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
At the time of the final division of the country with the Tarkanris and
the Utman Khels, the Yusafzais were divided into two great branches, the
Mandanr and the Yusafzais, the whole race tracing its origin to Mandai,
who had two sons, Yusaf and Umar. From Yusaf sprang the Yusafzais, and
from a son of Umar called Mandan, the Mandanr took their name. On the
occupation of this tract of country, an equal division of both plain and
hill country was made between the Mandanr and the Yusafzais, but
quarrels arising, the Yusafzais gradually became owners of the hill
country, while the Mandanr were driven into the plains; it is thus
actually the Mandanr who now occupy the so-called Yusafzai plain in the
north-east of the Peshawar Valley, and who are generally known as
Yusafzais, while the real Yusafzais, who dwell in the hill country, are
usually called after the name of the territory they severally inhabit.
The Yusafzai is an agriculturist, generally a fine, well-limbed man, of
good physique and appearance, with a great deal of race-pride,
well-dressed and cheery, while his hospitality is proverbial. They have
an established and recognised gentry, and all blue-blooded Yusafzais
have a hereditary share in the land, their names appearing in the book
of hereditary land-owners kept by the village _patwari_. The Yusafzai
plain is very flat, and the soil, where properly irrigated, is very
fertile, but the chief interest of this district lies in the numerous
ruins of ancient Buddhist and Hindu cities, temples and inscriptions,
scattered broadcast about the plain and the adjoining hills.
The Yusafzais may conveniently be divided into Cis- and Trans-frontier
Yusafzais: under the former category come the
(1) Mandanr,
(2) Sam Baizais,
while the following are the clans of trans-frontier Yusafzais:
(1) Akozais,
(2) Amazais,
(3) Bunerwals,
(4) Chagarzais,
(5) Chamlawals,
(6) Isazais,
(7) Khudu Khel,
(8) Nasozais,
(9) Utmanzais.
[Sidenote: Geographical Position]
First in order of the independent tribes on the British border between
the Black Mountain and the Utman Khel territory, come the Mada Khel
division of the Isazais and the Amazais, adjoining the lands of our
feudatory the Nawab of Amb; to the south of the Amazais lie the
Utmanzais, to their west the Gaduns, and beyond them the Khudu Khel. To
the north of the Khudu Khel territory is the Chamla Valley, inhabited by
members of different clans, and separated from Buner by the Guru range
of mountains. Next come the Nurizai and Salarzai divisions of Buner,
which march with our border. Between Buner and the Utman Khel limits is
the district of Swat peopled by the Akozais, with the portion adjoining
British territory inhabited by the Baizai and Ranizai tribesmen of Swat.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account