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
Shakot and Dargai were now completely destroyed, and the troops returned
to Sherghar on the following day. On the 20th the whole of the Ranizai
Valley was traversed, and eight villages and much grain were destroyed,
no opposition being met with. On the 22nd a strong force of all arms
visited and burnt the village of Hiro Shah, nine miles distant, being
followed, on retirement, by a matchlock fire until quite clear of the
hills and ravines, but no casualties were sustained. The force then
marched back through Lundkhwar to Gujar Garhi, where it was broken up,
and before the end of the next month the Ranizais had tendered
unconditional submission.
[Sidenote: Heirs of the Akhund]
It was very evident that Swat was the fountainhead of all this
offending, and there were at this time some thoughts of despatching an
expedition thither via the Malakand Pass. The idea was, however,
eventually abandoned, and the necessity for an expedition did not again
arise, for the Swatis seemed to realise how heavy had been the
punishment inflicted on the Ranizais, and dreaded similar operations in
their own valley. They abstained, therefore, from annoyance, and for
some time at least the Peshawar districts enjoyed immunity from
marauding, either instigated or perpetrated by men from Swat. Strangely
enough, the troubles of the Mutiny year were not taken advantage of by
the leaders in Swat. The King died on the very day that the first news
of the outbreak at Meerut reached Peshawar, and the Akhund took no
action inimical to British authority—on the contrary, as has been
already stated, he deported the mutineers of the 55th Native Infantry
who sought an asylum in Swat. In 1863, however, he adopted a different
line; but thereafter he invariably advised his people to behave as good
neighbours, to meet our just demands, and comply with our terms. When he
died he left two rival factions in his country; one was headed by
Sherdil Khan, chief of the Ranizais; the other by Abdul Manan, _alias_
Mian Gul, the eldest son of the Akhund.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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