Malakand
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Malakand is a region in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Named after Malakand Agency, a part of this region, it covers one third of the total area of the province. The region is further divided into several other Districts, namely Chitral, Dir, Swat, Buner, Shangla and Agenies like Malakand Agency, Muhmand Agency.
The region became recently known by a militant Islamist group Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi that has been an active force in Malakand particularly in 2007.[1]
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[edit] Kalam
The area has a rich history, covering thousands of years. Alexander the Great traveled through the region in 327 BC. The Gandhara Buddhist Civilization later Flourished in the valley of Swat and Dir. There are many stupas and Buddhist settlements in the region. The famous Chinese travelers Huein Tsang and Fa Hien came here for learning and a great Buddhist missionary padma Sambhava, belonging to Swat traveled to Tibet to spread Buddhism.
An ancient route from Central Asia to India lies across this region. Hund was the crossing place on the Indus. This is the route which saw the armies of Alexander the Great, Mehmood of Ghazni and Babar marching into India. The route was later abandoned, when Akbar the Great built a boat bridge at Attock in 1581 AD. The British had to fight fierce battles at Malakand twice in 1895 and 1897. The siege of Chitral in 1895 also attracts historians and tourists.
The region has four distinct ethnic groups. The Pukhtoons live in Dir, Swat, Malakand, Buner and Shangla. Kalash people live in the three valleys of Chitral and Kohistanis occupy Dir Kohistan and Swat Kohistan.
[edit] Malakand Agency
Malakand:having an area of about 952 square kilometres and a population of over 4.5 lakhs as per population census of 1998 is situated in the lower reaches of the Swat region. Its limits start when the last boundary of Shergarh village in Mardan District touches the outskirts of Sakhakot village as one travels from Peshawar to Swat on the main highway. At the meeting point between Shergarh and Sakhakot, police and custom check posts are functioning and the point is known as Sakhakot Board. Travelling through Sakhakot one enters Dargai village, which is followed by the mountainous terrain of about 15 kilometres known as Malakand Pass or Darrah Malakand much less difficult to cross than before because of a mattled road in it now. Crossing through the same hilly pass you will enter the country's largest Batkhela Bazar. You proceed onwards till Landakay village where the limits of District Malakand end and District Swat welcomes you. In ancient history the name of Malakand has appeared as Mala Kund or Mullah Kandao. There exist different versions vis a vis its genesis as "Malakand". Some historians say that the word Malakand is a combination of two Persian words i.e mala and kund. In Pushto mala means aamail (garland) and kund means ubo (water). They give the impression that when anyone crosses the Malakand Pass the river Swat looks like a mala (aamail). Another concept is that the name Malakand has been derived from the words Mullah Kandao. Those who believe on this concept take it as combination of two words---Mullah and Kandao. Mullah means a religious saint and Kandao means a lofty place. Some people term the name Malakand as "Mlakandao" which means curved like the backbone of the body. The version that looks more convincing is based on the premise that due to the very steep nature of the pass, travellers after reaching its top, would complain of backache and thus ask for "kund" which in Pashto is a tonic for restoration of normalcy, and "Mala" in Pashto means "for me" and thus "Mala Kund that is "tonic for me" gave the name Malakand to the small hamlet on the top. All the notions about the name of Malakand have one point similar and that is the characteristic of being a difficult territory or place to climb on. In fact it is situated on a curved line almost in a zig zag position. Many poets in the past have also termed the mountainous terrain very difficult to negotiate. Khushal Khan Khattak describes in one of his couplets that the pony riders will find it more difficult to climb on the path going to Malakand and cautions those having lamb feet not to think of climbing on the Malakand pass. Any how the name Malakand is now-a-days an important and well-known name and has been adopted in the same form by many other villages in the Swat and Dir districts.The area surrounded by Malakand--- on the south till Sakhakot Board, on the north Pull Chawki or Chakdara Bridge, towards the east till Landakay and to the west till Kot Agra comes in the limits of Malakand District. In addition to the above clarification Malakand is bounded on the north by Lower Dir district, on the east by the district of Buner, on the south-east by Mardan district and south-west by Charsadda district and Mohmand Agency. It is also bounded by a range of mountains on the north-east separating it from district Swat and another range of mountains to the west separating it from Bajaur and Mohmand agencies. In papers the area is still an agency known as Malakand Agency or Malakand Protected Area but in 2001, after implementation of the Devolution Plan, a full-pledged district government has been established in it headed by the District Nazim who is assisted by a District Naib Nazim, District Coordination Officer (DCO), Commandant Malakand Levies, Tehsil Nazimeen, Union Council Nanzimeen and heads of all the district departments. Administratively, Malakand has been divided into Swat Ranizai and Sum Ranizai tehsils. These tehsils are Batkhela and Dargai where Tehsil Municipal Administrations have been established. A part of Malakand is occupied by the Uthmankhel clan of Pukhtoons (Pathans), while towards the south, at the bottom of Malakand Pass, live the Ranizai known as Sam Ranizai. Those living beyond the pass towards Swat are Swat Ranizai. The road in the pass has many turns and zigzags and appears to have been scientifically designed. Before partition the road in this hilly pass was very narrow and at the turning edges, vehicles from the upper side would have to stop to give way to those coming from the lower side. Near the lowest point due to difficulty in cutting down the road edges at the time of construction of the hilly road, a 100 feet (30 m) tunnel has been dug out. Now few years ago, the NWFP government allocated funds for widening of the road and now two vehicles can easily pass through it without interrupting the vehicles coming from the opposite direction. The tunnel has also been widened and the rocks on the outer south side were cut down that enabled the construction company to establish a bypass road. Though, that road has now been abandoned by the traffic, however, in case of emergency the same road would be available for keeping flow of the traffic smooth. Being a key route to Swat, Dir, Buner, Shangla and Chitral districts, the Malakand Pass has remained for years the target of foreign invasions. The ancient route between Central Asia and India passes through it. Before the British occupation, it represented Pukhtoon grandeur. Prominent Pukhtoon Sardars particularly Ranizai--a division of the Yousafzai Pathans inhabited it. The chief town of swat Ranizai are Thana, Batkhela, Malakand, Dargai and Sakhakot are important towns of Malakand. Malakand is about 2,705 feet (824 m) above sea level. Geological surveys identifies that the northern part of Malakand is occupied by the main mineral thrust material also known as Melange Zone rocks. Composed of volcanic, phyllites, slates, green schist, quartzite and other oceanic metasediments. The middle part of the Malakand Protected Area comprised metasediments and granitic rocks. The granitic rocks are named as Malakand granite and Chakdara and Bazdara granite. The Malakand Power House tunnel or Benton Tunnel passes through these rock formations. In the south near Dargai is the ophite rocks, known as Dargai ophiolite. These ophite rocks contains chromite, soapstone, asbestos, manganese and magnesite. Batkhela is tehsil and capital of Malakand Agency. On west side of batkhela along the swat river the following village khar, Dehri-jolagram. After the mountain & Thray pass the next village name is Matkani. The village of Haji Abdul Majid khan. As one passes down the Main town is Totakan. The most famous school in this area is Malakand Model School Totakan. Other villages in the surrounding area are Hisarbab, Bakht Rajee, SraShah, Qulangai, Agra, Barawal, Pirkhail and Maikhband.
As one goes along the GT road and at the end of Batkhela baazar a place called Amaandarra comes. Here a road separates and leads to twin villages called Dherai and Aladhand. This is the village(s)where the tomb of Malik Ahmed Khan Baba is situated at Gul-e-Nargis Ghardi ( called Gulingass Gardi locally ). Malik Ahmed Khan Baba was the chief of Yusufzais who led his tribe after the great Exodus of Yusufzais from Kabul, Afghanistan in the days of Mirza Ulugh Beg, the Moghul king, who brutally and coldbloodedly killed 300 of the strong elders and sardars of Yusufzais and order the tribe to flee. This was the second exodus of Yusufzais Pukhtuns after the first Great Exodus of Pukhtuns, as a Hebrew tribe, at the time of the fall of Hebrew State at Jerusalem in the hands of 'Bakhth Nasre'. The main GT road then leads to Chakdarra, a famous ancient town on the side of river Swat where the famous Churchil pique t is located and from here a road leads to Dir, Chitral, Bajaward and onward to Afghanistan and another road goes to Swat, Kohistan/Bisham, Northern Areas and ultimately to China.Another small road leads to the historic Shahkote, famous for Bhudist remains and through Shahkote pass to Katlang and Mardan. As we pass along the road towards Swat a well known historic village and now town called Thana (locally called Thandra) in located. This the place of great sophistication and civility of Yusufzais, then and now, where the chief of Yusufzai, The Khan, use to live.The clan of the khan called as 'Khankori' mean the 'Family of Khan' still is a commonly used nobility. It is still one of the highly educated and most respected people and place in NWFP. The town is located close to river Swat on one side and the famous mountain of 'Mora',a well known name in Hindu mythology and place of worship where Chandar Gupt Moria stayed and worshiped. A road tributary passes from here to Katlang and Mardan via Charat, a pass adjacent to 'Mora'. Mora is also known in the history of Yusufzai where the Moghul king Babur met Mubaraka Bibi,and got married with her. From Thana the GT road goes to Mingora and Saidu Sharif with many historic and ancient places of Pukhthun, pre-Pukhtun times. As one passes down the Malakand Pass the Swat valley starts and reaches up in the mountains to Kohistan. Though administratively separated as Malakand Agency the area along the GT road beyond Malakand is part of Swat. River Swat, in Rig Veda 8.19.37, was mentioned as the Suvastu river. Swat has been inhabited for over two thousands years and known as Udyana. In 305 BC it was under Mauryan Empire. In 327 BC Alexander the Great reached Udegrahm and Barikot and the Greeks registered these villages as Ora and Bazira. Around 2nd century BC it was under Buddhists, The Indo-Greeks and the Kushans. The Pukhtuns of the area has the genius of Jews,the tolerance of Buddhist,the valor of a Kushan and the faith of a Muslim - but all frustrated.
British in Malakand : The wily British came to India in the guise of merchants, but gradually came to dominate it. Before the British rule the Mughal and Sikhs empires had roots in the area. With the fall of Sikh Empire, the British annexed Punjab in 1849. They also occupied some tribal areas and sent many expeditions from time to time. Though the British failed to interfere directly in the way of life of the tribals, they were able to create the first agency of "Khyber". in 1878. The aim of creating the agency was to keep the Khyber Pass open. The British commenced their campaign against Malakand in 1853. First of all they raided the Uthmankhel. A big battle took place at Prang Ghar and owing to the defenders being a small band of mujahideen with nominal arms, the Uthmankhel were subdued. As Pukhtoon brethren, the Ranizais supported the Uthmankhel wholeheartedly, which enraged the British, so, after defeating the Uthmankhel, they decided to punish the Ranizais. In the closing months of 1853, under the command of Lord Klaidy, a brigade was sent after them. At the first stage they raided Dargai and Kharkaey---small Ranizais villages at the bottom of Malakand Pass. The enemy was well equipped with artillery, so the poor Ranizais accepted a ransom of Rs. 5,000. At the time the enemy sent its troops, but its sole aim was to seize the pass at all cost. Pukhtoons belonging to different parts of the then Malakand Division realised the intentions of the British, and at various places jihad was proclaimed against them. In Buner (Swat), which was ruled by Syed Akbar Shah Badshah---Ameerul Jihad---the situation was particularly tense, and the British felt a great risk from that side. Time and again they planned to storm Buner but were unable to find way of doing so. When in 1877 the Akhund Sahib (Saidu Baba) of Swat died, the Pukhtoon union, which troubled the British, collapsed. The colonisers took advantage of the rivalries among the Pukhtoons and in 1878 Lord Klaidy took a strong army and entered Ranizais territory via Palai and Sherkhana---hamlets at the southern boundary of Malakand Agency. The Ranizai again resorted to arbitration. In April 1895, Sir Arlo, a major in the British Army and Colonel Kelly started a war against Umara Khan ---a renowned, gallant indomitable sardar and a shrewd politician whom Sir Winston Churchill calls "the Afghan Napoleon". The British were camping at Dargai and Kharkay, and with the help of Prince Ibrahim Khan, Ranizais were warned against putting up resistance but when the British marched on to Malakand, a huge battle took place at the Malakand Pass in which the Swat Ranizais displayed great valour. The Uthmankhel of Bar Swat, Dir and Bajaur also joined hands, and the enemy was badly beaten. Now the British, instead of fighting resorted to negotiations. On September 12, 1895, an agreement was signed between them and the Swat and Sam Ranizais. In the year 1897, when the second battle of Malakand took place, the Sam Ranizais again remained quiet while the Swat Ranizais resisted. This battle was a decisive one, and when it lasted, even Pukhtoon women came out to fight. History notes the valour of a woman belonging to a respectable family of Dheri Alladand. Not a great deal is known about her, although it is stated that she used to fight day and night and to provide food and water to the mujahideen, and never put her sword down till she was martyred. She lies buried on the outskirts of village Dheri Alladand, but no epitaph marks her grave. The people of the area call her Shaheeda Abai (Martyred grandmother). Another instance, which can be quoted here, is that of Hazrat Sadullah Khan, alias Sar Tor Faqir (bear-headed Faqir), also known as Mullah Mastan or Mad Mullah by the British. He belonged to Riga, Buner in Swat. He gathered a batch of mujahideen and started to take Malakand, where the enemy had taken position, by storm. As soon as the British learnt about his proclamation of jihad, the Mardan Guides Regiment was sent after him. They seized Amandara, while Sar Tor Faqir marched from Landakay towards Thana, where several other mujahideen joined his small band. Together they proceeded to Dheri Alladand and then to Batkhela. They by-passed the British troops at Amandara and decided to raid Malakand. Sar Tor Faqir assaulted the British at Malakand Khas and defeated them soundly. Later, the Sikhs joined the British, but still they were beaten. The mujahideen captured the British quarter guard and seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition. They were fighting till the following morning and the enemy was massacred with its own arms. At dawn the next day the battle stopped. A large number of British and Sikhs were killed, while 19 mujahideen were martyred, including Sar Tor Faqir. His tomb stands at the bottom of Elephant Pass (Hathi Darrah) to the south of village Zulamkot in Malakand. An instance is also of Hazrat Sikandar Shah Shaheed. It is stated that he would carry a large red and white banner, and whose followers were martyred but alone kept on fighting till he also fell near the British line. He could well have been Hazrat Sikandar Shah Shaheed (Spin Shaheed), who is buried near the modern road close to the Malakand Pass. The ex-political agent of Malakand Abdul Wakil Shah constructed his beautiful mausoleum during his tenure in 1991-93 on the funds being collected from the mausoleum. A mosque has also been constructed besides the tomb of Sikandar Shah Shaheed. People travelling from Mingora to downwards and upwards, while passing through the mazar of Sikandar Shah Shaheed stay for offering their prayers in the mosque. Instances of the bravery of the Pakhtoon mujahideen have even been narrated by the British writers in their reports and books. Captain J. Young and Colonel Sir Francis write in their book "Relief of Chitral" as follows:
"Of the enemy's bravery it is difficult to speak too highly, and individual cases were conspicuous. One leader, carrying a large red and white banner, called on his men to charge the Scottish Borderers when they were half way up the hill. The charge was made, but all his followers gradually fell, till the leader alone was left. Nothing daunted he held steadily on, now and again falling, heavily hit, but up and on again without a moment's delay, till at last he was shot dead close to the British line. More desperate courage than this is difficult to imagine. Again, one of the enemy's drummers, not content with taking his fair share of risks, perished in mounting on to the roof of a hut, where he showed up clear and conspicuous against the sky line, and hence cheered on his comrades. Every now and again, a bullet would find him out and he would drop to dress his wounds, and then again mounting recommenced beating his drum. At last a bullet got him through the heart, and he fell headlong a hundred yards down the cliff, and there lay stark dead, but with his drum round his neck, and his arms ready raised to strike it.
Later, the British formed a new force known as Malakand Field Force for dealing with tribes in Malakand. Winston Churchill, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, was a captain in that force. He was also the war correspondent for the "Allahbad Pioneer" and "Daily Telegraph". He also wrote a book " Story of the Malakand Field Force" which brought him much fame. Mr. Churchill was also editor of "Civil and Military Gazette".
[edit] Winston Churchill in Malakand
If it is not too hot, a climb up to the Churchill Piquet on Damkot Hill is rewarding. One can park the vehicle opposite the main gate of Chakdara fort. This fort was built in 1896 by the British on the foundations of a fort built by a general of Emperor Akbar in the 16th century as a prelude to the Mughal operations against the Yousafzais, which resulted in the total annihilation of the Mughal Army in Buner. Raja Birbal was also one of the main casualties of the operation. The footpath up the hill to Churchill Piquet takes about 15 minutes to climb. The view from the top of the hill is magnificent. On a clear day the whole of the Malakand valley is visible against a backdrop of lofty mountains. Here the young Winston Churchill, reporting for the London Daily Telegraph, covered the Pathan uprising and operations of the Malakand Field Force as a war correspondent in 1897. A room reserved for him still exists in the shape of historical remains. Actually, while on leave in England, Churchill read the news of the breakout of fighting on the North West Frontier. Previously, in a party, Sir Bindon Blood, the General-in-Command of Malakand Field Force, had promised him of an employment opportunity in the time of emergency. Churchill was quick to react by sending him a telegram as reminder of the promise. Without awaiting an official reply he embarked upon a journey to India. When he reached Bombay, he received the General's message, which read: Very difficult; no vacancies; come up as a correspondent; will try to fit you in BB. He was thus surprised and disturbed at that moment but little did he realize that the very message had decided his fate as well his future role. He was appointed as a war correspondent for the Allahbad Pioneer and Daily Telegraph subsequently and in an extremely satisfactory manner. Churchill himself writes about his joining the Malakand Field Force as under:
"Having realized that if a British cavalry waits till he is ordered on active service, he is likely to wait for considerable time, I obtained six weeks leave of absence from my regiment and on 2 September 1897 arrived at Malakand as press correspondent of The Pioneer and Daily Telegraph, and in the hope of being sooner or later attached to the force in a military capacity" Winsten Churchill wrote his first book "Story of the Malakand Field Force" which brought him instant fame. Everyone was full of praise for him. After publication of the book, the Prince of Wales wrote him a letter of felicitation expressing the hope that he would stick to the army before adding MP to his name. Churchill spent many days and nights under operational conditions at Malakand and Chakdara. The Piquet at Chakdara where he stayed was, therefore, named "Churchill Piquet in recognition of his services rendered by him during extremely critical times.
Winston Churchill writes so explicitly:
"There was a ragged volley from the rocks; shouts, exclamations, and a scream. One man was shot through the breast and pouring with blood; another lay on his back kicking and twisting. The British officer was spinning round just behind me, his face a mass of blood, his right eye cut out. Yes, it was certainly an adventure". "It is a point of honour on the Indian frontier not to leave wounded men behind. Death by inches and hideous mutilation are the invariable measure meted out to all who fall in battle into the hands of the Pathan tribesmen: We all laid hands on the wounded and began to carry and drag them away down the hill". "I looked around to my left. Out from the edge of the houses rushed half a dozen Pathan swordsmen. The stretcher-bearers of the poor Adjutant let him fall and fled at their approach. The leading tribesman rushed upon the prostrate figure and slashed at it three or four times with his sword. I forgot everything else at this moment except a desire to kill this man. I wore my long cavalry sword well sharpened. After all, I had won the public school fencing medal. I resolved on a personal combat. The savage saw me coming, I was not more than twenty yards away when he picked up a big stone and hurled it at me with his left hand, and then awaited me, brandishing his sword. There were others waiting not far behind him. I changed my mind about the cold steel. I pulled out my revolver, took, as I thought, most careful aim, and fired. No result. I fired again. No result. Whether I hit him or not I cannot tell. " looked around. I was all alone with the enemy". I ran as fast as I could". I got to the first knoll. Hurrah, there were the Sikhs holding the lower one.We fetched up at the bottom of the spur little better than a mob, but still with our wounded, while the tribesmen, who must have now numbered two or three thousand, gathered in a wide and spreading half-moon around our flanks. The Colonel said to me, "The Buffs are not more than half a mile away. Go and tell them to hurry or we shall be wiped out."But meanwhile I heard an order: "Volley firing. Ready. Present." Crash! At least a dozen tribesmen fell. Another volley, and they wavered. A third, and they began to withdraw up the hillside. The bugler began to sound ". Everyone shouted. The crisis was over, and here, praise be to God, were the leading files of the Buffs. (Churchill was getting £5 a column, so it paid him to spin it out a bit). There was an occasion when a tribal warrior had rushed to kill young Churchill with his dagger but Churchill pre-empted by killing him first with his pistol. Destiny is a strange phenomenon, well beyond human comprehension. Had Churchill been killed, the history of the British Empire, particularly during the Second World War would have been very much different. The door to Churchill Piquet is usually open. A shaky ladder inside leads to the roof. From the ramparts one can see why the position was so important; as apart from affectively covering the crossing sites on the river provided all round observation of the entire area. The foundations of the Churchill Picquet rest on an 8th century Hindu Shahi wall. But the history of all the hill goes back to 1,700 BC, when a wave of Aryans swept inform Afghanistan and settled in the area.
Places of Interest in Malaknd : MUSLIMS GRAVEYARDS: Thousands of Muslim mujahideen had sacrificed their lives for the cause of the land of Malakand and during the two famous battles of Malakand a large number of Muslims were martyred by the British for their only sin that they were not ready to allow the British forces to dominate their territory. In the Malakand environs there are a lot of graveyards in which the Muslim martyrs are lying buried. On some of the graves of the Muslims there exist tombs while majority are heaps of rocks and are barely identified to be graves. A thick olive forest in the Malakand suburbs identifies the presence of the Mulsim graveyards. Two of these graveyards are located in the Malakand on the back of Zafar Market.
[edit] Irrigation
AMANDARA HEAD WORKS: The upper Swat canal system emanates from the Swat River at Amandara Head Works and irrigates 121400 hectares of land of the Mardan and Peshawar valleys. The Head Works was completed in 1918. At this location, the Swat River has an annual flow volume of 5.44 billion cubic metres. The minimum discharge is 36.5 cusecs in winter and the summer flow peaks up to 443 cusecs. A six kilometre long canal carries water from Amandara to the foot of Malakand mountains. Here the 3.5 kilometre long "Benton Tunnel" after traversing the Malakand hills activates Jabban and Dargai power houses apart from irrigating vast areas which in the past were rain-fed waste lands. The Amandara Head Works serves as a regulation point for controlling the water flowing through the Swat River. In case of an emergency, the Swat River can be diverted on a diversion already built for the same purpose through this regulation system. The irrigation department supervises the project. A scenic rest house also exists near the head works where VIPs stay during their visits to Malakand. Standing on the veranda of the rest house, the visitors will find a most dominating view of the Head Works. The rest house is also used for holding official meetings and other functions. The irrigation department controls allotment of this famous rest house.
BENTON TUNNEL: The historic Benton Tunnel was completed in 1918. The British government constructed the tunnel for irrigation of the arid and waste lands apart from running the power house at Jaban. Later after partition, the same water was utilized to also run the Dargai power house. A 6.75 kilometre long pitched channel, commencing 2300 meter downstream of the Benton Tunnel, was constructed parallel to the nullah to lead the water to trifurcate at Dargai. The water is trifurcated into two irrigation branches. Abazai branch running in a westerly and Machai branch in easterly direction. Both the power plants at Jabban and Dargai are set up each between the outlet of the Benton Tunnel and the trifurcator. This productive tunnel is a great achievement of the British government in Malakand. Due to increase in irrigation water requirements, the Amandara Head Works was upgraded under the Swabi SCARP and with the technical assistance of Chinese Geo-corporation, an auxiliary tunnel was also constructed parallel to the existing Benton Tunnel which caries an increased design discharge of 51 cusecs. This upgradation has also helped in controlling water leakage and thus enabling the authorities to get sufficient water for the power houses to run.
GIBRALTAR HILL: On entering district Malakand and passing through the historic Malakand Pass, one comes to the village namely Malakand Khas situated on the top of the hill. Proceeding downwards to the Batkhela, the famous Gibraltar Hill will come into view, which is crowned by two British made piquets at both sides (now turned into debris due to no repair at all). Between this hill and the Malakand Fort is located the Muslim graveyard covered with a thick wild olive forest, the firing range of the Pakistan army and the British cemetery. On both sides of the Gibraltar Hill there are nullahs and ruins of the old Buddhist road. This was in use even during the early period of the British occupation and till the modern road was constructed. This road was connected to the village Rang Mohallah. The same has now been abandoned after a metalled road was constructed via Piran village.
MALAKAND-III HYDRO POWER PROJECT: The gigantic Malakand-III Hydro Power Project is a venture of the Sarhad Hydel Development Organization (SHYDO). The project is under construction. It will produce 81 mega watts of electricity and is to be completed within the next three years with an estimated cost of 106.15 million US dollars. It is expected that by 2006 the project will be commissioned. The power generated from the Malakand-III Hydro Project will be supplied to industrial units within the project area as well as the industrial estates of the province. This project is proposed to be operated in conjunction with the existing power houses of Jabban and Dargai keeping in view the variation in water availability in the Swat River.
CHAKDARA BRIDGE: After consolidating their position at Chakdara, the Malakand Field Force carried out different operations towards Swat and Dir till their authority was firmly established. The iron girder bridge on River Swat was constructed. The bridge still exists. Now a concrete bridge has been constructed at the west side of the old suspension bridge. This bridge had played a vital role in the action against Umara Khan and enabling the British troops to siege Chitral. All the vehicular traffic now uses the new concrete bridge and the old bridge has been abandoned due to collapse of the gates.
Archaelogy in Malakand : In Malakand a large number of archaeological remains of Buddhist and Hindu Shahi periods clearly indicate that this area remained the centre of great activities in the past. It was a part and parcel of the ancient Ghandhara region and perhaps belonged to the ancient Uddhyanna and was predominantly a Buddhist land during 2nd century BC to 7th century AD. Buddhism gradually lost its control, but it was ruled by Buddhist ruler Raja Gira when Sultan Mahmood of Ghazna invaded Malakand and defeated Raja Gira. The area was once invaded by another Muslim ruler from Afghanistan, Mohammad Ghauri and occupied it. It was after the invasion of Mohammad Ghauri that Islam rapidly spread in the region. The region was subsequently occupied by Swati Pathans who were displaced by Yousafzai who are still occupying it. The following areas in Malakand have many archaeological sites and monuments but due to lack of preservation and lust of the locals to excavate antique for business and get land for cultivation, most of these monuments have been turned into barren fields and the debris removed. Some of these sites still have signs of the past glory like:
1. Umar Dher site : This site is situated some two kilometres east of village Dheri Alladand on the main Alladand-Thana road. Here the remains of Buddhist and Hindu Shahi periods are scattered.
2. Ghari Site: This site is also situated on the main Alladand-Thana road near the shrine of Yousafzai leader Malik Ahmad Khan. Close examination reveals that the field of Ghari contains huge quantity of ruins of the Hindu Shahi period and some showing close affinity with the Buddhist time.
3. Nwar Tangi Site : This site is also situated near the village Dheri Alladand and is replete with ruins of Buddhist period. There existed a large number of old buildings of the Buddhist era but the people of the area have removed the debris for using the stones etc in the construction of their houses and to get land for cultivation. 4. Mago Shah Site: This site is on a kilometre distance from the village Dheri Alladand to the south-east. This site was once replete with remains of the Buddhist period but the people of the surrounding area when learnt that statues of the Buddha are scattered in the remains they started plundering them. The site was excavated lavishly and even the stones were also taken away. Illegal diggers have removed bulk of sculptures from the site.
5. Zarkandi Tangi Site : In this site there is an inscription on a rock showing resemblance with Nagri or Hindi. Here also located Buddhist mounds but the lusty people had dug away and plundered all the things of the past. There also were erected stupas but only the debris are visible. A water well dating back to the Buddhist period clearly shows Gandhara masonry. Some debris also shows ruins of Buddhist monastery.
6. Haibatgram Stupa : There is a stupa few kilometres away from the main road near Haibatgram village. This stupa has also been criminally robbed of the relics and greatly damaged by the lusty people. It is stated that all the precious relics have been excavated and plundered by the diggers. This stupa is worth preserving and if efforts were made to preserve the site it can be converted into a beautiful historical resort as well.
7. Landakay Site : This site is situated near the present Landakay village. It has remains of Hindu Shahi period. The villagers have also badly damaged these structures and the stones used in construction of their houses.
Other sites, which have vast remains of the Hindu Shahi and Buddhist periods, are scattered here and there and are vivid proof of both these dynasties. Names of the villages are mentioned here only to identify the sites. 1. Kandari Site 2. Mulano Tangi Site 3. Pinjon Banda Site 4. Wara Banda Site 5. Umar Tangi Site 6. Girro Tangi Site 7. Loi Tangi Site 8. Shah Kot Site Palai 9. Khogdaro Site Palai 10.Bachagan Site 11.Palai Shahkot Site 12. Kuza Nawagai Site 13. Koto Manzaray Site 14. Shahdand Bara Bazdara Site 15. Karkanray Gumbat Site 16. Keeray Baba Jalalpur Site 17. Dargai Banda-Dargai Dab 18. Luya Junai Site 19. Damazai Dheri Site 20. Sarki Saley Site 21. Nalo Dheri Site 22. Bargir Banda Site 23. Kafir Kot Site 24. Jalala Site etc
British Cemetry in Malakand : Side by side with the Muslims, the British also suffered heavy casualties during both the 1895 and 1897 military campaigns. The British people have also been buried at the places where the Muslims graves exist. Though the Muslims graves are scattered all over the Malakand surroundings, however, to the south, close to the existing Malakand Levies Headquarters, a British cemetery is located where about 100 graves exist. Some 51 of these graves have a sign of “Cross"over them, which testifies to the fact that these were British soldiers/followers. The cemetery has been constructed in 1916 as is known from the available history. Nearly all the graves carry stone slabs inscribed with suitable epitaphs. Following is a list of some of the graves;
1. Richard Commiserate Department Born 7 April 1859 Killed in action-Malakand
2. Lt. Col. John Lamb, 24 Punjab Infantry Born-13 Sept 1854 Wounded 26 Jul 1897 (Night) Died of wounds 23 Aug 1897.
3. Truman Stain-forth, Bengal Infantry 25 years 5th Aug 1901.
4. George Barkley Buttlims 24 years Malakand 28 Aug 1902 was son of George Buttlims DCS Died at Allah Abad Jan 26, 1879.
5. Lieutenant Andrew Harigton 26 Punjab Infantry 28 years Died in Punjkora (River) 29 Sep 1897 From wound received in Action 14 Sep 1897.
6. (Name omitted) 27 years Killed in action at Landakai 18 Aug
7. Lieutenant William Browne Glyton 1st Battalion. The Queen's Own-Royal West KentRegt Killed in Action Agrah-Bajaur 30 Sep 1897.
8. No. 23318 Sgt Castle QAS AM Died Malakand 2nd July 1896- age 31 years.
9. Another grave, seemingly the first in the cemetery, has iron bar around it while other details are not known, it has the following inscription.
Erected by 5th QO Madras Sappers and Miners.
In the same cemetery there is a black stone slab, which has been fixed to a memorial made of bricks. The memorial is about three feet high and three feet wide. The following lines have been inscribed on the memorial. The inscriptions seem to be Hindu names and may be that they belonged to Madras. These personnel are from the Sappers and Miners (Indian corps of the Engineers), and appear to be the Gurkha soldiers of the British Indian Army, as their names suggest. These names are:
No. 1334 Saper Durugien-5C No. 1636 Saper Ponnusami-5C Killed in Action -26-7-1897 No. 1085 Saper Appalsami-5C Died Malakand 13-8-1897 No. 2529 Saper Ponusami-6C Died Malakand -22-1-1901 No. 1737 Saper Durugchalum -6C Died at Malakand -12-3-1901
Due to no repair these graves are disappearing with a high speed and it is feared that after few years no sign of the British cemetery in Malakand would be visible. The author found many marble slabs at places, which have no concern with the British cemetery; however, these slabs have been removed from this cemetery. A slab has the following inscription:
"This cross is erected by his brother officer British and native in token of affection esteem cora, good soldier, stench comrade and dear friend. The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another."
It is need of the hour that the British government should provide funds for preservation of this cemetery as a token of love and affection to its own soldiers and men of adventures.
[edit] Malakand Pass
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For more details on this topic, see Siege of Malakand.
Nimogram Buddhist stupas :-There are three main stupas, surrounded by a number of small votive stupas in Nimogram. Dressed stones have been used in the construction and bear similarity to Andan Dheri monastery.
[edit] Butkara Buddhist Stupa
Saidu Sharif:- Saidu Sharif and Mingora are two cities. Saidu Sharif has several government buildings, the Museum, the Tomb of Akund of Swat and the archaeological remains of the Buthare Buddhist Stupa.
Uchh and the Noor Mahal Uchh is an ancient historic village of Dir District, situated about ten Kilometers from Chakdara towards Timargaraha. A unique feature of the town is the existence of Noor Mahal here. About two hundred year back Maulana Muhammad Nasim Siddiqui brought many relics and about 500 rare manuscripts of books with him from Delhi on camals. The relics are the sacred hair of the Islamic prophet Hazart Muhammad and items belonging to Hazrat Ali, Hazrat Imam Hussain, the blood stained clothes of Hazrat Mirza Mazahar Jan -e-Janan are also kept here. The Ghilaf {cover} of the Khana Kaaba is also amongst the collections
Andan Dheri The Buddhist stupa of Andan Dheri is located near Uchh. The main and small stupas are all made of stone masonry.
[edit] Dir
Thana is one of the villages of Malakand agency, famous for the highest literacy rate in Pakistan, also a main political centre of the area, the land of peaceful and well educated and hospitable people. Most of the people speak Pashto language but they can speak urdu and english.
[edit] Loweri Pass
This pass is 3200 m high, situated in the famous Hindu Raj Range and forms the boundary between Dir and Chitral. The road to Chitral passes through this pass which is closed between November and May due to heavy snowfall.
[edit] Kalash Valleys
The Kalash people live in the their valleys of Birir, Bumburet and Rambur. The Kalash are an ancient tribe and have a religion and a culture of their own. They have many festivals around the year, the major ones being Chilamjusht, Phool and Chawas.
[edit] Chitral
The town of Chitral is situated about 322 KM from Peshawar. The whole area is mountainous, having green valleys and the towering Trichmir peak (7700 m) of the Hindukush.
[edit] Kalam
Kalam is the main town of Swat Kohistan. It is about 40 km north of Bahrain. Kalam is inhabited by Kohistanis having their own language and customs. Lake Mahodand is about 23 km beyond Matilian valley.
[edit] Ambela Pass
The Ambela Pass, situated in Buner, can be approached from Mordam via Shahbaz Garhi and Rustam. It is about 50 km away from Mardan. The British fought a very tough battle here against Yusuzai Afghan lashkars in 1863.
[edit] Language
The main language is Pashto. Kohistani, Urdu, and English are also spoken.
[edit] References
- ^ The group leader, an Islamic scholar Maulana Sufi Muhammad, has been in prision for his well known efforts to support Taliban Movement across the border in Afghanistan. Since then he has been in prision. It was only last Monday, 21/04/2008, when he got released by the Government of Pakistan and he was received by his fans in a heroic welcome. This is due to a well known deal between the Pakistani Government and Taliban forces in Afghanistan in response to the Taliban's abduction of one of the Pakistani ambassador Azizuddeen. [1]Khan, Riaz, "Inside rebel Pakistan cleric's domain", Associated Press report, as it appeared at USA Today Web site, October 27, 2007, accessed November 7, 2007
