From the Black Mountain to Waziristan: Being an account of the border countries and the more turbulent of the tribes controlled by the north-west frontier province, and of our military relations with them in the pastWylly, H. C. (Harold Carmichael)
History
From the Black Mountain to Waziristan: Being an account of the border countries and the more turbulent of the tribes controlled by the north-west frontier province, and of our military relations with them in the past
The area of the country inhabited by the Afridis is about nine hundred
square miles. The principal streams draining their hills are the
northern branch of the Bara River, or Bara proper, the Bazar or Chora
River, and the Khyber stream, all flowing into the Peshawar Valley. The
valleys lying near the sources of the Bara River are included in the
general name of Tirah, which comprises an area of 600 to 700 square
miles. The greater part of Tirah is inhabited by different clans of the
Orakzai tribe, but the valleys known as Rajgal and Maidan are occupied
by the Afridis. The Rajgal Valley is drained by one main stream, into
which fall some lesser streams from the surrounding hills. Its length is
about ten miles, and the breadth of the open country about four to five
miles. The elevation is over 5000. Maidan lies to the south of Rajgal,
and is a circular valley about ten miles across, watered by several
large watercourses. The streams from Rajgal and Maidan unite and form
the Bara River, flowing down the valley of the same name to the Kajurai
Plain, shortly before entering which the Bara is joined by the Mastura
River.
[Sidenote: The Clans]
The _Kuki Khel_ number some 5600 fighting men, and occupy the Rajgal
valley and the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, as far as the Rohtas
Hill, which overhangs the fort at Ali Musjid, and also the Bezai Spur—a
long underfeature which flanks, but at a considerable distance, the
latter part of the railway and road from Peshawar to Fort Jumrud. This
clan has a bitter feud with the Zakha Khel, and is Gar in politics.
The _Malikdin Khel_ is the Khan Khel or head clan of the Afridis, and is
closely connected with the Kambar Khel, their settlements in Maidan,
Chora and Kajurai lying together. In Maidan they occupy the central and
northern portion of the valley—Bagh, the recognised meeting place of the
Afridi Jirgahs, “where the Khyber raid and Afridi rebellion of 1897–98
were planned, and where fanaticism, intrigue and sedition have always
been hot-bedded and nourished,” being in their country. The Malikdin
Khels number some 6000 fighting men, and are Samil in politics.
The _Kambar Khel_ is numerically the most powerful of all the Afridi
clans, being able on emergency to put 10,000 armed men in the field;
they belong to the Gar political faction. This clan is very migratory,
occupying in the hot weather the Kahu Darra and the valley of the
Shalobar River, which joins the Bara River at Dwatoi, and moving in the
winter to the Kajurai Plain and to other minor settlements. This clan is
very strongly represented in the Indian Army and Border Militia.
The _Kamrai_ or _Kumar Khel_ form but a small clan, Samil in politics,
having its settlements in the extreme west of the Bara Valley, and also
moving down to the Kajurai Valley to the west of Peshawar in the winter
months. Their fighting men number no more than about 800.
[Sidenote: Their Holy Places]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account