Some equate the name of Hazara with the Hazara people that originated in the Hazarajat or Hazaristan area of Afghanistan, claiming that the Hazaras came with Timur after his invasion of South Asia. Yet others trace this name back to Timur who conquered the area and left behind an army of thousand (Hazar) Karlugh Turk soldiers as his strategy of protecting the routes between Kashmir and Central Asia. Under Karlugh Turks, parts of this area became known as 'Pakhli' and Hazara-i-Karlugh as referred to during the British reign in the region.
According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 13, p. 76: "The origin of the name Hazāra is obscure. It has been identified with Abisāra, the country ofAbisares, the chief of the Indian mountaineers at the time of Alexander's invasion. Dr.Aurel Stein regards it as derived from Urasā, or 'Urasha', the ancient name of this region.
The region was not formally called Hazara until the British rule made it as a district of that name although it was sometimes referred to by his term earlier, too.
Some distinguished Indologists including Dr H. C. Raychaudhury, Dr B. N. Mukerjee, Dr B. C. Law, Dr J. C. Vidyalankar, Dr M. Witzel, Dr M. R. Singh and Prof K. N. Dhar concur with Dr Stein's identification of modern Hazara with the ancient Sanskrit name Urasa.
Evidence from 7th c Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsangcombined with earlier evidence from Mahabharata attests that Poonch and Hazara District of Kashmir had formed parts of epic Kamboja and that the Kamboja rulers of this region observed republican system of government.
Bust of Alexander III in the British Museum.
Alexander the Great, after conquering parts of the Northern Punjab, established his rule over a large part of Hazara. In 327 B.C., Alexander handed this area over to Abisaras (Αβισαρης), the Raja of Poonch state.
Hazara remained a part of the Taxila administration during the rule of the Maurya dynasty. Ashoka the Great was the Governor of this area when he was a prince. After the death of his father Bindusara around 272 B.C., Ashoka inherited the throne and ruled this area as well as Gandhara. Today, the Edicts of Ashoka inscribed on three large boulders near Bareri Hill serve as evidence of his rule here. The Mansehra rocks record fourteen of Ashoka's edicts, presenting aspects of the emperor's dharma or righteous law, and represent the earliest irrefutable evidence of writing in South Asia. Dating to middle of the third century BC, they are written from right to left in the Kharosthi script.
Hazara has several places of significance for the Hindus related to the Pandavas.
In the 2nd century CE, a mythical king Raja Risalu, son of Raja Salbahan of Sialkot, brought the area under his control. The local people consider him as their hero and, even today, parents tell their children the stories of Raja Risalu and his wife Rani Konklan on winter nights. When a Chinese pilgrim, Hiun-Tsang, visited this area, it was under the control of Durlabhavardhana, the ruler of Kashmir.
The Shahi Dynasties ruled Hazara one after another. Among the Hindu Shahi dynasty rulers, Raja Jayapala is the best known. Mehmood of Ghazni defeated Raja Jayapala during his first campaign. However, there is no historical evidence that Mehmood of Ghazni ever visited or passed through Mansehra. After the fall of the Shahi dynasty, in the 11th century, the Kashmiris took control of this area under the leadership of Kalashan (1063 to 1089). From 1112 to 1120, King Susala ruled this area. In the 12th century, Asalat Khancaptured this area but soon after Mohammad of Ghor's death the Kashmiris once again regained control of Hazara.
Amb and its surrounding areas of Hazara have a long history which can be traced to Alexander the Great's invasion of India. Arrian, Alexander's historian, did not indicate the exact location of Embolina, but since it is known that Aoronos was on the right bank of the River Indus, the town chosen to serve as Alexander's base of supplies may with good reason be also looked for there. The mention in Ptolemy's Geography of Embolima as a town of Indo-Scythia situated on the Indus supports this theory.
In 1854 Major James Abbott, the British frontier officer from whom Abbottabad, administrative centre of Hazara, takes its name, discussed his location of Aornos on the Mahaban range south of Buner. He proposed, as M. Court, one of Ranjit Singh's French generals had done before him in 1839, to recognize Embolima in the present village of Amb situated on the right bank of the Indus. It lies about eight miles to the east of Mahaban and is the place from which the later Nawabs of Amb take their title.
According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 13, p. 76: "The origin of the name Hazāra is obscure. It has been identified with Abisāra, the country ofAbisares, the chief of the Indian mountaineers at the time of Alexander's invasion. Dr.Aurel Stein regards it as derived from Urasā, or 'Urasha', the ancient name of this region.
The region was not formally called Hazara until the British rule made it as a district of that name although it was sometimes referred to by his term earlier, too.
Some distinguished Indologists including Dr H. C. Raychaudhury, Dr B. N. Mukerjee, Dr B. C. Law, Dr J. C. Vidyalankar, Dr M. Witzel, Dr M. R. Singh and Prof K. N. Dhar concur with Dr Stein's identification of modern Hazara with the ancient Sanskrit name Urasa.
Evidence from 7th c Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsangcombined with earlier evidence from Mahabharata attests that Poonch and Hazara District of Kashmir had formed parts of epic Kamboja and that the Kamboja rulers of this region observed republican system of government.
History since Alexander
Alexander the Great and Ashoka
Alexander the Great and Ashoka
Bust of Alexander III in the British Museum.
Alexander the Great, after conquering parts of the Northern Punjab, established his rule over a large part of Hazara. In 327 B.C., Alexander handed this area over to Abisaras (Αβισαρης), the Raja of Poonch state.
Hazara remained a part of the Taxila administration during the rule of the Maurya dynasty. Ashoka the Great was the Governor of this area when he was a prince. After the death of his father Bindusara around 272 B.C., Ashoka inherited the throne and ruled this area as well as Gandhara. Today, the Edicts of Ashoka inscribed on three large boulders near Bareri Hill serve as evidence of his rule here. The Mansehra rocks record fourteen of Ashoka's edicts, presenting aspects of the emperor's dharma or righteous law, and represent the earliest irrefutable evidence of writing in South Asia. Dating to middle of the third century BC, they are written from right to left in the Kharosthi script.
Hazara has several places of significance for the Hindus related to the Pandavas.
| “ | 'There are the five Pandavas, the heroes of the Mahabharat favourite objects of worship in the east and sometimes addressed as the Panj Pir. Many are the legends current about these heroes and they are localised at quite a number of places. The Hill of Mokshpuri , just above Dunga Gali has an elevation of 9232 feet. Its name means 'the hill of salvation' and on its summit is a Panduan da Sthan, or place of the Pandavas, where it is said they were visited and tempted by Apsaras who still frequent the place . | ” |
The Shahi Dynasties ruled Hazara one after another. Among the Hindu Shahi dynasty rulers, Raja Jayapala is the best known. Mehmood of Ghazni defeated Raja Jayapala during his first campaign. However, there is no historical evidence that Mehmood of Ghazni ever visited or passed through Mansehra. After the fall of the Shahi dynasty, in the 11th century, the Kashmiris took control of this area under the leadership of Kalashan (1063 to 1089). From 1112 to 1120, King Susala ruled this area. In the 12th century, Asalat Khancaptured this area but soon after Mohammad of Ghor's death the Kashmiris once again regained control of Hazara.
Amb and its surrounding areas of Hazara have a long history which can be traced to Alexander the Great's invasion of India. Arrian, Alexander's historian, did not indicate the exact location of Embolina, but since it is known that Aoronos was on the right bank of the River Indus, the town chosen to serve as Alexander's base of supplies may with good reason be also looked for there. The mention in Ptolemy's Geography of Embolima as a town of Indo-Scythia situated on the Indus supports this theory.
In 1854 Major James Abbott, the British frontier officer from whom Abbottabad, administrative centre of Hazara, takes its name, discussed his location of Aornos on the Mahaban range south of Buner. He proposed, as M. Court, one of Ranjit Singh's French generals had done before him in 1839, to recognize Embolima in the present village of Amb situated on the right bank of the Indus. It lies about eight miles to the east of Mahaban and is the place from which the later Nawabs of Amb take their title.
Turk Rule
Akbar as a boy around 1557
In 1399, the great Muslim warrior Timur, on his return to Kabul, stationed his Turk soldiers in Hazara to protect the important route between Kabul and Kashmir. By 1472, Prince Shahab-ud-Din came from Kabul and established his rule over the region. Prince Shahab-ud-Din, a Turk of Central Asian origin, founded the state and named a substantial part of it Pakhli Sarkar and chose Gulibagh as his capital. During the Mughal rule, these local Turkish chiefs acknowledged Mughal authority. In fact, Hazara (Pakhli) provided the main route to Kashmir and was the most commonly used route for Emperor Akbar to travel to Kashmir. During the last days of Emperor Akbar's rule, the Turkish Chief Sultan Hussain Khan revolted against the Mughals. He claimed that the Mughals were interfering with his internal affairs. After this complaint, he was exiled by the Mughals, but later was pardoned and given back his land meanwhile Karlal tribe snatched the lower Hazara again from the Turks and re established their dominion. In 1703, the Turk rule came to end and large number of Karlugh Turks migrated to nearby Kashmir and other far off places in Hazara region. This tribe has the smallest population in Hazara but they are still considered an important caste in Hazara District. Now, descendants of these Turkish rulers live in village Girwal Behali and some other villages like Barakot of District Mansehra , Azizabad village of District Abbottabad, and few villages of Haripur districts.
Durrani Rule
When Ahmad Shah Durrani expanded his kingdom to Punjab, Hazara also came under his control and became loosely attached to the Durrani/Afghan Kashmir 'subah' or governorship. The Durranis considered it wise to rule the area through local tribal chiefs, like Sardar Najeebullah Khan Tarin, who controlled the Haripur plain and Chach area of what is now Attock district of Punjab; Saadat Khan, the forceful Swati chief of Mansehra area, the Tanoli chiefs of Ilaqa or Mulk i Tanawal and others. Whereas in the mountainous region of Abbottabad Karlals due to geographical advantage of difficult terrain retained their independence against any outside authority. The Durranis' rule ended abruptly in the beginning of the 18th century.In view of later developments, it is especially pertinent to note here that the Hindwal Tanolis, who later founded a state named Amb, had already begun to establish their authority over Tanawal. The voluminous Urdu copy of the settlement report of Hazara compiled by Major Wace in 1872 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. Their leader at the time, MIr Nawab Khan (Father of Painda Khan) accepted token Durrani Rule and used to pay simple liege homage, at the same time looting the Durrani caravans which passed through Tanawal. He fought the Durranis in a number of small battles and ultimately met his death at the hands of Sardar Azim Khan Durrani in 1818.
Sikh rule
Durrani rule had weakened considerably at the beginning of the 19th century. The Sikhs annexed Hazara in two stages. Lower Hazara except Karlal country became tributary to the Sikhs, with the exception of the ongoing struggle against the Sikhs led by the likes of Sardar Muhammad Khan Tarin, Shaheed, Bostan Khan Tarin and others of this tribe, as soon as they wrested the Fort of Attock from the Durranis.In order to gain control over Karlal country Maharaja Ranjit Singh sent a large force under famous General Amar Singh Majithia which was defeated by Karlals with great slaughter. Amar Singh was also murdered by Karlals. Ranjit Singh himself then attacked Hazara and reduced all the warring tribes into submission, carrying the Tarin chief Muhammad Khan with him, as a prisoner . Karlals taking advantage of their terrain fled to the higher mountains.From 1822 to 1845 Karlal tribe fought many battles with Sikhs and was able to retain its independence throughout Sikh period. In 1844 once again Lahore Dardar sent a large force under Diwan Mulraj and Hari Singh to subdue Karlal country, again taking advantage of their difficult geographical terrain Karlals were able to defeat Sikh army at place called Nah and killed more than 150 Sikh soldiers. However a part from small Karlal territory Sikhs were able to subdue entire lower Hazara . Upper Hazara suffered a similar fate when the Sikhs tookKashmir from the Barakzai Durranis in 1819. The Sikhs fought many sanguinary battles with the turbulent tribes that inhabited this region.Mir Painda Khan Tanoli was the tribal chief of the Hindwal section of Tanolis at the time of the invasion of Hazara by the Sikhs. Painda Khan is famed for his staunch rebellion against Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Governors of Hazara. He was the son of Mir Nawab Khan, who had earlier begun to establish Tanoli authority in the Tanawal area in defiance of Durrani/Afghan suzerainty.
From about 1813, he spent a life long rebellion against the Sikhs. Painda Khan's relentless rebellion against the Sikh empire, cost him a major portion of his estates, leaving only the villages of Amb and Darband. However, this deterred him less and appeared to increase his resistance against the Sikh government. The District Gazetteer of the North West Frontier Province (p138) confirms, "Painda Khan, played a considerable part in the history of his time and vigorously opposed the Sikhs." General 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 as a chief renowned on the Border, a wild and energetic man who was never subjugated by the Sikhs.His son Mir Jehandad Khan also followed his footsteps. "Of all the tribal chiefs of Hazara, the most powerful is said to be Jehandad Khan of the Tanoli, whose land straddled both banks of the Indus and whose fellow-tribesmen were 'brave and hardy and accounted for the best swordsmen in Hazara'. When Sikh power was on the decline in 1845 Jehandad Khan blockaded the garrisons of no less than 22 Sikh posts in Upper Tanawal ; and when they surrendered, he spared their lives, as the servants of a fallen Empire.
However in 1845 the local populace, taking advantage of the problems in Lahore (the capital of the Sikh Empire), rose up in rebellion. They drove the governor of Hazara, Diwan Mulraj, to Hasan Abdal in 1846. However, with the conclusion of the First Sikh War, Hazara along with Kashmir was ceded to Raja Gulab Singh, Dogra; but in 1847 the Raja gave back Hazara to the Lahore Darbar in exchange for Jammu, which then later became the Jammu and Kashmir princely state. Hazara itself continued to be ruled by the Lahore Durbar, which was now under the indirect supervision of the British Resident Sir Henry Lawrence, vide the Treaty of Lahore, and in 1847, Lawrence sent out one of his assistants, Capt (later Major) James Abbott to try to restore law and order in the Hazara and to try to make an 'honest assessment' of the revenues of the region.
British rule
After the First Sikh War, the area was governed by Major James Abbott. Abbott managed to secure and pacify the area within a year. During the Second Sikh War Abbott and his men were cut off by the Sikh army from supplies and reinforcements from the rest of the British Army, but were able to maintain their position.By 1849, the British had gained control of all of Mansehra. However, the western Pashtun tribes remained rebellious. These tribes included the clans of Allai,Batagram in the Nandhiar valley, and the tribes inhabiting both slopes of the Black Mountain of Hazara.
In 1852, after three years of relative peace, Zaman Shah of Kaghan turned against the British. James Abbot sent an expedition to Kaghan which deprived Zaman Shah of his territory and he was exiled to Pakhli plain. After four years the British forgave him and he was permitted to get back his lost territory.
The British sent many expeditions against the Pashtun tribes to crush the rebellion between 1852 and 1892, especially against the Black Mountains and parts ofBalakot as Barakot which are located near to the boundary of Azad Jammu & Kashmir including Lambian Pattian, Kori, Patikka, Behri and Neelum Valley to stop the resistance by Mughal tribes.
To maintain peace in the area the British also took preventive measures by co-opting the local rulers.
The British accepted the Independence of the Nawab of Amb within his own territory and thus no writ of the British Government, civil or criminal, was ever enacted within the Tanoli State of Amb. The smaller Tanoli State of Phulra, which was granted by Painda Khan to his brother Madad Khan, was also ackhnowledged by the Britishers as a semi-independent Princely State. Thus the British Government agreed not to meddle with the affairs of the Tanoli territory of Hazara, with the mutual understanding that the Tanolis would not attack the British controlled territories. In Abbotabad the Karlal country remained turbulent during the initial phase of British rule. During the Mutiny in 1857 the Karlals tried to attack the Murree garrison along with Dondh tribesmen. Karlal chief Sardar Hassan Ali Khan was imprisoned by the British and many of the mutineers of this tribe were hanged by the British army.
The British divided Hazara District into three Tehsils (administrative subdivisions) : Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Haripur and annexed it to the Punjab. In 1901, when the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) was formed, Hazara was separated from Punjab and made a part of NWFP. Throughout their rule in Mansehra, the British met fierce resistance from the local tribes and declared martial law. Meanwhile, the people of Mansehra's many villages largely governed themselves. Many of Mansehra's citizens joined the Khilafat movement and several were imprisoned for this.
The presence of the All-India Muslim League was not widespread in Hazara initially, as only a few individuals were its members prior to 1935-36, most notably Khan Sb Abdul Majid Khan, Tarin, OBE, of Talokar (1877–1939), who remained a close friend and associate of Sahibzada Sir Abdul Qayyum Khan, and an early member of the (then) Frontier Legislative Assembly. Even before the All-India Muslim League started its movement for Pakistan in 1937, after the historic Lucknow Session of October that year, the Hazara Muslim League was properly formed and convened at the residence of Noor-Ud-Din in Abbottabad in 1936. In this meeting the leaders of the All-India Muslim League, Nawab Bhadur Yar Jang, Mulana Shoukat Ali, Hamid Badayuni and others, came from India. The local people joined the movement in large numbers. In Mansehra in the same year the Muslim League was organised by Ali Gohar Khan and Hakim Abdul Karim, who were elected the first president and general secretary of the district Muslim League. During the final phase of the movement for the creation of Pakistan, Khan Bahadur Captain Sardar Zain Muhammad Khan, elder and leader of the Karlal tribe, Jalaludin Khan alias Jalal Baba, the popular leader of Abbottabad city, and Mulvi Muhammad Ishaq Khateeb-e-Hazara were the most prominent Muslim league leaders in Hazara. Capt Sardar Zain Muhammad Khan (OBI)and Jalal Baba defeated their Congress rivals in the elections of 1946 from their respective rural and urban Constituencies, and politically routed the All India Congress from the region. The Muslim League captured all the Hazara District assembly seats except one in the crucial elections of 1946. In the Delhi Convention of Muslim League parliamentarians chaired by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which finally voted for the division of India and the creation of Pakistan, Capt Sardar Zain Muhammad Khan(OBI) represented Hazara. These Muslim League Leaders were also able to mobilize the people of this area in favour of the referendum for the creation of Pakistan.
Around before the time of Partition/Independence, Nawab Sir Muhammad Farid Khan (KBE) of Amb State developed good relations with Jinnah and Nawabzada Liaqat Ali Khan. His contributions to the Pakistan movement have been acknowledged in letters from Jinnah. 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.
Independence
During British rule, the region of Hazara had formed part of Punjab province, until the western parts of that province were separated to form the new NWFP. The areas around Abbottabad and Mansehra became the Hazara District of Peshawar Division, whilst areas to the north of this became the Hazara Tribal Agency and the Kohistan Tribal Agency. Sandwiched between Hazara Tribal Agency and Hazara District were the small princely states of Amb and Phulra. This system of administration continued until 1950, when these two small states were incorporated into the Hazara district.In this picture seated (left to right): Sahibzada Mohammad Khurshid (first Pakistani Governor of the NWFP), Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan (Liāqat Alī Khān) (Urdu: لیاقت علی خان) listen (help·info) (2 October 1896 – 16 October 1951) the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawab Sir Muhammad Farid Khan (Nawab of Amb) and Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan (wife of Liaquat Ali Khan. Darband, Amb State, 1949.
From 1955 to 1970, NWFP province became part of West Pakistan under the One Unit policy, with the Hazara district forming part of the Peshawar division of West Pakistan.
Kashmir Conflict
Kashmir was the first biggest challenge for Pakistan, right after Pakistan's creation; the Maharaja of Kashmir, signed the Instruement of Accession of his state 'Jammu and Kashmir' in favor of India. This was not acceptable to the majority of Muslims in Kasmir. Thus a freedom struggle started right after the independence. From Hazara Nawab Muhammad Farid Khan sent an army of 1500 Amb State soldiers under the leadership of Subedar Major Shah Zaman Khan to take part in the Kashmir Liberation Movement from 1947 to 1948 (Kashmir Conflict). The Amb State force carried its own artillery to the battle. They fought bravely alongside other frontier tribesmen and came under fire by the Indian airforce just three kilometers from Baramulla sector. Around 200 Amb State soldiers lost their lives in the battle. Kashmir Conflict is still under dispute.Hazara Division 1970-2000
On the dissolution of West Pakistan in 1970, Hazara District and the two tribal agencies were merged to form the new Hazara Division with its capital at Abbottabad. The division was initially composed of three districts (Abbottabad, Kohistan and Mansehra) but within a few years, Haripur district was spun off from Abbottabad District and Batagram District was spun off from Mansehra District.Hazara remained a District right up to its conversion into a Division in 1976. In October 1976, Mansehra was given the status of a full fledged District, which consisted of Mansehra and Batagram Tehsils. Subsequently in July 1991, Haripur Tehsil was separated from Abbottabad and made into a District. Thus only the old Tehsil of Abbottabad remained, which was declared as Abbottabad District.
In 2000, administrative divisions were abolished and the fourth tier districts were raised to become the new third tier of government in Pakistan.
Geography and climate
Hazara is bounded on the north and east by the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir. To the south are the Islamabad Capital Territory and the province of Punjab, whilst to the west lies the rest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The river Indus runs through the division in a north-south line, forming much of the western border of the division. The total area of Hazara is 18,013 km².Because it lies immediately south of the main Himalaya Range, and is exposed to moist winds from the Arabian Sea, Hazara is the wettest part of Pakistan. At Abbottabad, annual rainfall averages around 1,200 millimetres (47 in) but has been as high as 1,800 millimetres (71 in) , whilst in parts of Mansehra District such as Balakot the mean annual rainfall is as high as 1,750 millimetres (69 in) . Due to its location on the boundary between the monsoonal summer rainfall regime ofEast Asia and the winter-dominant Mediterranean climate of West Asia, Hazara has an unusual bimodal rainfall regime, with one peak in February or March associated with frontal southwest cloudbands and another monsoonal peak in July and August. The driest months are October to December, though in the wettest parts even these months average around 40 millimetres (1.6 in) .
Due to the high altitude, temperatures in Hazara are cooler than on the plains, though Abbottabad at 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) still has maxima around 32°C (90°F) with high humidity in June and July. Further up, temperatures are cooler, often cooler than the Northern Areas valleys due to the cloudiness. In winter, temperatures are cold, with minima in January around 0°C (32°F) and much lower in the high mountains. Snowfalls are not uncommon even at lower levels.
Hazara lies close to the crossroads formed by the river Indus and the Grand Trunk Road. The Karakoram Highway begins at the town of Havelian and goes north through the division towards China via the Northern Areas.
Population
The population of the Hazara region was estimated to be over 4.5 million in 2005. The total area of Hazara is 18013 km²: See table below.
| Hazara region: Statistics | ||
| District | Area (km²) | Population (Millions) |
| Abbottabad | 1802 | 2 |
| Batagram | 1310 | 1.5 |
| Haripur | 1763 | 1 |
| Kohistan | 7581 | 0.8 |
| Mansehra | 5957 | 2.4 |
Demographics and society
Hazara University Mansehra on Map
The area is mostly populated by the Híndko people, who speak the Hindko language as their mother tongue, and by those who speak Pashto. Pashto is spoken in Batagram and Toorghar district, 70% of the population of Mansehra speaks Hindko while most of the remaining speak Pashto. Kohistaniare spoken in Kohistan. In all the hilly areas of Abbottabad and Haripur districts most people speak Hinkdo, but Gujjar tribes speaks Gojri and Abbasi tribe speaks Pothohari. In all, according to the 2001 Census of Pakistan, Hazara has an ethno-linguistic majority of Hindko-speakers of around 87% whereas about 13% speak Pashto and other languages.
Main tribes
The main tribes in terms of population in Hazara are the Jadoon, Karlal(sardar), Karlugh Turks, Tanoli, Swati, Gujjar, Dhund Abbasi, Shilmani(sulemani) , , Awan,Alvi Awan of Birote, Ghakkar, Syed , Maddakhel ,Kohistanis, Tarin (or Tareen), Mishawani, Gabari, Paracha, Tahirkheli, Kashmiri, Dilazak and the Isazai Pashtun tribes of Kala Dhaka.Afghan refugees, although predominantly Pashtun (including the Ghilzai and Durrani tribes), and other smaller groups are found throughout Hazara. There is also a considerable presence of Tajiks, Uzbeks, Kazakh and Hazara in the area. Pakistan has provided shelter to them for more than three decades. However now intense popular demand exists for repatriation of all afghan refugees from Hazara and Pakistan. It is hoped tha the Govenemnt has extended their stay for a final time up to the end of 2012. The population of Hazara was estimated to be over 4.5 million in 2005.
Economy
Hazara has one of the major industrial areas of NWFP, including Telephone Industry of Pakistan (TIP) and the Hattar Industrial Zone. The region includes Tarbela Dam, which is the largest earth filled dam in the world and generates most of the hydro electricity generated in Pakistan. The Karakoram Highway passes through Hazara.
The Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul, Abbottabad, is where all military officers of Pakistan are trained. The region has tea plantations and the best grade tobacco in Pakistan, in Manshera
Movement for Hazara Province
In April 2010, it was announced that through an amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan, the name of NWFP would be changed to 'Khyber Pakhtunkhwa' leading to protests across the Hazara region, where Hindko and Gojri speakers are dominant as compared to the Pashto speakers. The announcement of the new name also lead to calls from Hazara for a new separate province. Ten persons died, and nearly two hundred hurt during the rallies and protest all over Hazara region against NWFP and creation of new province Hazara in April, 2010.Complete wheel-jam and shutter-down strike was observed in the Hazara belt on second May, 2010,under the leadership of Sardar Haider Zaman(BABA) in support of the demand for a Hazara province and against the renaming of NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.Traffic remained suspended all day while business centres were closed in Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan and Haripur. Peaceful demonstrations and rallies were also carried out and no loss of life or property was reported from any district of the division.
Large public meetings in this regard as well as public protests have been regularly organized by the HQM and 'Tehreek I Hazara' movement, since; but the name of the NWF Province has been duly changed to 'Khyber Pakhtunkwha' and is a 'fait accompli'. The leadership of the Hazara movement, however, has vowed to continue their struggle until the achievement of their aims via peaceful and constitutional means.
Meanwhile strikes and protests have continued even as far away from the Hazara as Karachi, under the auspices of the (HAI) Hazara Awami Ittehad. A number of the HAI protested at the Karachi Press Club and large numbers of Hazarawals participated in this rally.Naeem Ashraf Durrani & Sardar Ahmad Nawaz nationalist leader of Hazara division in Karachi, speaking to Hazara conference at the Press Club said that the struggle for obtaining a separate Hazara province was the need of the hour and asked the people to stay united on their stance.
The Ulema and Mashaikh of Hazara also joined the peaceful movement for the creation of a separate province of Hazara.Speaking at a conference arranged by the Hazara movement in May 2010,Maulana Shafiqur Rehman, Abdur Razaq Abbasi, Ibrar Swati, Maulana Sarfaraz Farooqi, Peer Azhar Bakoi, Maulana Yousaf Shah, Maulana Iqbal Qureshi and others said that all the leaders should launch joint struggle to achieve the objective."We will extend every possible support but the struggle for a separate province must be peaceful," Maulana Shafiqur Rehman said, adding the country could not afford further unrest and chaos.
Another important goal of Hazara Quami Movement is to repatriate all Afghan Refugees from Hazara. Continuous inlux of Afghan Refugees is not only illegal but their prolonged stay is seriously disliked by people of Hazara and Pakistan. Government has extended their refuge for the last time up to 2012. In case this time limit is extended again, people of Hazara/Pakistan have vowed to launch serious struggle for their repatriation.
HARIPUR
History of HARIPUR:
Haripur Hazara is a district of N.W.F.P. Haripur was heart of Gandhar civilization. HARIPUR was founded by Hari Singh Nalwa (a General of Raja Ranjit Singh) in 1822. Haripur became a district in 1992 after separation from Abbott Abad district.
Ø Old name of HARIPUR is Pakhli Sarkar (1472 A.D.)
Ø Nearby Important and Famous Cities and Places are Mansehra, Abbott Abad, Hassan Abdal, Swabi, Marda, Attock, Buner and Rawalpindi.
Ø Kot Najeeb Ullah is a famous town of Haripur.
Location of Haripur:
Haripur is located 65 kilometer in North of Islamabad, federal capital, on Silk Route(Shahrah-e-Resham). 20 km from Hassan Abdal and 35 km from Abbotabad.
Mega Projects in Haripur:
Tarbela Dam and Khanpur Dam are two important dams of Pakistan located in Haripur. Ghazi Brotha is also a mega project of Power Generation.
Tehsils of Haripur:
- Haripur
- Ghazi
- Khanpur
Hindko, Pashto and Urdu are spoken languages of Haripur.
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