A young Mahsud, Waziristan, 1917

A young Mahsud, Manzal, Waziristan, 1917

Pashtun prisoners of war from Waziristan, 1936 (c).

Wazir tribesmen, Waziristan, 1936 (c)

Pashtun soldiers of British-Indian army

Pashtun and Hazara soldiers of the British-Indian Army, 1898. From left to right: Khattak (Jamedar), Ghilzai (Havaldar), Mahsud (Sepoy), Hazara (Sepoy) and Kakar (Sepoy).

Pashtun and Baloch soldiers of British-Indian army, 1897. Photo by Fred Bremner. From left to right: Durrani Pashtun, Wazir Pashtun and Brahui-Baloch. The Durrani in the Photo is referred to as "Afghan"; in 1890s and early 20th century many British officials began to use the term Afghan exclusively for the subjects of Amir Abdur Rahman, Amir Habibullah, King Amanullah etc. of Afghanistan. Pashtuns from present-day Afghanistan (Durranis, Ghilzais etc.) also enlisted themselves in the British-Indian army. While those British officials used the word "Pathan" for Pashtun subjects of British-Indian government. This was obviously done so to create distance between Pashtuns on both sides of Durand line and to integrate Pashtuns under their rule with India.

A Mahsud Pashtun, 1919

 

A Mahsud Pashtun (mostly likely a Khasadar), Waziristan, 1919 (c). Photo by Randolph Bezzant Holmes.

Source: Imperial War Museum

Aftermath of an ambush of Mahsuds on a British army convoy in Waziristan, 1919

The following photographs show the aftermath of the ambush by the Mahsuds on the British invaders. The bodies of the British and Indian soldiers are being cleared, while the dead animals of the convoy are left behind. The British took photographs of their Pashtun enemies without any qualms but never photographed their own dead in battle.

Source

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Waziristan and its people in 1939

Sketch map of Waziristan

Shahur Tangi, Waziristan

 

British convoy on march to Haider Kachi through the Shahur Tangi gorge, Waziristan,1919. Photo by Randolph Bezzant Holmes. Source

In April 1937 a small lashkar of Mahsuds (sixty to eighty men) caught an entire British brigade in the Shahur Tangi, inflicting heavy losses. The Mahsud lashkar was led by Khonia Khan, a Jalal Khel Mahsud, who was a follower of Faqir of Ipi. The Mashud lashkar was also supported by some Baitanis who were followers of Faqir of Ipi. 

Khonia Khan also fought against Indian army in Kashmir in 1947.

Shahur Tangi, 1910s. Source

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". 

Plates from "Gun-running and the Indian north-west frontier" by Keppel Arnold

 

Afridi tribesmen, 1910.

Mahsud Maliks, 1910.

Turi tribesmen, 1910.

Orakzai tribesmen, 1910.

Prime Minister Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy, addressing the Mahsud Maliks at Wana (South Waziristan), 1957.

Prime Minister Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy, addressing the Mahsud Maliks at Wana (South Waziristan), 1957.

Mahsuds, Waziristan, 1930

 

"This photograph depicts Mahsud tribesmen from Waziristan who returned captured British Royal Air Force officers in 1923. Some British aircraft, while on missions to bomb Mahsud villages, crashed in Mahsud territory and their pilots were taken prisoner by the Mahsuds. The Mahsuds held the British officers captive for ransom and released them after the ransom was paid." Source: The Sphere, 19th May, 1923

Mahsud and Wazir tribesmen, 1920 (c)

 

Mahsud and Wazir tribesmen, 1920 (c). Photo by Randolph Bezzant Holmes.

A Mahsud, Waziristan, circa 1890-1910

A Mahsud, Waziristan, circa 1890-1910. Photo by Mela Ram & Sons

Malik Mehr Dil Mahsud: The Pashtun Who Rebuffed and Attempted to Slap Jawaharlal Nehru

Malik Mehr-Dil Mahsud ends the conference before Nehru has finished his speech by raising his arm at Nehru. Robin Hodson (the Political Agent of South Waziristan) intervenes. Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Malik Mehr Dil Khan Mal Khel Manzaey Mahsud of Karma had been a fearless raider of his time. In 1919 he raised a lashkar and fought against the British. Later, however, he turned pro-British. In 1925 a murderer was arrested from his house in Tank for which he and his son were arrested. However his significant influence within the tribe and loyalty to the British helped him avoid serious trouble. For his services to the British, he was awarded the title "Khan Sahib" in 1928. [1] [2]

In 1947 Nehru and Dr Khan Sahib met a Mahsud jirga in South Waziristan. Robin Hodson, who was the political agent of South Waziristan and witnessed Nehru's address to the Jirga there, wrote: "Instead of remaining seated, to my astonishment Nehru got up and started addressing the tribesmen as though he were at a political rally, waving his arms around and marching up and down. At Jirga it is custom to sit on the ground and the person addressing the meeting would be seated on chair". Robin Hodson is only partially correct here. In traditional Pashtun jirgas, the speaker stands while the others remain seated. The colonial practice of a British officer sitting on a chair in the jirga was more an imitation of the panchayat of India.

Nehru spoke to the Mahsuds in Urdu, which the Mahsuds probably did not understand well. However, they did understand the insult he directed at them when he said that those present were debauched by British bribery. It struck a nerve of Malik Mehr Dil, who told Nehru: ''Hindu, if the British pay us money, there is a good reason. Our private parts are of extraordinary size as you will find out to your cost before long" [3]. With that Mehr-Dil advanced towards Nehru with intention of giving him a backhanded slap, but the the Political agent intervened.

The son of Malik Mahr-Dil Mahsud, Mir Badshah, joined British-Indian Army and lost one of his eyes in the First World War [4]. The one-eyed Mir Badshah led a large lashkar of Mahsud tribesmen to fight the Indians in Kashmir in 1948. Alam Jan, a grandson of Mahr-Dil, joined Pakistan Army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. [5]

Hostile Malik tribesmen squat in a wide semi-circle and listen glumly as Pandit Nehru begins to talk, pointing his finger towards them for added emphasis. Malik Mehr-Dil Mahsud is sitting in the front. Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Hostile Malik tribesmen squat in a wide semi-circle and listen glumly as Pandit Nehru begins to talk, pointing his finger towards them for added emphasis. Malik Mehr-Dil Mahsud is sitting in the front. Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Mahsud tribesmen walk out as Nehru (seated left) and his party sit by silently. After Nehru had called them "pitiful pensioners", they shouted at him "Islam is in danger". Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Mahsud tribesmen walk out as Nehru (seated left) and his party sit by silently. After Nehru had called them "pitiful pensioners", they shouted at him "Islam is in danger". Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Notes and References 1- "Khan Sahib" was a title conferred by the British-Indian government on their subjects. It was a title one degree lower than Khan Bahadur, but higher than that of Khan. 2- "History of the Pathans" , By Haroon Rashid, Vol-V, p-66 3- The Pathan Unarmed: Opposition & Memory in the North West Frontier By Mukulika Banerjee, p-185 4-  "History of the Pathans" , By Haroon Rashid, Vol-V, p-67 5- http://www.petaro.org/staff-adjutants/adj-alam-jan.htm

Local Pashtun tribesmen hurl stones at Pandit Nehru's convoy from embankment near Landi Kotal fort in the Khyber Pass. Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Census of Wazir and Mahsud tribes in 18th century

Screenshot from "A concise history of Afghanistan" by Wahid Hamid Alikuzai, p-291

Its a local myth that Ahmad Shah Abdali conducted census of Wazir and Mahsud tribes. They were not part of his empire so number of their fighting men did not need to be estimated. Syed Ghulam Muhammad surveyed Waziristan during the reign of Timur Shah Durrani and reported: "This great tribe is wholly independent , and they have neither tax nor tribute to pay , and own allegiance to no one " [1]. Moreover Mahsuds had not yet branched off from the parent tribe of Wazirs in 18th century and were referred to as Wazirs as late as 1897 [2]. So its odd that in 1760s Mahsuds would be recognized as a distinct tribe and were censused separately from Wazirs.

Akbar S. Ahmed writes, "Two population indexes, rather than actual figures, are part of Waziristan demographic mythology and are said to date back to Ahmed Shah Abdali, the founder of the Durrani dynasty in Kabul in the eighteenth century. It is not clear whether the numbers refer to the entire population, the males, or the warriors, but probably they include only the male fighting population. It is also not clear to what exact dates in history the numbers refer. The Wazirs suggest that they encompass a broad period in the late eighteenth century, whereas the Mahsuds say that their figures refer to the late nineteenth century. Both tribes have a tendency to quote these figures as current and contemporary." ["Religion and Politics in Muslim Society: Order and Conflict in Pakistan", Akbar S. Ahmed, pp.17-18]

Pashtun fighters of Waziristan (most probably khassadars) pose with their weapons, 1919 (c).

British commanders speak with tribesmen of Waziristan following the end of the conflict of 1919-1920.

Waziristan in 1919 (Photographs by Randolph Beezant Holmes)

Wazir tribesmen

Waziri tribesmen

Mas'ud tribesmen

Mahsud tribesmen

Indian Army picquet at Rogha Kot, Waziristan

A group of Mahsud tribesmen

A group of Mahsuds

Afghan caravan types", Waziristan.

Exit of the Shahur Tangi, South Waziristan

Mehsud tribesmen (1861)

Mahsud tribesmen, 1868. From Watson and Kaye collection.