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
Each of the three columns effected its purpose without loss, the enemy
being completely surprised and making no stand; a large number of sheep
and cattle was seized, the towers of the villages were blown up and the
crops destroyed; but, on the retirement commencing, the enemy followed
up with great determination, and, as the skirmishers of the 2nd Punjab
Infantry evacuated a commanding position, they were attacked and driven
back by a sudden rush of swordsmen, when a native doctor and seven men
were hacked to pieces. The enemy did not leave the hill in pursuit, and
the whole force reached the camp, one mile south-west of Hangu, by
sunset, having suffered a loss of eleven men killed and four wounded.
The enemy sustained casualties to the number of twenty-four killed and
wounded, among the former being four maliks. The troops had been under
arms for over seventeen hours, had marched some twenty-eight miles, and
had ascended and descended a rugged mountain nearly 4000 feet in height.
[Sidenote: Trouble in 1865–8]
Within a few days of the close of these operations the Mishtis came to
terms and gave hostages; the Rabia Khel then came in and submitted,
bringing back many of the plundered cattle and promising payment for
those not forthcoming; the Sheikhans also made submission, and the force
was back in Kohat by the 7th October, when it was broken up.
After this the Orakzais did not again trouble our border until 1868,
when complications arose with the Bizoti division of the Daulatzais.
This being a small and insignificant branch with its chief settlements
in Tirah, its members had hitherto been able to avoid punishment for any
misdeeds of which they had been guilty. From the commencement of British
rule beyond the Indus, the Bizotis were constantly engaged in
cattle-lifting on our border, and had attacked and robbed travellers and
others at every opportunity. In 1865–67 they continued to give trouble,
plundered cattle, and made demonstrations against our police posts in
the Ublan Pass, about six miles from Kohat. The representatives of the
offending divisions—Bizotis, Utman Khels and Sipaias (the last of the
Muhammad Khel clan) were summoned to Kohat, were informed that they were
debarred from trade with British territory, and the Bizotis were further
deprived of certain allowances which had been granted them some years
previously. Finally, in March 1868, it was reported that the Bizotis
intended attacking the village of Muhammadzai, at the southern foot of
the Ublan Pass, and accordingly, during the night of the 10th and early
morning of the 11th, Lieutenant Cavagnari, Deputy-Commissioner, occupied
the hills on the left of the gorge with police and levies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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