Khan Bahadur Gul Mast Khan Afridi

Sanad granted to Inspector of Police Gul Mast Khan (a Zakha Khel Afridi) by the order of the Viceroy and the Governor-General of India, in recognition of the assistance rendered by him to the Civil authorities in dealing with the gang of Ajab Khan Afridi who murdered Mrs Eliss and kidnapped her daughter on 14th April 1923. Signed by Chief Commissioner of NWFP. 

In 1941 Gul Mast Khan Afridi (then holding the title Khan Bahadur) became oldest officer in the Indian Air Force when he joined it at the age of 59. 

Photos and sanad sent to the blog-owner by Moiz Khan Afridy.

A group of Zakha Khel Afridis, 1905

A group of Zakha Khel Afridis, 1905 (c). 

Photo by Randolph Bezzant Holmes. 

The image caption from "India Illustrated" (published in 1905) is as follow: "These truculent tribesmen were the last section of the Afridis to submit in the Tirah Expedition in 1897-1898. During the Campaign they gave a lot of trouble owing to their guerilla tactics. They proved themselves excellent marksmen, and almost to a man were armed with breech-loaders of modern manufacture. This powerful clan could probably put from four to five thousand fighting men in the field."

Source: University of Houston Libraries

Caption: "Typical Zakka Khel Villages. Their villages, several of which were destroyed during the last expedition, are enclosed by thick stone and mud-built wall, and all have strongly fortified towers. Some are inaccessible to artillery. It is not an uncommon occurrence for one village to be for months at a deadly feud with another owing to internal quarrels in regard to their women-folk, or, of what is of less consequence to them, 'blood money.'" This image is from the book "India illustrated: being a collection of pictures of the cities of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras, together with a selection of the most interesting buildings and scenes throughout India," published by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

 

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"The capture of a Mohmand raider", 1908

"The capture of a Mohmand raider", 1908. From The Sphere newspaper. Source

Caption: "The Zakka Khel people, crushed by the recent expedition, have ceased raiding in British Territory for the time being but have handed on their restless spirit to near neighbours, the Mohmands, who lately have committed several raids in British territory. Gangs of these raiders swoop down suddenly at night on villages known to contain wealthy Hindy banniahs, and closing all exits from the village they loot and burn a few houses, then, scattering in groups of twos and threes, disappear as rapidly as they come. The raider shown here was captured thirty miles from Peshawar."

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Jirga with Zakha Khel clan of Afridis, 1908

Jirga with Zakha Khel clan of Afridis, 1908. Photographed by Captain E.T. Rich, Published by Mela Ram, Peshawar. 

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Map of Khyber district

 

Multan Khan Zakha-Khel Afridi

Multan Khan, a Zakha Khel of Tirah, was a marauder, 'Paladin' and a hero of the anti-British locals of Peshawar valley. He was a tall and handsome Afridi, who had served as a Sepoy in the 26th Punjab regiment, and therefore was well versed in platoon level tactics, which he used with effect for escape and evasion and in deceiving the Police.

He along with one Jaffar, started his marauding career on the government territory from 1902 onwards. In 1904, he was exiled, and he settled in Hazaranau (Afghanistan). But the same year, he returned to his native village in Tirah and from there led a raid against the Hindu shopkeepers of Teri Tehsil (now Karak district). In 1905, Multan Khan and his accomplices launched 10 raids, all inside Peshawar and surrounding areas. During 1906-7, he was responsible for 19 similar acts along the border. On 12th January 1907, Multan Khan looted the Hindus of Talab at Matani. On the night of 14th January, he took away 37 camels from Multan Sarai. On 2nd February 1908, he snatched 53 camels from a Hindu. On 15th March 1908, he launched an attack on a Police party and seized 3 rifles from the Police. On 23d October 1908, he raided Pabbi and took away some Hindu hostages with him. During the raid, he had confrontation with 45th Sikh Regiment, in which one soldier was seriously wounded. On his way he looted the camp of Ghani Shamdas , a government official. On 20th November, Multan Khan, alongwith one Dadi, fired at the border militia at Bara fort and killed two militiamen. During 1907, Multan Khan had commited 17 violent actions. On 3rd January 1908, Multan Khan attacked the Jalozai camp, and killed one soldier and took away 41 government mules. On the 24th of January, he attacked Katcha Garhi railway station. One of his most daring raids was on the Andar Shehr Bazaar, the jewellery market inside Peshawar city. It took place on 28th January 1908. In this attack, Multan Khan and his men plundered the entire market and took away gold and jewellery worth Rs. 4,00,000/-

In the meantime, there was trouble brewing in the Afridi country between the British government and the tribes. On 13th February 1908, the British forces under the command of Maj.General Sir J.Willcocks attacked the Zakha Khel area in which the British forces suffered severe losses . 40 men were wounded or killed including a British Major. With this attack of the British, Mullah Syed Akbar Aka Khel, or known as Dadar Mullah, a Mullah of the Qambar Khels, , and Qazi Mir Haider, openly joined hands with Multan Khan.

Multan Khan Afridi continued his incessant attacks on border outposts and doggedly harassed the British. In one such fracas, he was seriously wounded and took refuge in Jalalabad , from where he sent a letter to the British , saying that he wanted to return back and also extended an invitation to the authorities to arrest him. The British kept the Border Military Police on full alert. Like this for years, he had ridiculed all the precautions taken by the British.

In December of 1908, Multan and his followers, dressed in Police uniform , went to Aman Kot (Pabbi) and looted a Hindu house. In 1909, with the help of a paid informant, Sher Ghulam, the British finally brought Multan to bay and killed him. Six of his men were arrested at Sorezai, Peshawar. Sher Ghulam was awarded ten thousands Rupees in cash by the Political Agent Khyber Agency. But he did not enjoy his reward money. The Afridi as a tribe were roused in anger for his act of treachery. They burnt down his house , and later he was killed by one of Multan Khan's relative. legends of Multan's deeds of derring do today form a part of the Afridi folklore.

(Excerpt from "Some major Pukhtoon tribes along the Pak-Afghan border", by S. Iftikhar Hussain, pp-57-59).