scene is indicative of it being an imagantive artwork.  

According to the original caption, the sawar belongs to 13th Bengal lancers which in 1897 was 38% Sikhs, 25% Punjabi Muslim, 25% Dogra and 12% Pathan. It was commanded by Sher Singh (a Sikh) in 1897.

Pashtun mountaineers attacking convoy of British invaders, 1879, Second Anglo-Afghan War

 

Pashtun mountaineers attacking convoy of British invaders, 1879, Second Anglo-Afghan War. 

From the Illustrated London News, 20th December 1879. 

Artist: Frank Dadd 

Village of Bilot in the Mamund valley (Bajaur) attacked by British forces, 1897

Village of Bilot in the Mamund valley (Bajaur) attacked by British forces. The caption says: "the losses in men and battery mules (of British) were very large". 

From The Illustrated London News, 13 November 1897. 

Artist: William Barnes Wollen. 

Source: https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/William-Barnes-Wollen/210058/The-Indian-Frontier-Rising,-Village-of-Bilot,-Mohmand-Valley,-occupied-by-General-Jeffreys-after-the-Fight-of-16-September-.html

Sar-tor faqir (سر تور فقير) stirring up the Pashtun tribesmen of Swat valley against the British, 1897

"Mad Mullah" haranguing Pashtun tribesmen in the Swat valley, 1897. 

"His standard bears the same insignia as did of Umra Khan in the Chitral campaign, namely a blood-red hand upon a green field". 

 From "London Illustrated News", 18th September 1897. 

 Artist : Sydney Prior Hall

Source: https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Sydney-Prior-Hall/160794/The-Indian-Frontier-Troubles-.html

Amir Habibullah of Afghanistan receiving an Afridi deputation, 1905

Amir Habibullah of Afghanistan receiving an Afridi deputation, 1905. Drawn by Melton Prior. From London Illustrated News, January 21, 1905.

Recommended Books

Usman Khan (Shah Shuja's Wazir)

Sketch of Usman Khan (a Kamran Khel Saddozai), from London Illustrated News, dated to December 18, 1858. 

Usman Khan served as Grand Wazir of Shah Shuja in 1840-1842. He fled to Peshawar after the Anglo-Afghan war and joined the British. He fought on the side of British in Second Anglo-Sikh war (1848-1849) and was stationed at Attock. His son Muhammad Aslam Khan was the first Muslim Commandant of Khyber Rifles.