Hazara is located at the back of Islamabad, in the feet of Muree Hills on Abbottabad,-Lora-Ghoragalli, Road. Some mountains of the valley are nearly of the same height as the Muree hills. For example: Siribang, Dubran, Danna Nooral, and Langrial. It has beautiful pine, scrub and shrub forests, streams, waterfalls, peaks and gorges to watch.The forests of the valley are full of wildlife including leopards, monkeys and pheasants etc. The barking deer and goral sheep are occasionally seen. All the wild animals seen in Margalla and Ayubia basically belong to this valley. The valley is netted with jeep roads. There are three main roads connecting the valley with Islamabad, Muree, Abbottabad, Haripur and Khanpur. The Khanpur dam is also a part of this valley. The weather of the valley remains pleasant.This is the vast area administrated by three police stations (Nara, Lora and New Khanpur). The valley area starts from New Khanpur and ends at Ayubia in west to east and from Havelian to Margalla Hills from north to south. The eastern half of this area is in district Abbottabad the other half is in district Haripur.
This whole area is administratively divided in to three forest ranges (Stoura, Khanpur and Makhnial). Both ranges are under the administrative control of Haripur Forest Division and Abbottabad Wildlife Division. The five major reserved forests (Sarla Reserved Forest, Margalla Reserved Forest, Kohala Lassan Reserved Forest, and Rahi Reserved Forest ans Stoura Reserved Forest) along with other small reserves, guzaras and mehdoodas are located in this area. The largest reserved forest is Kohala Lassan Forest, which starts from Khanpur Dam and ends at the boundaries of Stoura. The Dubran Forest is the part of this reserve.The valley is further connected to the forests of Kashmir and Mansehra forests through Ayubia and Gallies forests.
Hindko language Hindko (or Hindku)
Hindko language Hindko (or Hindku) is an ancient language spoken in northern Pakistan. The word "Hindko" literally translates to "Indian Mountains, or more appropriately as "Mountains of the Indus country."[citation needed] The word "Hind" is the Persianized reference to the regions associated with the Indus River immediately to the east of Persia and "Ko" means mountains. [citation needed] The term is also found in the Greek reference to the mountainous region in eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan as Caucasus Indicus. The language is spoken in the areas of the North West Frontier Province (including Hazara), Punjab and Kashmir by an estimated 7 million people. There is no generic name for these people because they belong to diverse ethnicities and tend to recognize themselves by the larger family or castes. However the largest group of them in the districts of Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra are sometimes recognized collectively as Hazarawal, named after the defunct Hazara Division that comprised of these districts. In Peshawar city they are referred to as "Kharay" meaning City-dwellers or Hindkowans.
History and Origin During the pre-Buddhist era in present day Pakistan, the language of the masses was refined by the ancient grammarian Pa?ini who set the rules of a structurally rigorous language called Sanskrit which was used principally for scriptures (analogous to Latin in the Western world). Meanwhile, the vernacular language of the masses, Prakrit developed into many tongues and dialects which spread over the northern parts of South Asia. Hindko is believed to be closely related to Prakrit. Due to the geographic isolation of the regions, it has undergone very little corruption, but has borrowed considerable vocabulary from its neighbours, in particular Pashto. It shows close affinity to Punjabi and the Lahnda sub-group of Indo-Aryan tongues and can be sub-divided into a northern and southern dialect (the southern dialect spoken in Pakistani Punjab shows some similarity with Siraiki as opposed to Punjabi). This language is very similar to the Mirpuri dialect of Potohari and both Hindko and Mirpuri speakers can understand each other very well. Speakers The largest geographically contiguous group of Hindko speakers is concentrated in the districts of Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra and Kaghan valley of Pakistan, while there are substantial number of geographically isolated speakers of Hindko in cities like Peshawar, Mardan and Kohat. People here tend to associate themselves with larger families instead of a language (or caste as it used to be called) like Awan, Tanoli,Tareen, Jadoon, Abbasi , karlal etc. People who speak Hindko are referred to by some academics as Punjabi Pashtuns probably because of many Pashtuns tribes, for example Jadoons and Tanolis who settled in places like Hazara, adopted Hindko as their first language and had gained political power in these areas during the British rule and also because of many ethnic Pushtun people who speak Hinkdo as their first language in Peshawar and Kohat. The Hindko speaking people living in major cities Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan are bilingual in Pashto and Hindko. Similarly many Pashto speaking people in districts like Abbottabad and Mansehra (especially in Agror Valley and northern Tanawal) have become bilingual in Pashto and Hindko. The NWFP Imperial Gazetteer (1905) regularly refers to the language as Hindko. More than one interpretation has been offered for the term Hindko. Some associate it with Hindustan (as the word maybe used during the medieval Muslim period in the sub-continent), others with the Indus River which is of course the etymological source of all these terms.
Farigh Bukhari and South Asian language expert and historian Christopher Shackle believe that Hindko was a generic term applied to the Indo-Aryan dialect continuum in the northwest frontier territories and adjacent district of Attock in the Punjab province to differentiate it from Pushto. Linguists classify the language into the Indic subgroup of Indo-European languages and consider it to be one of the Indo-Iranian languages of the area. An estimated 2.4 per cent of the total population of Pakistan speak Hindko as their mother tongue, with more rural than urban households reporting Hindko as their household language. Demographics The speakers of Hindko live primarily in six districts: Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Nowshera and Kohat in NWFP, and Attock and Rawalpindi in Punjab and parts of Kashmir; Jonathan Addleton states that "Hindko is the linguistic majority in the NWFP, represented in nearly one-fifth of the province's total households." In Abbottabad District 92 per cent of households reported speaking Hindko, in Mansehra District 47 per cent, in Peshawar District 7 per cent, and in Kohat District 10 per cent (1986). Testing of inherent intelligibility among Hindko dialects through the use of recorded tests has shown that there is a northern (Hazara) dialect group and a southern group. The southern dialects are more widely understood throughout the dialect network than are the northern dialects. The dialects of rural Peshawar and Talagang are the most widely understood of the dialects tested. The dialect of Balakot is the least widely understood. In most Hindko-speaking areas, speakers of Pashto live in the same or neighbouring communities (although this is less true in Abbottabad and Kaghan Valley than elsewhere). In the mixed areas, many people speak both languages. The relationship between Hindko and Pashto is not one of stable bilingualism. In the northeast, Hindko is the dominant language both in terms of domain of usage and in terms of the number of speakers, whereas in the southwest, Pashto seems to be advancing in those same areas. Historically, there were two languages each in upper Afghanistan and lower Afghanistan: Persian and Pushto and Hindko and Pushto. Chach Hazara was a great centre of resistance to the British. The Gandhara Hindko Board has published the first dictionary of the language and its launching ceremony was held on March 16, 2003. According to a press release, Sultan Sakoon, a prominent Hindku poet, has compiled the dictionary.
TANOLI
Origins and History!
Tanolis are generally divided into two groups, the Hindwal Tanolis and the Pulwal Tanolis. The Hindwal Tanolis/Tanawli were well known for ruling their state of Amb until the 19th century wars with the Sikhs. But later relations between them improved.
The Tanolis entered the North-West Frontier Province history from the early 13th century when.
Tanolis
The Tanoli are a tribe of the Tanawal valley region in the Hazara region of Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province and Afghanistan
Although "not usually acknowledged as Pathans, the Tanoli have by long association become assimilated with them in manners, customs, and character."The tribal and cultural practices of the Tanolis closely resemble those of the Pathans". Tribally allied with the Pathans, the Tanoli participated in the frontier wars with the British and in Charles Allen's analysis of those wars, the Tanoli are described as being "extremely hostile" and "brave and hardy and accounted for the best swordsmen in Hazara."
Names
The Tanoli are also known as Tanawal, for the name of the river. The British Census included several variant forms of the name:Taniwal Tanole Tanaoli, Tanol, Tol, Tholi, Tahoa, Tarnoli,Tanis,Tanai.
Homelands
The Tanoli were first encountered by Westerners around 1700 "in the trans Indus basin of the Mahaban from which they were driven across the Indus by the Yusufzai" tribe. By the late 19th century the Tanaoli had settled the Tanawal tract in the west center of the district between Abbottabad and the Indus, and in the extensive hill country between the river and the Urash plains.
According to the Settlement Report of Hazara, compiled by Major Wace (1872), the Tanolis, who founded a state named Amb, had already established their authority over Tanawal. The voluminous Urdu copy of the settlement report of Hazara contains many passages in its historical resume of the area. In a number of maps drawn at the time and enclosed in the report, showing Hazara under the Mughals and under the Durranis, the Amb state has been shown as Mulk-i-Tanawal. The original existence of that Mulk is as old as the middle period of the great Afghan invasions of India.
The Tanoli are divided into two major sub-tribes: the Hindwal and the Pallal. The latter occupies the northern portion of the Tanawal tract, and, until the dissolution of the princely states in 1968, constituted the semi-independent principality of Amb.
According to Tanoli tradition (preserved in a commentary based on an 1881/1891 census report) they are named after a place in "Afghanistan" (not to be confused with the present-day state of Afghanistan).
Apical Ancestor
As is also the case for all other ethnic groups of the region, tracing their lineage to an apical ancestor is crucial to the Tanoli's sense of identity.
The Tanoli consider themselves to descend from one Amir Khan, a Barlas Mughal who (so says their tradition) arrived in the Tanawal valley with his sons around 1500, having crossed the Indus river to get there.
The details of this tradition?as preserved in the Tarikh-i-Tanaolian ("History of Tanolies")?runs as follows: Upon defeating a Hindu king Jaipala, one Sultan Sabuktagin conquered the region up to Attock on the Indus. The victor then resettled five thousand Mughals, Syeds and Afghans in Swat where Din Khan Mughal, an Anawar, was appointed the ruler. The ancestors of the Tanoli eventually settled in Mahaban. Some time later, in search of land, they crossed the Indus river under the command of Maulvi Mohammad Ibrahim, and captured territory from the Turkic peoples settled there. Among the new settlers was Amir Khan Beerdewa and his six sons (Pall Khan, Hind Khan, Thakar Khan, Arjin Khan and Kul Khan) who settled the Tanawal region; the six clans or sub-tribes are allegedly named after the six sons of Beerdewa.
This claim of descent of Tanolis is also mentioned in The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British and Foreign India, China, and Australia (1841), in the following words; "There is one chief who, though not an Eusofzye, yet from his position in the midst of, and intimate connection with, the Eusofzyes, and his singular history and character, must not be omitted in a description of the Eusofzye country. Paieendah Khan, of Tanawul, is a Mogul of the Birlas tribe, the same from which the Ameer Timoor was descended. All record of the first settlement in Tanawul of his family is lost, and it has long ago broken off all connection with the other branches of the Birlas, which are still to be found in Turkestan."
The Imperial Gazetteer of India also confirms this line of descent; it states, "Its (Tanawul's) real rulers, however, were the Tanawalis, a tribe of Mughal descent divided into two septs, the Pul-al and Hando-al or Hind-wal."
The Sikh records of the region also confirm this line of descent of the Tanolis. They state, "The family of Paeendah Khan is a branch of the Birlas, a Mogul House, well known in history. All record of its first settlement in Tanawul is lost. It may perhaps have been left there by the Emperor Baber. Among the list of whose nobles, the name Birlas is found."
Some historians have mentioned the Pathan origin of the tanoli family of the Nawab of Amb. In 'The Golden Book of India', Sir Roper Lethbridge on page 328 states about Nawab Muhammad Akram Khan, Sir, K.C.S.I The Nawab Bahadur is Chief of Amb, on the right bank of the Indus, where he and his ancestors have long been independent. Belongs to a Pathan (Muhammadan) family....
Another authoritative source, namely 'Selections from the Records of the Government of India, Foreign Department'(1856), states about the Tanolis; "It (Tannawal) is inhabited chiefly by the Turnoulees, a Tribe of martial Puthans."
The commentary to the 1881/1891 census narrates this tradition but it observes that "[however,] there can be little doubt that they are of [Indo-Iranian or Indo-European origin] and probably of Indian stock."
Some sources relate the Tanoli tribe to the Janjua Rajputs. They believe the Tanolis are offspring of one Raja Tanoli, son of Raja Mal. Raja Mal had five sons...Wir(Bhir), Jodh, Kahla, Tanoli, and Khaka. It is to be noted that the Tanolis do not support this theory and it is an exceptional case where a tribe recorded of Rajput decent by the Rajputs, denies such a connection.
Amb (Tanawal)
.... Tanawal State, commonly known as Amb, founded.
1948 Under Pakistani suzerainty.
28 Jul 1969 Incorporated into Pakistan.
1973 Royalty extinguished.
1948 Under Pakistani suzerainty.
28 Jul 1969 Incorporated into Pakistan.
1973 Royalty extinguished.
.... - 1803 Haibat Khan
1803 - 18.. Hashim Aji Khan
18.. - 1818 Nawwab Khan (d. 1818)
1818 - 1840 Payenda Khan (d. 1840)
1840 - 1858 Jahandad Khan
1858 - 1907 Mohammad Akram Khan
(from 1868 personal style Nawab Bahadur)
1907 - 26 Feb 1936 Zaman Khan (d. 1936)
1936 - 1971 Mohammad Farid Khan (d. 1971)
1971 - 1973 Saeed Khan (d. 1973)
1973 Salahuddin Khan
1828 Phulra founded when ruler of Amb grants
area of Phulra to his brother.
1919 Recognized as a state
1950? State extinguished.
area of Phulra to his brother.
1919 Recognized as a state
1950? State extinguished.
1828 - ... Madad Khan
.... - .... ....
.... - .... ....
c.1909 - 1950? Ata Muhammed Khan
History!
Mir Painda Khan
Mir Painda Khan, son of Mir Nawab Khan (who defeated the Durranis), is famed for his rebellion against Maharaja Ranjit Singh's governors of Hazara. Painda Khan "played a considerable part in the history of his time and vigorously opposed the Sikhs."
From about 1813, Mir Painda Khan spent a life long rebellion against the Sikhs. Hari Singh Nalwa, the Sikh Governor of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to Hazara, took the initiative during his governorship of setting up forts at strategic locations to keep Painda Khan in check.
Painda Khan's rebellion against the Sikh empire cost him a major portion of his kingdom, leaving only the tract around Amb, with his twin capitals Amb and Darband. This increased his resistance against the Sikh government.
In 1828 Mir Painda Khan gifted the territory of Phulra as an independent Khanate to his brother Madad Khan, which later on was recognised by the British as a semi-independent Princely State.
Painda Khan was the Nawab of Amb who took over the valley of Agror in 1834, but in I841 it was restored by the Sikhs to Ata Muhammad, a descendant of Sad-ud-din.
General Dhaurikal Singh, commanding officer of the Sikh troops in Hazara, had Painda Khan poisoned to death in September 1844. Painda Khan is still revered in Hazara as a hero.
Major J. Abbott commented that 'During the first period of Painda Khan's career, he was far too vigorous and powerful to be molested by any neighbouring tribe, and when he began to fail before the armies and purse of the Sikh Government, he was interested in keeping upon the best terms with his northern neighbours of the Black Mountains.' He is further described by him as, 'a Chief renowned on the Border, a wild and energetic man who was never subjugated by the Sikhs.'
Mir Jehandad Khan
"Of all the tribal chiefs of Hazara, the most powerful [was] said to be Jehandad Khan of the Tanoli." His territories laid on both banks of the Indus, and, as the son of Painda Khan, Jehandad Khan was particularly well respected among his peoples.
When Sikh power was on the fall in 1845 Jehandad Khan blockaded the garrisons of no less than 22 Sikh posts in Upper Tanawal ; and when they surrendered at discretion, he spared their lives, as the servants of a fallen Empire. "The act, however, stood him afterwards in good stead; for, when Hazara was assigened to Maharaja Golab Singh, that politic ruler rewarded Jehandad Khan's humanity with the jagir of Koolge and Badnuck in Lower Tannowul."
As far as Jehandad Khans hereditary domain of Upper Tanawal, with the capital at Amb is concerned, the term 'jagir' has never been applicable to it. The British Government considered Upper Tannowul as a chiefship held under the British Government, but in which, as a rule, they did not possess internal jurisdiction. The Chief managed his own people in his own way without regard to British laws, rules or system. This tenure resembled that on which the Chiefs of Patiala, Jhind, Nabha, Kapurthala and others held their lands.
In 1852, Jehandad Khan was summoned by the president of the Board of Administration (who travelled to Hazara to see the Khan) in relation to a murder enquiry of two British officers in his lands. When the president threatened the Khan to give up the murderers or suffer the consequences (of burning down the villages and giving the region to another), the Khan is said to have replied "We should consider your presence (in our kingdom) an honour, but our country is a 'rather difficult one' for your army."
This response was the talk of the day and it is remembered by many locals of Hazara even to this day as a heroic answer.
He was son of Painda Khan. When he died, he left a nine years old boy: Muhammad Akram Khan.
Nawab Sir Muhammad Akram Khan
During the tenure Nawab Sir Akram Khan (K.C.S.I)(1868 - 1907), son of Jehandad Khan, the fort at Shergarh was constructed, along with Dogah and Shahkot Forts. His rule was a peaceful time for Tanawal with no major conflicts. He was later conferred the title Nawab Bahadur by the British Raj.
Not to be confused with Muhammad Akram (1817-1852), one of the sons of Dost Mohammad Khan.
Nawab Sir Muhammad Khanizaman Khan
Nawab Khanizaman Khan, son of Akram Khan, helped the British in carrying out the Black Mountain (Kala Dhaka/Tur Ghar) expeditions.
Nawab Sir Muhammad Farid Khan
Nawab Sir Muhammad Farid Khan (K.B.E) succeeded his father Nawab Khanizaman Khan. He had had a very good relationship with The Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Nawabzada Liaqat Ali Khan. His contributions to the Pakistan movement have been acknowledged by letters from The Quaid e Azam. In 1947 the Nawab of Amb, Mohammad Farid Khan, acceded to Pakistan by signing the Instrument of Accession of his State, in favour of Pakistan. In 1969, the State was incorporated into the North-West Frontier Province. He died in 1969 and in 1971 the royal status of the Nawab was abolished by the Government of Pakistan.
Malik Nawab Khan Tanoli
Malik Nawab Khan, of Lower Tanawal, is commented by Major J. Abbot as a "Brave man" in his book written on Abbottabad. Malik Nawab Khan was a learned man and an able soldier. He was a strong religious man. Malik Nawab Khan was among the fellow tribesmen of famous Mir Jehandad Khan.
Characteristics and Features of Tribal Tanolis (Based on the classification of Tribes of Indo-Pak by the British)
The Tanolies were counted amongst the Martial races, an ideology based on the assumption that certain ethnic groups are inherently more martially inclined than others( It was a term originally used by the British, who observed that the Scottish Highlanders were more fierce in battle than others in Britain, and extended this concept to India).
They have many Pathan customs and take much pride in their dress and appearance.
The Tanolis support themselves almost exclusively by agriculture, and their principal food is unleavened bread with buttermilk and butter; but fowls, eggs, fish, and game are also articles of diet.
Of those who live in the hills, many are as fair as Italians, with eyes of light hazel or greyish blue, and frequently brown hair and reddish beards. Those who live on the low-lying lands near the Indus are darker. All are stout and active men, and have the reputation of being good soldiers and staunch partisans.
They are hardy and simple in their habits, generally free from the vices of thieving and debauchery; but credulous, obstinate, and unforgiving.
Religiously; they are Mohammedans of the Sunni sect.
Tanoli sub-tribes
The Hindwal and Pallal are the major divisions of the tribe. The further sub?divisions of the tribe are:
- Hindwal
- Jamal; Charyal, Ledhyal, Abdwal, Khankhail
- Saryal; Lalal, Hedral, Baizal
- Jalwal
- Bohal
- Baigal
- Tekral
- An sal
- Masand
- Rains
- Pallal
- Labhya (Suba Khani)
- Matyal
- Bainkaryal
- Dairal
- Sadhal
- Judhal
- Baigal
- Tekral
- Asnal
- Masand
- Rains
- Bhujal
- Khan Khel
- Painda Khel /also know (Payenda Khel)
- Tani Khel
- Nawab Khel
- Mir Dad Khel
- Jahangir Khel
- Bohla Khel
- Maza Khani
- Sher Khani
- Noorullah Khani
- Shamsullah Khani
Tanolis Todays
The principal language of the Tanoli is Hindko. Tanolis living in Pashtun dominated areas speak Pashto.
Notable Tanolis
Notable Tanolis include:
Nawabzada Salahuddin Saeed Khan Tanoli, the present Nawab of Amb, Former Federal Minister Pakistan and five times Member of the National Assembly (1985-1999).
Habib-ur-Rehman Tanoli, North-West Frontier Province Minister for Local Government.
Ayub Khan Tanoli, former Minister of Law, Education and Health.
Ashraf Khan Tanoli, Former Advocate-General of Balochistan.
Muhammad Younis Tanoli, Advocate-General of the North-West Frontier Province.
Malik Rabnawaz Khan Tanoli, President of the UK's Kashmir Council.
Professor Muftee Munibur Rehman, Chairman Central Royat Hillal Committee of Pakistan.
Abdul Waheed Khan Tanoli, D.I.G Frontier Police, Pakistan.
Brig ilyas khan Tanoli, Director bahria town.
Cmd Pir Muhammad khan tanoli late hal kalu khan.
Lt: General Asif Tanoli, Heart surgeon AFIC rawalpindi.
The Gujars had come to Hazara earlier then other tribes. They were the sole occupants of Hazara before the advent of the Muslims. The Muslims made them their subjects when they reached the soil of Hazara. The Afghan tribes one after another came to Hazara and deprived the Gujars of their possessions. The Dilazaks were the first people who disturbed their peaceful life. On the Gujar's compliant the Mughal emperor Jahangir expelled them from Hazara. During the reign of Aurangzeb Alamgir the Gujars lived a peaceful life. On Alamgir's coming to Hassan Abdal a Gujar namely Daulat Baig welcomed him and got the title of Muqaddam from him. In Hazara Jagal Gujars of Haripur and the Khatana Gujars of Kot Najibullah Whom Daulat Gujar belonged, were the only powerful and well to do families of the Gujars.
When a widespread revolt started in the Frontier many tribes crossed the Indus and captured the lands of the Gujars. In Mansehra the Swatis under Syed Jalal Baba captured the fertile lands and forests and pushed the Gujars to poorer lands on the hilltops where there was no fertility of land.. Thus gradually the other tribes got dominance over them. This is why the Gujars perforce remained the herdsmen.
When Syed Ahmad Shaheed selected the soil of Hazara for his freedom movement against the Sikhs, the Gujars were powerless then because the other tribes had got the dominance over them. Nevertheless, they served Syed Ahmad whenever the need arose. The Gujar not only guided the to sit on Mujahidin Passages to present them milk and curd. The Gujars not only guided the Mujahidin but also cleaned snow-covered routes. They proved themselves as a good hosts as well. Some people accuse them that it was they who helped the Sikhs come over from Dadar and on to Syed Ahmad at Balakot. But the Gujar reject this blame having said that there is no proof of the Gujars treachery. They further say the crime of one man cannot be attributed to the whole tribe.
At the advent of Sikhs the Gujars were living on mountains height, in valleys and plains. But after the establishment of the British rule their condition became more critical and many people were deprived of their lands. They started living as tenants of the local Khans whose tyranny made them lower creature. They worked under duress for the Khans day and night. Thus they became an ineffective group of the area. It was in 1950 when their life changed and they gained occupancy rights of land due to late Abdul Qayum Khan's land reforms. The force labour did not finish unless Z.A. Bhutto's era came. For the first time in the election of 1970 their candidate Sardar Abd-ur-Rehman contested the election. It was Bhutto's era which created in them political awareness. Thus the Gujars appeared on political scene and in 1985's election Sardar Mohammad Yousaf Contested P.F. 45 and won it. Now he is the member of National Assembly from N.A. 14. the Gujars have changed themselves and are no longer an oppressed people of a lower status. They have been raised from the abysmal depth of debasement.
The Swatis: About the origin of the Swatis the historians hold different views but the Swatis relate their lineage to Qais Abdur-Rasheed the remote ancestor of the Pathans. During the rule of Mohammad Ghuri they came to Swat where they defeated the Hindus and established their rule Sir Denzil Ibbitson is of the opinion that the original Swatis were a race of Hindu origin who once ruled the whole country into the hills of Swat and Buneer. Later on the Yousafzais expelled them from those places and drove them east and west into Mansehra and Kafristan. they are considered a very heterogeneous people not a pure race.
According to a tradition of the Swatis they ruled over Swat and Bajaor for four centuries before the Yousafzais invasion which drove them to Mansehra about the end of the 17th century. The Swatis came to Mansehra, when the Turks ruled over this territory, under the command of Syed Jalal Baba. They ousted the Turks and captured the hilly and plain areas. Jalal Baba divided the whole country among the lashkar except one fourth of it which he kept for himself. Since they came from Swat, therefore, are called Swatis. They occupy the whole of Mansehra district except Tanawal. The are divided into three great clans, Ghebri, Mamiali and Mitravi of which the first claim Tajik, the Mamiali Yousafzai, and the Mitravi Durrani origin. The Ghebri a section of upper Pakhli occupy Kaghan, Balakot, Ghari Habibullah, Mansehra, Dhodial, Shinkiari, Batagram, Thakot and Konsh while the Mamiali and Mitravi dwell in Bherkund, Agror, Takri and Deshi. In Allai Inhabit both the groups. These groups have been further divided into many subsections. Both educationally and politically they are in a strong position.
The Awans: Many writers have advanced different theories about the origin of the Awans. Hair Krishan Ray considers them to be of purely Hindu origin. He says the word Awan is of Sanskrit language which means helper. He further says that these people got this name due to successful defence against any foreign aggression. After their conversion to Islam they attached themselves with Qutb Shah and started to call them Qutb Shahi Awan. Major Wace is inclined to give them a Jat origin. Raverty considers them the blend of Badri tribes which was originally Hindu. According to H.A. Rose the Awans have an Arabian Origin and are descendants of Qutb Shah. He traces their lineage to Hazrat Ali. In his view the descendants of Ali assisted Sabuktageen in his Indian adventure for which he bestowed the title of Awan on them, which means assistants. Malik Fazal Dad Khan has supported this theory but with some modification. He also considers them of Arabian origin and traces their lineage to Hazrat Ali. But according to him Abdullah Rasul-Mirza was the remote ancestor of the Awans. In 8th century, he was made a commander of the army of Ghaur by Caliph Haroon-ur-Rasheed, with the title of Awan and his descendants are called the Awans. Sabiha Shaheen, in her theses for her M.A. degree considers this theory as tenable. She further says that Qutb Shah fled to India along with a small group of people due to Mongol attack, and joined the court of Altamash. His descendants are called the Qutb Shahi Awans. They settled themselves in the Punjab but when the Mongol ravaged Punjab probably at that time the Awans came to Hazara. They are split up into numerous clans. The best known of these clans are the Chauhans, Khokhar, Golra, Kalga, Rhan, Chajji, Shial, Jand, Mumnal, Sadian, Parbat etc. the Awans are Scattered Throughout the district. The are good cultivators and most of them are Qutb Shahi.
The Syeds: The Syeds are the descendants of Hazrat Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law, who married Hazrat Fatima. They accompanied every Muslim Lashkar either as its leaders or preachers. The Syeds came to Mansehra in both ways. Syeds Jalal Baba, a descendent live in Kaghan and Swabi Maira. The Syeds helped Syed Ahmad Shaheed in his campaign against the Sikhs. The Syeds of Kaghan for a long time remained independent masters of the glen. The British subdued them in 1852. Major Abbot drove them out from Kaghan but in 1855 they were permitted to get back their territory. During the war of independence, 1857, they helped the British in arresting 55 freedom fighters. The Syeds in Mansehra belong to Tirmazi, Gilani, Mashadi, Bakri and Bukhari sections.The Syeds are settled in every tehsil of Mansehra. They are very influential and are respected everywhere.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment