Ghani Khan had written a little skittish poem about Pathans, that depicts there temprament given below:

The great potmaker of fate was sitting in heaven.
This great potter of fate was making a donkey,
when the order came to make a Khan.
So the potter cut off its tail and sculpted its ears,
on its forehead he put a spot of temper
and in the donkeys brain he put the disease
of being ahead of everyone, being a leader, and
then he put a beautiful turban on his head and
shooed him towards the world.

Most of the pashtun tribes in pakistan have migrated from region of the present day afghanistan to adjacent indian areas constituiting nowadays N.W.F.P province of pakistan commonly called pakhtunistan.

There were two types of migration occured few centuries ago
1-Migration to present day pakistan
2-Migartion to india

Migration to Present day pakistan
Pathan tribes used to migrate as a whole tribe from one place to other. One of the first tribe who migrated to northern portion of N.W.F.P province of pakistan ( at that time it was a region of hindustan) was Dilazak tribe who get assimilated with local people unable to maintain their race and culture. Two centuries later yousafzai a large and powerful pathan tribe arrived from a region near kabul to here to find already an organized people claiming themselves afghans. Yousafzais refused to accept them afghans (because of their darker looks and semi pathan culture) and started a war against them to occupy their regions and drive them from that valley( later called as yousafzai valley) .This fights continued for decades eventually result in total destruction of dilazaks ,those survived fled to india.(today dilazak is an almost extinct tribe of pashtun).
Yousafzais never assimilated into locals and remain pashtun.Other tribes like khalils,mohammends,mohammedzai,karlanris etc also migrated from afghansitan and settled near yousafzais regions to transform the region totally into afghan dominted area.
Similarly southern portion of N.W.F.P was get settled by tribes migrated from ghilzai afghan area including lodhi and lohani tribes. Most of these tribes were defeated by powerful tribes in afghanistan result in their search of new ares for settlement. these large scale migrations created a homogenious region of afghans from chitral to D.I khan district.
Pathans of these region extend only the region of afghanistan to indus river. they were succesful in preserving their identity because the region before their arrival lack any significiant population.Few centuries later this region became centre of pashtun power and also became secondary source of pathan migations.
But it should be rememberd that pashtun region of balochistan province and some tribal agencies are part of orignal land of pashtuns.

Migration to india
Not all the tribes shifted to adjacent areas of afghanistan but some also migrated to distant india.The first true pathan tribe to move into india was lodhi tribe. Lodhis were successful in establishing rule in india. they needed their menpower of their countrmen which would strengthened their rule in india. So sultan bhalol lodhi invited pathan families in afghanistan to try their fortune in india.Only few and weak tribe of pashtuns accepted invitation and migrated to alien lands of india. The migration of individual pathans continued untill the end of lodhi dyanasty by moghals. Lodhi empire was basically a governament based on tribal system. Tribal leaders were very powerful and army was organized on tribal basis. Every tribe was given certain reion to rule and manage.
They were not united and usually one tribe used to fight with other.When moghals arrived they destroy their organistan and made them weak.
The final blow was given to the pathan power in india by suris who were themselves pathans. Sher shah suri snatched power moghal hamayun and once again established pathan dyansty in india but with different mood. he was fearful from pathan tribal leaders and respective tribal unity so he dispersed concentreted pathan colonies and sent individual pathan families into different parts of country including bengal. He forcibly settle pathans (belonginf different tribes of pashtuns) in Bengal and gave them land. This was a cruel act and few centuries later pathans in bengal lost their identity. when moghals defeated suris and established rule ,their power was never challenged by afghans because of their dispersed conditions carried out by sher shah suri.
the second and last pathan migration into india was in 18th century.these were bangashes and yousfzais occupying farrukabad and rohilkhand respectively.
To the time of partition of india in 1947 many princely states were ruled by pathans.
Rampur ruled by rohilla pathans
Palanpur ruled by lohani afghans
Bhopal ruled by aurakzai pathans
jonagadh ruled by babar pathans
tonk ruled by yousafzi or rohilla pathans
malerkotla ruled by sherani afghans

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Abd-ul-Rehman known as Abdul Rehman Baba is one of the most popular Pashto poets. The colour of his poetry is deep mystical. He occupies the same position in Pashto Literature which Hafiz Musle-ud-Din Shirazi does have in Persian.

He was born in 1632 A.D. at Deh Bahadur, a village, 4 km south of Peshawar.

He belonged to the Muhmand branch of Ghuria Khel or Ghori Khel tribe. His father, Abdul Sattar, was a peasant. He got his early education from a local religious scholar Mulla Muhammad Yousaf. When Mulla Yousaf went to Kohat he also followed his religious mentor. Abdul Rehman adopted the life of privations, austerity and asceticism, at the age of mere 20 years.

The peculiarity of Rehman Baba's poetry is its fluency, accurate choice of words, originality and simplicity. Besides many others, Major Reverty in his book "Selection from the poetry of Afghans" has also paid rich contributes to him. He writes; Rehman Baba's poetry is the heart beat of every Afghan and is recited through the Afghan lands.

Abdul Rehman Baba died in 1707 AD his tomb is situated near the Shrine of Akhuand Darwaizah Baba at Peshawar, which is visited by his followers and admirers throughout the year.

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General Area History


Located near the site of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and Harappa, the region was annexed as part of a far flung satrapy by the old Persian Achaemenid Empire before 500 B.C and brought under Mauryan rule two centuries later. The Macedonians under Alexander the Great marched on the area around 330 B.C., the later Greco-Bactrians establishing an independent Indo-Greek Kingdom following a split with Seleucid Empire to the west. The Saka arrived around 97 B.C., before the Indo-Parthians of Arsacid affinity ruled under Gondophares to about A.D. 75. The following few centuries A.D. brought at least nominal Kushan, Ephthalite, Kidarite and Sassanian Persian rule, the last of which fell to the forces of the Arab Rashidin Caliphate, which introduced Islam to the East Iranian borderlands in the seventh century. Islam was spread further east under the Saffarid dynasty which, under Ya'qub-i Laith Saffari, pressed deep into the Khyber hinterlands. The succeeding centuries saw Ghaznavid, Ghorid, and Zahiruddin Muhammad Babar control of the area, where regional Pakhtun tribes living in and around the Hindu-Kush later battled the encroaching British India northwest of the Punjab. From then onward, the region was either under British Indian or Afghan rule after the 1893 Durand Line agreement, until the state of Pakistan was created.


AHMADZAI WAZIR

PRIMARY LOCATIONS:

The Ahmadzai Wazir Tribe inhabits South Waziristan Agency. They control the border regions between South Waziristan and Afghanistan. Their ancestral home appears to have been in the Birmal Valley in Afghanistan. Two-thirds of the Ahmadzais live in the Bannu District, and the remaining one-third lives in South Waziristan Agency near Wana and the Shakai Valley. A large number migrate to and from these areas according to the season.
South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² (4,473 mi²). Waziristan comprises the area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the north and the Gomal River to the south, forming part of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The North-West Frontier Province lies immediately to the east. The region was an independent tribal territory from 1893, remaining outside of British-ruled empire and Afghanistan. Tribal raiding into British-ruled territory was a constant problem for the British, requiring frequent punitive expeditions between 1860 and 1945. Troops of the British Raj coined a name for this region "Hell's Door Knocker" in recognition of the fearsome reputation of the local fighters and inhospitable terrain. The region became part of Pakistan in 1947.
Waziristan is divided into two "agencies", North Waziristan and South Waziristan, with estimated populations (as of 1998) of 361,246 and 429,841 respectively. The two parts have quite distinct characteristics, though both tribes are subgroups of the Waziris and speak a common Waziri language. They have a reputation as warriors and are known for their frequent blood feuds. The tribes are divided into sub-tribes governed by male village elders who meet in a tribal jirga. Socially and religiously, Waziristan is an extremely conservative area. Women are carefully guarded, and every household must be headed by a male figure. Tribal cohesiveness is strong through so-called Collective Responsibility Acts in the Frontier Crimes Regulation.
Waziristan is named after the Pashtun Wazir tribe. South Waziristan is the largest agency of FATA in size. It has two headquarters: Tank is the winter headquarters of the Agency while Wana is its summer headquarters. It has been functioning since 1895. It is bound to the north by the North Waziristan Agency, to the north-east by Bannu and Lakki Marwat Districts, to the east by Tribal Area Adjoining Tank District and D.I. Khan Districts, to the south by Zhob District of Balochistan Province and Tribal Area Adjoining D.I. Khan District, and to the west by Afghanistan. The total area of the Agency is 6,619 km².
Origins
The Waziris are an isolated tribe and have lived in the Pashtun tribal belt region for many centuries[Like most other Pashtun tribes, the Waziris might be descendants of Aryans or the later migrant Scythians with some Hephthalite and Kushan admixture Others claim that the Wazir resided in the mountainous region for several thousand years in a similar fashion to the Afridis. Wazir are the descendants of Waziri who was the son of Sulaiman the son of Kakai, the son of Karlan and grandson of Qais Abdur Rashid. So they are usually described as being a tribe of Karlani Pashtuns.
From this common origin come the Wazirs, a title which properly includes the Wazirs, Gurbaz, Lalawazir in Kugiani in the area of the Sufed Koh in Afghanistan and Mahsuds but the word Wazir has now practically been appropriated by the former.

Language

The two agencies have quite distinct characteristics, though both tribes are subgroups of the Wazir Tribe and speak a common Wazirwola pashtu language, which is in fact a dialect of the Pashto language.


Geography

The Agency is mostly a mass of rugged and complex hills and ridges. There are no regular mountain alignments. The land rises gradually from south and east to north and west. The dominating range is the Preghal in the west along the border with Afghanistan. It is the highest peak which is 3,515 metres high. Zarmelan, Wana, Shakki, Zalai, Spin and Tiarza are the main plains of the Agency.
Direction of water courses, in general, is from west to south i.e. from the watersheds of Sulaiman Mountains to the Indus. There are two principal rivers in the Agency, Gomal of Luni and Tank Zam. Some important rivulets are Khaisora, Shaktu, Splitoi, Wana Toi, Shuza, Shinkai and Shahur. The rest are mountain streams which can become dangerous and impassable during heavy rains which frequently occur during the months of July and August. The Gomal River rises in two branches in the eastern slopes of the western Sulaiman range in the Birmal District of Afghanistan not far from the source of the Tochi River. The Tank Zam is formed by the junction of the Tauda China and the Baddar Toi, at Dwa Toi, south of Razmak


Climate

The Agency has hot summers and very cold winters. In winter, temperatures go below freezing point in places of high altitude. The summer season starts in May and ends by September. June is generally the warmest month when the mean maximum temperature rises slightly over 30 degrees Celsius. The winter starts in October and continues until April. December, January and February are the coldest months. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures for this period are 10 and -2 degrees Celsius, respectively. The Agency is outside the monsoon zone, yet at higher altitudes a fair amount of rainfall is received. South Waziristan Agency has an arid climate, receiving minimal precipitation. The western portion, bordering Afghanistan, receives more rainfall than the eastern portion touching Tank and D.I.Khan districts. Most of the Agency receives mean annual rainfall of 6 inches, while a small area in the southeastern corner receives less than 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall annually.



Famous Personalities


Musa Nikkah (Darwaish)
Mahmood(Mehsood)
Karim Khoon
Laloo Khan
Faqir of Ipi: Haji Amir zaali khan(Faqir of Api) was a renowned freedom activist and took part in the violent struggle against the British raj. He was the only freedom fighter at the end of the British raj. He was a strong supporter of the Pakhtunistan cause.
Sher Bahadir Sab
Saday Gul Kaka Khail Sab
Jallat Khan SaB
Shah Sab(Late) Headmaster GHS, Wana
Mirzaman Amir Sab
Behram Khan Amir Sab
Prof. Muhammad Gul Sab
Miraskar Sab
Muhammad Yar(Maydari)
Nisar Lala
Dr.Hassan Khan Waziri
Dr.Bad shah Jan Waziri
Mr.Nasrullah Khan
Engineer Ashraf
Engineer Mir Ghulam
Mr.Abdul Malik, MNA(SWA)
Sher Azam khan , Current Minister Khyber Pukhtonkhwa,
Maulana Noor Muhammad ex MNA, Religious Scholar.
Ayaz Wazir, Former Ambassador of Pakistan.
Malik Faridullah Khan Shaheed (Hilal-e-Imtiaz), Chief of wazir and former Federal Minister
Genral Retired Alam Jan Maseed
Col. Yaqoob Maseed
Col. Mahyudin Sab

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Imbindas,

Where does this word "Phatan" come from as you put it as thread title??

Some corrections are needed. In the preface of his book "Sahib Soldiers, The Men Who Made the North West Frontier" Charles Allen writes in describing the most significant racial group of eastern Afghanistan and Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province, I have abandoned the well-known term 'Pathan' in favour of 'Pakhtun' for 2 good reasons. First is accuracy again; 'Pathan' is simply wrong, a corruption of Pakhtana, the plural of Pakhtun. Second is that the word irritates the hell out of a people who set great store by Pakhtunwali, the Pakhtun way of life, and by Pakhtunkhwa, the land of the Pakhtun people. So Pakhtun it is, and I hope that others will follow suit..

Can anyone tell what's history of "jokes" made on Pathans?

Please don't misunderstand me as I am not intending in any way what so ever to offend anyone. It's just a query as I don't see much jokes related to other locals like Sindhis, Punjabis, Balochis etc.. so why it's just Pathans? Is there any history or propaganda behind it? Please let's not be vexed by thinking bigotedly.

Bindas, can you help in this regard?

Pashtunwali or Pakhtunwali is a non-written ethical code and traditional lifestyle which the indigenous Pashtun people from Afghanistan and Pakistan follow.Some in the Indian subcontinent refer to it as "Pathanwali". Its meaning may also be interpreted as "the way of the Pashtuns" or "the code of life". Pashtunwali dates back to ancient pre-Islamic times but is still widely in use, especially by the rural tribal society. It is not only practiced by members of the Pashtun diaspora but also by some non-Pashtun Afghans or Pakistanis who live close to Pashtuns.

Among the main principles of Pashtunwali are:

1-hospitality (melmastia)
2-revenge (badal) for any perceived injustice
3-protecting one's "women, gold and land"
4-admission of guilt for a wrong committed (nanawati)

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@insatiable soul

dear! only fruit bearing trees are stoned! "tasha bera sok pa kanro no woli"

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“Taleba Khawre ba Mula shai, Pa Kitab Porot ye Yadawai Shinki Khaluna”

| Wazir |



Although every person of Waziristan is called Wazir but in proper sense Wazir is a separate tribe having its own identity among the tribes of Waziristan. The historians believe that Wazir was descended from Suleiman; a famous Pakhtun Sardar. Suleiman had a son Wazir. Wazir had two sons one was Khadre & the other was Lale. Khadre had three sons the first was Moosa, second was Mahmood & the third was Mubarak. Moosa is also called Dervish which was his title. Moosa had two sons one was Ahmad & the other was Itman. These days Ahmad Zai & Itman Zai Wazir known as the descent of Ahmad & Itman respectively. In aggregative sense they are also called Darvesh Khel.

Ahmad Zai Wazir then settled in South Waziristan while Atman Zai Wazir settled in North Waziristan. In North Waziristan Atman Zai Wazir is living along the both sides of River Tochi, mountainous area on both side of the River Tochi, Khaisur Sharif, Keto & on both sides of River Kurram.

Ahmad Zai Wazir are living all round Wana, Parkh Nakhawash, & in the green land of Shakai.Moosa Darvesh is the common great grandfather of both Ahmad Zai & Itman Zai. His Tomb is situated in the valley of Zinda, which is 20 miles away from Wana in the north west side of Waziristan. The famous Birmal road is passing along this Tomb. Bomi Khel - Ahmad Zai Wazir is living there. The area of the western side of this area is called as Nekah Band.

Itman Zai Wazir is divided in the following groups & Sub groups:
Ibrahim Khel Mada Khel
Manza Khel
Tori Khel
Teti Khel
Woli Khel Baka Khel
Jani Khel
Kabal Khel
Mamit Khel Hassan Khel
Khadar Khel
Bora khel
Woozi Khel

Tribes & Sub tribes of Itman Zai Wazir

In North Waziristan the business of Itman Zai Wazir is Timber, vegetables dairy & poultry; & also involved in govt jobs. Majority of the Wazir are living in the mountainous areas; which is considered as the hottest territories during the summer season. So they migrated to the cold places like Shawal, Birmal & Razmak for spending their summer season.; while in cold weather they came back to the plain areas.

In 1925 when British entered into Waziristan especially to the areas of Wazir: they got much wealth from them during wars. Due to this reasons many sub tribes of Wazir's came & started living in the plain area of North Waziristan. All round District Bannu near Dawar some very large villages of them came into being.

Sin Khel Hathi Khel
Sarki Khel
Umer Khel
Kalo Khel Nasarai Bomi Khel
Shadi Khel
Sparkai Mohmand Khel
Saddi Khel
Sodanr Khel

Tribes & Sub Tribes of Ahmad Zai Wazir

Other Tribes living amongst Wazirs are as such:

Saidgi:
They are also related with Wazir, but in fact they are Said (Sayyed-------The family of great prophet Muhammad (PBUH)}. Saiddgi is divide in two sub tribes; Jebbo Khel & Malka Khel. Jebbo Khel further divides in two sub tribes one is Zakar Khel & Dir Noomi. Malka khel also divide in two sub tribes; one is Shodi Khel & the other is Bodar Khel. Shodi Khel & Bodar Khel lives in Zavoie & Davoogar areas. Zavoie Saiddgi leaves all round the areas of Mizer & Mada Khel. Davoogar Saiddgi, Zakar Khel & Dir Nomi resides in Dande area. Some of Jebbo Khel also lives in Birmal.


Kharsin:
Kharsin are living the mountains of Mazdak in two large villege called Woozgi & Zangooti. Woozgi is located in between the two river of Barooman & Mattoora.Some of the Kharsin tribes are living in the west of Shawal in valley of Goorvek. According to them, they are descended from Hazrat Bilal. There name Kharsin is derived from the name of Darvesh called Gharshin.He had two sons; one was Chalak and other was Tora Dak. Chalak's tribe lives in the Woozgi while Tora Dak's family lives in Zangooti. Some of Kharsin are also living in Khost (Afghanistan) in the valley of Sabrina.

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‘They are poor but brave… and although turbulent and difficult to deal with, still have a great love of their country and cherish their independence, possessing qualities that we admire ourselves, and which deserve consideration and respect’.
John Ayde

Recently, the military operations against extremist foreign militants and their tribal supporters in Waziristan area have made national and international news headlines. People have expressed their views about the pros and cons of such operations. Waziristan is both geographically, economically and socially at the extreme periphery of the Pakistani society. Therefore, it is not surprising to notice that there is significant lack of information about the region and its people. This article will look at the region and its people. Recent historical factors which had helped shape the region and the relationship of its people with the surrounding areas will be elaborated in detail. The article will also look at the military expeditions of past including the role of religious factor and leaders in the disturbances which occurred in the area from time to time. This background information will help a better understanding of the region and its complex dynamics.

Background Geography
The area now called Waziristan is in the Suleiman Range with very rough terrain. There is a chain of rugged mountains, ridges and ravines which occupies the border area of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The area has been historically independent of any central authority. Afghan Amirs and rulers of India had no control over this area due to inaccessibility of the region. On the north of Waziristan lies the Kurram Agency, in east districts of Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, on the west and north-west lies the Afghan districts of Birmal and Khost while in south lies Zhob district of Balochistan. The land is totally barren and only small tracts are suitable for subsistence agriculture. For centuries the survival of the tribes of the area depended on raids on caravans passing through their area (the nomad tribes of Afghanistan used two passes; Tochi and Gomal in Waziristan territory) and looting raids of villages and towns of the plains. This was their main source of income and there was no stigma attached to this activity. In fact a successful raid on a caravan or robbing adventure was the desirable trait and much praised. In the past, such harsh conditions had not allowed any significant increase in the population. Among all the Pushtun tribes on frontier region, the inhabitants of Waziristan are strongly independent to the extent that sometimes their own tribal chiefs have limited influence over them. The main tribes inhabiting the region are Wazir (also called Darwesh Khel Wazir), Mahsud, Bhittani and Dawar.

People Wazir
Like other Pushtun tribes, Wazir are subdivided in clans and sub-clans. The two major clans of Wazir are Ahmadzai (living around Wana and Shakai) and Utmanzai (living in Tochi valley and Shawal). Both clans are further subdivided into sub-clans. Utmanzai have three sub-clans of Ibrahim Khel (further branched into Madda Khel, Manzar Khel and Tori Khel), Wali Khel (further subdivided into Bakka Khel, Jani Khel and Kabul Khel) and Mohmit Khel (further branched into Bora Khel, Wuzi Khel, Hassan Khel and Khaddar Khel). Ahmadzai have two main sub-clans of Kalu Khel and Sani Khel.1 A small number of Wazir mainly Gurbaz Wazir live in Afghanistan near Khost. Wazir brought their flocks to plains in search of fodder and came to Bannu district for other legitimate occupations. After independence, large sections of Wazirs have moved to Bannu and other settled districts.
Compared to other Pushtun tribes, Wazir were able to evolve a system where internal feuds were dramatically reduced. Among most Pushtuns a murder is to be avenged and the killing is not limited to actual perpetrator of the crime. Even family or clan member of the culprit could be killed in revenge which sets off a long standing blood feud shattering many families. Among Wazirs, only the actual culprit is to be punished and with this single rule they have been able to eliminate the scourge of revenge and long standing blood feud among the members of the tribe. This gives more cohesion to Wazirs as compared to other tribes of the frontier. Overall, Wazir are considered brave, tough in their own neighbourhood cherishing their independence.

Mahsud
Mahsud are divided into three main clans; Bahlolzai, Alizai and Shaman Khel. The two main centers of Mahsud concentration during British time were Kaniguram and Makin. Mahsud controlled two main passes of the area; Gomal Pass and Tank Zam which was the main route used by nomadic powindahs. Raiding of these caravans provided Mahsud a lucrative source of income. Regular raiding and plunder attacks of Mahsud on settled villages irritated British administrators and since 1855 there were several recommendations to send an expedition against them. However, the events of 1857 didn’t allow any such venture. Finally in March 1860, the day of reckoning came when about 3,000 Mahsuds recklessly attacked the main town of Tank. The town was garrisoned by about 158 soldiers of 5th Punjab cavalry commanded by a native officer Risaldar Saadat Khan. When the news of imminent attack reached Tank, Saadat Khan attacked the swarm of Mahsud outside the town. About 300 Mahsuds, including six leading maliks were killed and the rest fled in total confusion.2 Since then there were many skirmishes between Mahsuds and British Indian government.

Mahsud are very good marksmen and have the reputation of trustworthy. Mahsud is the most independent of all the tribes. Even their own maliks have a very limited control over these independent spirits. However, since independence, Mahsuds have been increasingly integrated with the Pakistani society.

Bhittani
Bhittanis (they claim descent from Baitan) are small in numbers and their territory is hills bordering Tank and Bannu. There are three clans of Bhittanis; Dhann, Tatta and Uraspan. Due to their small numbers they were never able to mount large attacks but served as guides and spies for their neighbours. However, later they allied with British as their lands were close to settled districts and they could be punished more easily. They mainly kept herds and traded with border villages. Later, they gradually moved to settled areas especially Dera Ismail Khan and now own lands. Their organization is looser and generally they do not recognize one chief.

Dawar
They are also small in numbers and centred in Tochi valley. Their three main branches are Tappizad, Idak and Mallizad. They cultivated lands in Tochi valley and were small traders in Miranshah bazaar. However, like other tribes of the region they have also moved to other areas.

The Romance – Waziristan during the British Rule
‘To be successful on this frontier, a man has to deal with the hearts and minds of the people and not only with their fears’.
Robert Sandeman

After the annexation of Punjab in 1849, British came in direct contact with many tribes of the region. The organization of district government under British officers brought these officers in direct contact with inhabitants of Waziristan. Officially, the area was under Afghan suzerainty but actually no one had control over the land. In 1892-93 agreement, Amir Abdur Rahman ceded the area to British with the exception of Birmal. During this time an Ahmadzai jirga came to Dera Ismail Khan to petition that British government take over Wana and they might become British subjects.3 Throughout British direct or indirect rule, many expeditions were carried in Waziristan area. The main object of these expeditions was punishment for long continuance of crimes by tribes in settled districts. The crimes were usually robbery, murder or kidnapping in settled district or attack on civil caravan or military convoys in tribal territory. The usual form of punishment was blowing up defensive towers, cutting of crops and burning of villages. When the tribe submitted, they were asked to pay a certain amount of fine and surrender few rifles and the forces would be withdrawn. Some frontier fighters of British army especially Sir Charles Napier and Sir Colin Campbell had severely criticized the collective punishment policy of the government. Some of the most difficult and violent campaigns were carried against Wazirs and Mahsuds. Many British military and civil officers made their name during their service in the frontier and Waziristan. Robert Sandeman came in contact with Wazir and Mahsud when he was appointed in charge of Dera Ghazi Khan in 1866. R. I. Bruce and S. S. Thorburn dealt with Wazir and Mahsud when they were in charge of Dera Ismail Khan. Sir George Cunningham served as Political Agent of North Waziristan in 1923-24 (later he was governor of NWFP). Sir Michael O’Dwyer, Sir Neville Bowles Chamberlain, Lieutenant General Sir William Stephen Alexander Lockhart (1841-1900), Harry B. Lumsden (the father of famous Guides), Major Pierre Louis Napoleon Cavagnari (later Resident at Kabul and Sir), Herbert Edwards (later Commissioner of Peshawar), Captain H. R. James (later Commissioner of Peshawar), Captain B. Henderson, Macaulay (he served as Deputy Commissioner of Derajat for seventeen years), Evelyn Howell (he served as Political Agent of Waziristan and later Sir), Sir Samuel Brown (inventor of famous Sam Brown belt still worn by officers of Indian and Pakistani armies), Lieutenant Colonel Wilde (he raised Wild’s Rifles, later Brigadier), Lieutenant Colonel R. G. Taylor, Captain J. Coke (he raised Coke’s Rifles, First Punjab Cavalry), Lieutenant C. P. Keyes (of Ist Punjab Infantry, he had served his whole life from Lieutenant to Brigadier at the frontier), Lieutenant Colonel Richard Harman (commandant of South Waziristan Militia), Lieutenant Hugh Pettigrew (South Waziristan Scouts) and many others distinguished themselves in Waziristan.

Compared to other Pushtun tribes, the tribes of Waziristan were fiercely independent to the verge of anarchy and even traditional tribal elders (maliks) had limited control over Mahsud. In 1893, a European overseer along with a trooper was murdered by Mahsud in Zhob area. Bruce summoned the maliks and asked them to hand over the five culprits. When the maliks brought the five men to Bruce, he requested that the men should be tried by the tribal council (jirga). The men were found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment. Few weeks later, three of the leading maliks were murdered when they returned to the hills.4 Most of the times the tribesmen who joined the tribal militia raised by British remained steadfast but at other times isolated violent incidents and desertions also occurred. Charles Duke, Political Agent of North Waziristan was on a tour along with his escort. Few shots were fired at the party by some men. During the exchange of shouts, the commander of the escort, Subedar Darim found out that his own son was among the group who had fired at the party. Darim shouted to his son that ‘sahib is in my charge and I shall shoot you unless you go home’. Darim shot his own son during this encounter.5 On the other end of the spectrum, in September 1904 a young Mahsud militiaman (Kabul Khan) murdered his own Political Agent Bowring and in February 1905, another young Mahsud recruit killed the Commandant of South Waziristan Militia, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Harman.6

British officers who dealt with the tribesmen developed a bond with them. Many of them would refer to tribesmen as ‘my people’ and ‘our chaps’. Winston Churchill has very eloquently summarized the relationship as he had served as a young lieutenant (he served with Queen’s Hussars) with Malakand Field Force. He wrote about Sir Harold Deane (first Chief Commissioner of NWFP) during the days in Malakand Field Force. ‘We had with us a very brilliant political officer, a Major Deane, who was most disliked because he always stopped military operations… Apparently all these savage chiefs were his old friends and almost his blood relations. Nothing disturbed their friendship. In between fights, they talked as man to man and as pal to pal’.7 Herbert Edwards wrote about the Ahmadzai Wazir malik Sowan Khan with all praise describing him ‘an enormous man, with a head like a lion, and a hand like a polar bear’ and ‘a more splendid specimen of human nature in the rough I never saw’. Edwards also admired the malik’s attitude as he never made a bow to Edwards.8 In 1901-02 expedition against Mahsuds, a notorious robber Sailgai was in action. During the negotiations with a British officer, he talked to his mother about his plan to shoot the officer. His mother stopped him telling him that ‘the sahib has given you no cause. He has spoken to you fair.’ Later when Sailgai died in action, O’Dwyer who watched the siege declared that ‘he was a brave man and not without a sense of honour’.9 During 1860 expedition against Mahsuds, two Darwesh Khel Wazirs were mistakenly wounded by rear-guard party. Once the mistake was recognized, the two were brought to camp, treated and then sent back with presents. In 1905, after the murder of Commandant Colonel Harman by a new Mahsud recruit, Political Agent Howell disarmed the Mahsud members of the Waziristan Militia. However, barely two months later, when he went for a shooting excursion in mountains, his gun was carried by a young Mahsud.10

Respect was mutual and many British officers who dealt with frontier tribes wanted an open and honest relationship. In 1877, just before the outbreak of Second Afghan War, Viceroy Lord Lytton’s policy of pushing the outposts close to Afghan border was based on contempt of tribes and Afghans and confidential arrangements with Maharaja of Kashmir (to establish a British agency at Gilgit). Old frontier officials of administration strongly opposed this policy of secrecy and advocated straightforwardness with tribes.11 Many of these officers who spent years among the tribes had rare qualities of courage, perseverance and patience. There was a bond between these officers and tribesmen and the respect was mutual. Sir Olaf Caroe has described these sentiments very clearly from British point of view. He stated, ‘Who does not remember those farewell tea parties when men who have made your life a burden for months and years all at once crowd around with fervent hand-clasps, and, bidding you God-speed – could it be with a tear in the eye – make you half believe that after all the burden was worth carrying?’12

Controlling the Uncontrollable
It was during British rule that Waziristan came in contact with settled areas on large scale. This had economic, social and political effects on the tribal society. In the early part of British rule (starting in 1849 after annexation of Punjab) the area was totally independent of both British and Afghan authorities. British Deputy Commissioners of settled districts dealt with the tribes adjoining their districts. Deputy Commissioners of Bannu and Derajat dealt with Waziristan tribes. This arrangement meant that a strong personality which earned the respect of the tribes and could communicate with them was more successful. Written agreements were negotiated with tribes where the tribe would be responsible for the security of their area and control raiders while government would provide allowances (called muwajibs) to maliks. These intermediaries were the key in this policy called closed border policy. In these arrangements, the tribes were not subjects and the measures were meant only to prevent looting raids on settled districts. There were many military expeditions during this period but no permanent occupation of strategic areas. During the Second Afghan War (1878) the penetration of Baluch tribal areas was accompanied with increased penetration of Waziristan, however the penetration of Waziristan was never at the scale of Baluch territories. The area remained no man land until the 1893 treaty with Afghanistan negotiated by Sir Mortimer Durand. Waziristan with the exception of Birmal came under British sphere of influence. The demarcation of boundary was resisted by Wazir and the area saw heavy fighting. The Tochi Valley and Wana were occupied and two agencies called North and South Waziristan were established.13 After the Third Afghan War (1919), Mahsud country was penetrated extensively and roads and posts were built. When maliks were seen as unable to deliver due to strong independent nature of Mahsuds, for a brief period of time British tried to introduce a new system where allowance was given to whole tribe (called tuman). The Commissioner of Derajat, Merk also started to deal with the whole tribe in mass assembly called ‘the great jirga’. It was impossible to reach any reasonable agreement with an armed crowd of 5000 Mahsuds and after Merk’s departure the system was scrapped and maliks restored. However, collective benefits were restructured through establishment of tribal police called Khassadars.14 At the same time another irregular force composed of tribes but with a significant non-local component called Scouts was created. The local militia was named Frontier Corps headed by an Inspector General with its headquarter in Peshawar. The South Waziristan Scouts and Tochi Scouts for North Waziristan were operating in Waziristan area.

When more penetration of Waziristan occurred then incentives included recruitment in tribal militia with its economic benefits. At the same time the punishment scope also increased. A system of collective tribal responsibility for any outrage committed by any member of the tribe was instituted. This included not only termination of allowances but blockade of the culprit tribe (called bandish). The tribe members would be prevented from grazing their flocks in neighbouring districts and excluded from markets. Another method was arrest of individuals and seizure of animals and property of the culprit tribe in settled areas (called baramta). Last resort would be a punitive expedition against the culprit tribe or clan which was usually of a short duration. In 1872 Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) was introduced in tribal areas which authorized settlement of quarrels by customary methods conducted by the jirga. FCR also gave Political Agent significant powers which could not be challenged in any court. This system is still operative in tribal areas with very little change and Political Agent with his administrative staff and militia is the sole representative of the central government in the area.

The Expeditions
‘Burning houses and destroying crops, necessary and justifiable as such measures may be, unless followed by some form of authority or jurisdiction, mean starvation for many women and children … and for us a rich harvest of hatred and revenge’. Lord Fredrick Roberts

The strength of tribes in Waziristan lies in the inaccessibility of their area. The tribesmen have used this to their full advantage. Within a year of annexation of Punjab, British had to start military operations in Waziristan. In January 1850, a large group of Wazir and Mahsud attacked the post of Gumatti which was defended by Extra Assistant Commissioner McMahon with 350 soldiers. This was followed by minor skirmishes for over two years and finally Deputy Commissioner of Bannu Major John Nicholson was given permission for an expedition against these tribes. The force was divided into three columns and some clans (Jani Khel and Bakka Khel) helped the force as guides. First column consisted of 2nd Punjab Infantry (led by Captain Johnston), second one consisted of Ist and 4th Punjab Infantry (led by Captain Walsh) and third column consisted of 2nd Punjab Cavalry and mounted police (led by Lieutenant Younghusband). The nature of the conflict can be understood by looking at the events closely (and the pattern has continued for more than a century). In this whole expedition, British casualties were only two men wounded. However, twenty one men who had straggled away from main force were killed by Wazir.15 Brigadier Chamberlain led an expedition against Kabul Khel Wazirs in 1859. The immediate cause was the murder of captain Mecham (Commander of 3rd Punjab Light Field Battery) at Lattamar. Chamberlain led a force of about 4,000 and the military and civilian participants of this campaign consisted of the list of the who and who of the frontier (Lumsden, Taylor, Henderson and James). After this strong show of force, the tribes were offered a deal. Commissioner of Bannu Lieutenant Colonel R. G. Taylor invited tribal chiefs (maliks) to his camp and told them that they have to help him in the capture of murderers of Captain Mecham. Ahmadzais formed a tribal force (lashkar) which ventured far into the hills to capture one of the killer Mohabat. He was delivered to Taylor and at the very spot where the murder was committed, temporary gallows was erected and he was hanged.16

In March 1860, a lashkar of Mahsud ignoring all odds, recklessly attacked Tank defended by a native officer Risaldar Sadat Khan of 5th Punjab Cavalry. When the cavalry was finished with business more than 300 Mahsuds were dead and many wounded.17 In 1860, Chamberlain also led a force of about 5,000 in a campaign against Mahsuds and his entire force was composed of native troops and tribal levies.18 During this expedition, Mahsud again gave a spectacular show of his bravery when about 500 Mahsuds dashed with swords in their hands on one of the camps (Palosin camp) killing 63 and wounding 166.19 It was during this campaign that British first occupied two important towns of Mahsud country (Kaniguram and Makin). Later Lockhart commanded the Waziristan expedition of 1894-95 while 1919-20 expedition was commanded by Major General Skeen.

The term expedition can be sometimes misleading. While sometimes large scale violence was involved and large number of soldiers and tribesmen killed and wounded but at others there were very few casualties on either side. In 1860, only in forcing through the Barari pass, 80 soldiers were killed and 86 wounded and in 1920, more than 2,000 soldiers were killed and wounded in one encounter with Mahsuds. On the other hand in the 1881 expedition against the same Mahsud only 8 soldiers were killed and 24 wounded.20 In 1872 expedition against Dawars no one died on British side and only six soldiers (Ist Sikh Infantry) were wounded.21

The interaction between Wazir and Mahsud and British was very strange. Most of the time, even a small escort and supply convoy would be attacked viciously while at other time almost no action was mounted by the tribesmen. During the Second Afghan War of 1878-79, a convoy route was opened between Tal and Bannu which was extensively used by the Kurram Valley Field Force. Military movement along with supplies and transport animals was a very attractive target for the tribes but surprisingly for almost three years there was no major event. The reason was very simple. The military employed Wazir camels for the transport of supplies and for the protection of the convoys escorts were enlisted from local clans of the Wazir. On Bannu side clans of Ahmadzai (Khoja Khel, Sadda Khel, Sudan Khel) while on Kohat side Kabul Khel and Malik Shahi protected British convoys and supply lines. Personal allowances were also allotted to many prominent maliks. When both maliks and common tribesman were making money from helping the military convoys there was no incentive to attack the convoys.

After the Third Afghan War, Kabul was alarmed at penetration of British in tribal areas and tried to excite the tribesmen. An Afghan officer Shah Daula visited Waziristan and very soon trouble started. In April 1919, Afghan General Nadir Khan advanced to Tal. This caused much excitement among the tribes and there were large scale desertions from North Waziristan Militia. In the ensuing hostilities, Wana was evacuated. The tribesmen captured brand new 1,200 rifles and one million rounds of ammunition. It was thus not surprising that in the next six months over hundred raids were made on settled districts. The most sanguine battle was fought at Ahnai Tangi which raged for five days. The British force suffered 2,000 killed, wounded or missing including 43 officers. Mahsuds also suffered heavily in this encounter.22 Many tribesmen watched carefully for the British response before throwing their lot with Afghan army. The Tal Relief Force (it consisted of five battalions of infantry, a cavalry squadron and twelve pieces of artillery) under the command of Brigadier Rex Dyer (Jalianwala Bagh fame) was dispatched from Peshawar. To Dyer’s credit, the force reached their destination in record time with forced marches with Dyer himself marching at the head of his convoy. There was a brief encounter with a 4,000 strong Afghan and Wazir lashkar (led by Malik Babrak) before the lashkar melted away. The Afghan regular troops withdrew without any combat.23 The disgrace which Dyer suffered due to his action at Jalianwala Bagh in Amritsar in 1919 completely overshadowed his remarkable leadership in the relief of Tal. Due to excitement of the tribes and drain on British Indian army during First World War, if Tal had fallen, it was likely that Kohat would be next and there could have been a general uprising all along the frontier. Dyer was commanding about 2,000 young enlistee who were not properly trained and only one British 1/25th London Regiment, a disgruntled territorial unit eager to go back home after the great war rather than chase tribesmen. It was Dyer’s superb command which saved the day for British.

In early twenties, the modernization reforms of King Amanullah Khan in Afghanistan roused the suspicions of tribes, including those straddling the Durand Line. After Amanullah’s fall in 1928, a Tajik Habibullah (known as Bacha-e- Saqao) became Amir in Kabul. Three brothers (Nadir Khan, Hashim Khan and Shah Wali Khan) embarked on an adventure to recover the throne for Muhammadzais. Theoretically, they claimed that they were working to recover the throne for Amanullah. In 1929, Nadir Khan attempted to recruit tribesmen to his cause. After failing to recruit Afridis and Orakzais, he was able to attract a number of other tribes to his banner with a promise of loot. This tribal lashkar consisted of Darwesh Khel, Tota Khel and Ahmadzai Wazir, Jaji, Mangal and Jadran. This lashkar was instrumental in Nadir’s success to capture Kabul. Nadir had no money to pay to Wazirs and Mahsuds therefore he was forced to allow them to loot his own capital. Houses of wealthy people and government buildings in Kabul were looted by the tribesmen.24 However, he could not allow all of them to take everything and the result was that many who didn’t get enough loot were disgruntled. In July 1930, when there was a revolt in Kohistan (led by a Tajik Purdel), Nadir again used his tribal lashkar from British side of Durand Line to crush the rebellion with severe brutality. Nadir occupied the throne and declared himself Shah. The partisans of Amanullah (he was in exile in Italy) got an idea to use the same Wazir and Mahsud to get rid of Nadir and restore them to the throne of Kabul. The tribesmen were told that they should repeat their success of 1929, go again to Kabul and restore the rightful King Amanullah and come back again to their homes once more laden with loot. In 1933, tribesmen crossed the Durand Line and laid siege to the Afghan town of Matun in Khost. King’s brother Sardar Shah Mahmud defeated these tribesmen to end their menace.25 British government used aircraft on its side to force the break up of the lashkar.
The expeditions against the tribes were part law enforcement, part political. The military expedition was always accompanied with a political officer who would be involved in the negotiation process with the tribal chiefs. In 1859 expedition led by Brigadier Chamberlain, Commissioner of Peshawar Captain H. R. James accompanied the force as political officer. In addition, Deputy Commissioner of Kohat Captain B. Henderson was also accompanying along with tribal levies under his command. In 1860 campaign against Mahsud, Commissioner of Derajat Lieutenant Colonel R. G. Taylor and Deputy Commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan Captain H. W. Coxe accompanied Chamberlain as political officers. Commissioner of Derajat Major A. A. Munro and Deputy Commissioner of Bannu Captain J. W. Johnston accompanied as political officers the expedition against Dawars in 1872 led by Brigadier C. P. Keyes. In 1880 expedition against Malik Shahi Wazir led by Brigadier J. J. Gordon, Major T.J. Plowden accompanied as political officer. Political Officers often severely restricted military operations. Troops were moved only in ‘proscribed areas’ in which they were not allowed to fire at any group of less than ten men. Outside these areas, the patrol could fire only if they came under fire. The negotiation process was lengthy and the deal never lasted too long. Tribesmen are as good at bargaining as they are with their rifles.

In early twentieth century, the British policy towards Waziristan was summed up by Sir Denys Bray which recognized the importance of Mahsud in the equation. He was of the view that Mahsud were in strategic heart of Waziristan separated from British districts by Bhittanis and from Afghanistan by Wazir which gave them strength due to inaccessibility of both countries. He also outlined that military occupation was not the answer and after the short operations, troops would be replaced by local scouts and Khassadars. As a backup, the domination of Mahsud country would be then through two posts (Razmak and Wana) which lied outside Mahsud country and held by troops and linked by a road. The British were however well aware that even the ‘peaceful penetration’ would not mean an end to hostilities with tribes. They acknowledged the fact that as any change would be seen by tribes as impinging on their way of life therefore ‘there would be constant bubbling in the tribal cauldron, but that we should never stir so strongly that the devil’s brew of tribal unrest would boil over into widespread revolt’.26 In late 1930s, there was one brigade stationed in Wana (South Waziristan) and Razmak (North Waziristan).

Old Taliban
In 1878-80, Mullah Adkar had settled in Kadam in Khost. During the Second Afghan War, he tried to encourage Wazir to attack British convoys but Wazir had made an arrangement with the British and there was no major unrest. In 1879, when British arrived in the Kadam Valley, Adkar fled to upper Dawar area. He tried to encourage Dawar to attack British lines but he was successful only in encouraging some small scale raids and assassinations. Adkar had also many religious students (Talibs) who participated in these raids. In early 1880, a Turi (Shi’a tribe in Kurram Valley) caravan was attacked near Tal by some Wazir and Dawar influenced by Mullah Adkar and Turis lost a number of men. Few days later, a group of few Talibs along with some Mahsud and Dawar tribesmen attacked the Khattak labour camp on Tal-Kurram road. In May 1880, the military post of Chapri (garrisoned by about 80 soldiers of 5th Native Infantry and Ist Bengal Cavalry and commanded by Lieutenant W. H. Cazalet) was attacked resulting in death of eleven men including Lieutenant O. B. Wood.27 British responded by sending troops into the area to subdue the culprit clans. Mullah Adkar remained a nuisance for British for a while before disappearing from the stage.

In 1894, Mullah Powindah (he belonged to Shabi Khel sub-clan of Alizai clan of Mahsud) emerged on the scene of the Waziristan. The background of his rise was typical of the tribal society. Two of his friends who had been jailed in 1886 swore to kill the incharge of the jail, Allahdad Khan as he had insulted them. Surely, after their release, they attacked Allahdad’s house killing him and taking away all valuables. As they had connection was Powindah there was suspicion of his complicity also, therefore Powindah fled to the hills and took refuge in the village of Idak in Lower Dawar. He became disciple of Mullah Gulab Din in the area and after the latter’s death became prominent and took the title of ‘Badshah-e-Taliban’ (King of the religious students). He then settled in Mahsud country near Makin. He made his own zone of influence independent of traditional maliks. This brought him into conflict with them. In addition, he got financial support from Kabul (his patron was Amir’s brother Nasrullah Khan). At his instigation, the maliks who had handed over the murderess of a British Public Works Department officer Kelly to government were killed. He got support from Mahsuds because handing over culprits was in sense bowing to authority and infringement on their total freedom. The tribal resentment was strong enough that in addition to the three maliks who were killed, two others were hounded out of the country and the rest kept low profile. Mullah Powindah was competing with the authority of the maliks and wanted to deal directly with British. He collected about 1,000 men and came near Wana. He then sent a messenger to Bruce for negotiations. He was told that British would deal only with maliks and he should disperse his followers and go home. That night a daredevil attack by about 500 Mahsuds on Wana camp resulted in death of 45 officers and men and seventy five wounded.28 During the jirga negotiations with British, Mullah also arrived in Shakai. When the troops entered the area, he was on the run. First, he went to Darrah Valley and then to Birmal (in Afghanistan) which relieved pressure on Mahsuds. Later, Mullah Powindah tried to incite tribes in Dawar and Khost but with no success. He lay dormant for few years and in 1898-99, it was suspected that some attacks were due to his influence in the area. In February 1900, Political officer Watson met Mullah Powindah for first time and listened to his grievances. To his credit, Mullah Powindah refused to accept any allowance but wanted British to address the grievances of his clan and tribe.29 However, Sir Olaf Caroe states that he accepted the allowance but requested that it should be kept secret and the amount given to him was three times given to any other individual.30 Mullah was a nuisance for the British authorities until his death in 1913.
Mirza Ali Khan was a Tori Khel Wazir whose career was astonishing in the sense that from a labour at Public Works Department he became the main source of discussion among the Political Agents, Governor and Viceroy. He was to be later known as Faqir of Ipi. He first settled in Dawar country and made fame when in 1936 he led their lashkar to attack settled area of Bannu. Although there was no clash but when more troops moved out of Bannu, he was able to embroil Mahsuds in the affair. Later, he made his base in Shaktu Valley and Tori Khel clan frankly told British that they could not expel him. In March 1937, Assistant Political Agent Captain Beatty was murdered and blockade of Shaktu Valley was attempted. In April, tribesmen ambushed an army convoy of fifty lorries at Shahur Tangi killing thirty four soldiers including seven British officers. In July, a 200 strong lashkar attacked the city of Bannu at night.31 For next several months there were many skirmishes between tribesmen and troops. Although Faqir remained unmolested in Shaktu Valley but he was not able to cause a major unrest as debilitating losses of Mahsud and Wazir discouraged any large scale violence. Even after independence, Faqir remained hostile to Pakistan. In 1949, in a tribal meeting at Razmak, he was elected President of ‘Pushtunistan’. He remained at loggerheads with Pakistan government spending most of his life in the caves and died in 1960.

In 1938, a Syrian named Said al-Jilani (known as Shami Pir) who claimed spiritual lineage with great sufi Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani emerged in Waziristan. He settled in Kaniguram and began preaching. Soon his talks took the political overtones and he issued a proclamation that King Zahir Shah was an usurper and his intention was to restore exiled former King Amanullah to the throne. A large lashkar of Wazir and Mahsud gathered around him. British were alarmed with the possibility of large scale violence on frontier. Governor Cunningham went to Razmak and met with Political Agent Barnes. Barnes spent several days at Ladha taking oaths from maliks and khassadars that they would not join the lashkar.32 Tribal maliks were summoned and warned against joining the Shami Pir. In the meantime, the Pir contacted political agent who met him at Wana where terms of settlement were finalized. Shami Pir agreed to leave India if paid 25,000 sterling pounds. After the money changed hands (the check was drawn from Cunningham’s bank), the Pir ordered the lashkar to disperse and was airlifted from India.33 The exact nature of this affair is not clear but Caroe is of the view that on the eve of Second World War, this was an effort by Hitler to tie up as many British troops on frontier by lighting up a fire in tribal area and Afghanistan. In this he was helped by mufti of Jerusalem Al-Hajj Amin al Hussaini and a network of Jilanis in Middle East.34 Cunningham’s biographer is of the view that Mussolini was supporting Amanullah’s partisans to embarrass the British.35 The Shami Pir was from Syria and exiled King Amanullah’s wife Queen Surraya’s mother was Syrian. Surraya’s father Mahmud Beg Tarzi had married a Syrian girl during his exile in Damascus. There is a possibility that there was a family connection between Pir and Surraya’s maternal household. Another theory is that the Shami Pir was none other than the famous Lawrence of Arabia who was used by British for their game in Afghanistan (Lawrence was serving at a remote Royal Air Force facility in Waziristan area).

In late 1960s, a Mullah migrated from the Bannu district and settled among the Wazirs of South Waziristan. He built a mosque in Wana along with a residential complex for religious students (Talibs). In few years, he increased influence tremendously which encompassed religious, social and economic arenas. First he incited the Wazirs against Mahsud by declaring the latter unbeliever (kafir) and later he clashed with the political authorities. Once he crossed this line he was dealt with severely. Scouts and regular troops marched in force. Wana bazaar was destroyed and Mullah was arrested thus ending the episode.36
The disturbances created by religiously oriented native or foreign leaders were largely a localized affair; however it forced the government to take them seriously. The reputation of these rebels increased several folds when higher government officials spoke about them. Mullah Powindah would gain more respect among his tribesmen when the Viceroy Lord Curzon called him ‘a first class scoundrel’ and Commander-in-Chief General Horatio Herbert Kitchener called him ‘pestilential priest’. The popularity graph of these leaders rose proportionately to the force used by the central authority. Religious idioms were used by many smart tribal leaders to gather the support of tribesmen and challenge the authority. This nuisance value was used very cleverly by many to fulfill their ideological or economic goals. Whenever Sahibzada Sir Abdul Qayyum Khan asked for more responsible government for the frontier province, he was told that it was too small compared to India for any advancement. To this he very eloquently replied summarizing the frontier situation that ‘fleas were small too, but a nuisance in one’s trousers’.37

Post-Independence Era
After the partition of India in 1947, the successor state of Pakistan decided to remove regular troops from the tribal areas. The country’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah personally took this important decision and the Brigade from Razmak was evacuated (the operation was named Curzon). Since independence, many social, economic and demographic changes have occurred in Waziristan. The Wazir have come far down into the plains from their hills in adjoining settled districts. Increasing education facilities have opened new avenues and many of them enlist in army and militias. Similarly large number of Mahsuds has also joined the mainstream Pakistani society. When the Hindu traders of Tank left after the partition in 1947, most of their shops were taken over by Mahsuds. Now Mahsuds are employed in militia and regular army, state bureaucracy and involved in business all around the country. Many of them are now living far away from their native lands.

Immediately after independence, Wazirs and Mahsuds were part of the tribal lashkar which entered Kashmir. They quickly reached the outskirts of Srinagar defeating the Maharaja’s troops. However, when the regular Indian army troops attacked the tribal lashkars on November 7, the latter suffered heavy casualties and their withdrawal started within two days.38 They were later blamed for many excesses including murder and looting. By November lorry loads of Wazir and Mahsuds started to arrive back with their loot from Kashmir. The tribal involvement in Kashmir shows both the strength and weakness of an operation performed by irregulars. In a sudden ‘blitzkrieg’ move, tribal lashkars can stun the enemy. The reason is that the irregulars can move fast as they don’t have long line of commissariat. Each tribesman carries his own food and ammunition. The weakness of these irregulars is that they have no strict discipline and command structure. Therefore, when the operation is extended, the tribesman simply leaves the scene to head back home. Similarly, when confronted by stiff resistance and regular army operations, the irregulars can melt away very quickly. In an alien territory, he cannot switch to his classic ‘hit and run’ mode. However, Wazir and Mahsuds still cherish the memory of their great ‘Jihad’ in Kashmir even today.

Conclusion
The home of Wazir and Mahusd is an inhospitable mountainous terrain bordering between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This location has given them the flexibility to maintain some independence from central authorities of both countries. Like all other tribes, Wazir and Mahsud cherish their independence and are fully conscious of their reputation of ‘honour’ and ‘bravery’. They use these qualities to convey their ethnic superiority. Wazir and especially Mahsud efforts to resist any penetration of their enclave was due to their intense independent spirit which almost borders on anarchy. In this ‘the Mahsud effort was inspired by a deep-seated instinct which drove the tribe at all costs to resist subjection and to preserve their own peculiar way of life’.39 Every Mahsud considers himself as an equal to other Mahsud. The sentiment was well expressed by a Mahsud leader Jaggar who told Evelyn Howell that ‘Let it be field’. Blow us all up with cannon, or make all eighteen housand of us Nawabs’ suggesting that all were equal.40

Gradual change has occurred in Waziristan due to increased interaction of tribes with government and settled districts adjoining them. The most significant experiment of British was raising of Militias (later called Scouts) from the area. It gave the tribesman an alternative to boring life of tending the fields. The system has all the incentives which a tribesman can enjoy. He is clothed, fed and given cash. He is given a good rifle, the prized possession and he lives in his own hills with opportunities to use his rifle. In last fifty years, the region has seen a dramatic change where the tribal society is increasingly attached to the settled area both economically and socially. This has limited some of the independence which the tribesman’s forefathers enjoyed. If he chooses to challenge the central authority, he has to suffer more than his forefathers. On the other hand the government’s authority to punish the whole tribe is also restricted to some extent due to increased integration of tribesmen into settled districts. In modern times, a more imaginative policy is needed to handle this delicate situation.

‘They fight for the love of fighting, and though at the moment they are contented and peaceful, they say openly that they must soon relieve the monotony by having a rising’. Wife of Viceroy Lord Minto after the visit to the frontier tribes April 1906 41

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Forget safety.Live where you fear to live.Destroy your reputation.Be notorious