Khyber:
The Treasure Land of History
by
Major (Retd)
Muhammad Nawaz Khan
Published by
Gandhara Markaz, Shahbaz Garhi, Mardan & Peshawar
2004
The
Khyber Pass
“When spring time flushes the desert grass,
Our Kafilas wind through the
Khyber
Pass.
Lean are the camels but fat the frails,
Light are the purses but heavy the bales,
As the snow bound trade of the North comes down
To the market square of Peshawar town”.
“And the camp fires twinkled by
Fort
Jamrud,
And there fled on the Wings of the gathering dusk
A savour of camels and carpets and musk,
A number of voices, a reek of smoke,
To tell us the trade of the Khyber woke.”
Rudyard Kipling
Ref: The Piffer,
UK,
May 1968
Table
of Contents
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Khyber is not only the name of the historic
pass but also that of the
agency, created by the British in 1878. Besides the famous Grand Trunk
Road and Khyber Railway passing through the
Khyber Pass,
the
agency has two other important routes. One is the Warsak-Shilman
route used by many old armies and races and the other is the Bara-Shin
Kamar route to the famous Tirah area. The
eastern portions of the
pass,
the Khajuri plains around Bara and Tirah, are inhabited by the Afridis
while the
western portion is the abode of the Shinwaris. The Shilmanis
live along the older route, whereas the Mullagoris inhabit the hilly
area near Warsak, which has gained considerable fame due to the
existence of white marble mines.
While travelling through the
Khyber Pass,
one can see the Bab-e-Khyber, the Fatehgarh Fort of Jamrud, old bridges,
British forts, pickets and cemetery, the prison of Amir Taimur (RA), the
walls- of Akbar’s fort at Kafirkot and the Buddhist stupa, known as
Sphola Stupa, besides many shrines of Muslim saints and martyrs of
battles against the Mughals, Sikhs and the British.
Though there are many books on the Khyber and the Afridis,
I have also
been writing about the
pass, forts, monuments, publications and people
of the Khyber Agency from time to time. These articles were published in
The Frontier Post,
Peshawar. These articles are now being presented in
a book form for the interest of historians and tourists. Repetition or
overlapping of historical events was unavoidable. The same may kindly be
overlooked because the articles were written independent of one another.
Major (Retired) Muhammad Nawaz Khan
Peshawar
THE KHYBER AGENCY — A BRIEF HISTORICAL RETROSPECT
From the vantage of history the Khyber Agency will always remain, in
appearance, an awe-inspiring and exhilarating spectacle. Though one may
peruse any number of expositions, by various writers, of the virtues,
professional or otherwise, the urge to know more about the area and its
inhabitants is unlikely to diminish. Suffice it to say that in the
overall context of the
tribal
areas
of
Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), this particular
agency
has been a source of perennial interest for critical and friendly
quarters alike. By any measure the tribal drama is deeply
rooted to a
volatile past set upon a harsh, forbidding and savage landscape.
Generally, the environ of markedly adverse features have been resistant
to winds of change, these strong features continue to impinge upon
tribal way of life wherein ‘Survival of the Fittest’ has yet to lose its
meaning, value and significance. Consequently, the society as a whole
lives hard and frugally and, has ever remained ‘stand by’ to ensure that
its culture and traditions are free from infringement or exploitation.
However, these considerations apart, every encounter with this
tribal
reality guarantees that interest and excitement will be breathlessly
sustained even if held up to the mirror of history. Hence, there exists
a genuine need to develop an understanding of the tribesmen and their
sociology for the mutual benefits of the quarters concerned.
The historical features of the Khyber encompass such a broad sweep of
time that it renders an apt summarisation a rather difficult
proposition. At varied time intervals the area has borne witness to
dramatic scenes and occurrences in strange settings, consequently on
many an occasion, it is found perched atop a historical crossroad,
which, for its size and population, may apparently seem a rather strange
or perplexing phenomenon. The list of events is inexhaustible and,
therefore, these will remain beyond the scope of this study. However,
irrespective of the volume, the worth and value of this compilation
remain intact to serve a useful purpose as per the author’s intentions.
With his characteristically unhurried and strikingly assertive style,
Major
(Retd)
Muhammad Nawaz Khan has made yet another valuable
contribution. Precision being his forts, he has managed to fare well in
his effort to further sharpen the senses and vision of quarters
interested in the Khyber scene. A true son of the soil, he has been
carrying out pains taking research into every facet of life within the
confines of the NWFP, the insular
tribal
areas inclusive. He is an
avowed missionary, who maintains an abiding interest in affairs of the
Pakhtunkhwa.
Every endeavour of Major Nawaz manifests a burning desire to eulogise
the Pathans’ history to benefit and inspire the new generation of
students of history. He remains in the forefront of those who
boisterously acclaim that by any estimate the tribesmen in particular
have since carved a reputation and an enviable status in hearts of their
teeming mass of admirers all over the globe. He writes about anything
that arouses his interest. In a distinct and lucid manner, he pays
lavish tribute to a handful of people whose deeds of valour and
sacrifices, just to maintain their ancient ethos, full all vested
quarters with an emotion of admiration that can only be described at the
cost of much difficulty.
This particular story is easy to assimilate but nevertheless will act as
a stimulant to stir one’s emotions to the highest pitch. It surely
makes a fascinating reading, for which the author needs to be singled
out for a well-deserved praise. Overall, it is a job well done.
Major (Retd) Muhammad Shafiq
Peshawar, May 1995
LONG LIVE KHYBER
Khyber Pass is one of the most important and historic passes of the
world. In recorded history no other pass has played a more decisive role
than Khyber Pass. It was through this pass that many invading people and
armies marched towards the Indo-Pak Subcontinent. Consequently, the
effects on the whole cultural scene of the Subcontinent were
everlasting. Today, any visitor or tourist to Pakistan makes it a point
to make it first to the Khyber Pass. Without seeing the
pass and its
people, their visit to this country is incomplete. It is not intended in
this article to talk of the history of the invading armies through
Khyber and their battles because numerous volumes have been written in
many languages and many films have also been made on the Khyber and its
people. It also lives in the memory of all the living visitors, who
will, as per tradition, pass their experiences of the Khyber to the
future generations. These paragraphs will throw light on a new aspect
and that is to known how the name Khyber was given to this pass.
The word Khyber is of Jewish (Hebrew) origin and it was given to the
pass in the late 10th century AD. Nobody
knows as to what was the
previous name of this
pass. Roshan Khan, in his famous Urdu book,
Tazkira,
(5th Edition,
1987) records on page
120 that Raja Jai Pal and the Afghans fought
many a battles against each other in the area between Peshawar and Kirman. The latter were then led by Sheikh Hamid Lodhi and as many as 70
battles were fought in only five months. The Gakhars, who were against
the Raja, came to terms with the Afghans and later on, the Raja also
became friendly with the Afghans. The Afghans constructed a fort in the
Peshawar Kohistan (mountains) for stopping the Sassanid attacks. They
named the fort as Khyber and thus the
pass acquired the name of Khyber
Pass for all times to come.
The Afghans, it seems, had a valid reason when they named the fort as
Khyber. An interesting study of history emerges when this particular
name in relation to the
fort is brought into focus. It is a
well-established fact that the Afghans and Pathans are descendants of
the
10
lost tribes of the Jews and thus a Jewish name was given to the
fort. As is already known, Khyber was a Jewish fort and settlement in the
north of Madina Munawarrah. The Jews of Bani Nadher lived there. In 7
AH, the Muslims and the Jews fought a battle here in which the former
emerged victorious (Tazkira by Roshan Khan p
437). Hazrat Ali (RA)
displayed conspicuous chivalry in the battle. It thus becomes amply
evident that the Afghans named the fort
as
Khyber in memory of the Uzwa-e-Kyber, which they desired to sustain for times ahead.
A study of the map of Khyber valley, Saudi Arabia,
also reveals yet
another interesting aspect. Physically this narrow belt projecting
through the Laba Plateau. (Ref map Khutabat-e-Bahawalpur by Dr
Muhammad Hameed Ullah,
2nd Edition,
1988). The
fort at Khyber must have been
commanding the entire
valley. In comparison the
fort constructed by
Afghans at the pass, too,
offered a similar view. The striking
similarities of the passes in question and the views as observed from
forts influenced the Afghans in naming the pass accordingly.
Now the question of the exact location needs to be confirmed and
resolved. In my opinion,
Ali Masjid was the site because the
pass could
be effectively controlled only from here. Detailed accounts of battles
at Ali Masjid have been noted in many books. A recent article by Ahmad
Salim
'Battles
of Holy Ground'
in The
Frontier Post,
1 March 1991, throws
sufficient light on the importance of this place. Additionally, presence
of the old mosque and the naming of the places as Ali Masjid support my
opinion sufficiently. Moreover,
it was at Khyber in 7 (AH) that Hazrat
Ali displayed extraordinary bravery of which the Muslims
are very proud.
It can thus be safely deduced that the Afghans, by naming the fort as
Khyber and the place as Ali Masjid,
in
a sense
paid
a befitting tribute to
their Jewish origin as well as their firm Islamic belief and faith
alike. Possibly, they
killed two birds with one stone.
PUBLICATIONS ON THE KHYBER
Khyber Pass, which is one of the most historic
passes of the world, has
played a very important role in the history of
Central Asia
and Hindustan. Every visitor and tourist into Pakistan makes an effort
to visit this
pass at the earliest opportunity. I have already published
an article regarding its history, which appeared in
The Frontier Post,
Peshawar, dated 17 May 1991 and the Gandhara Times, Vol 1,
No
1, dated
15 September 1992.
The article was titled Long Live Khyber. Given below is the list of
important publications on the Khyber and its people for guidance of
research scholars and tourists alike. It is worth noting that many old
publications listed here have been reprinted and are available in major
cities of Pakistan:
-
Adventure through Khyber, Victor Bayley, Gain Publishing House,
Delhi,
1988.
-
Around Khyber, Mazhar UI Haq.
-
A Hero of Tirah, Col J Haughton,
AC Yate, 1900.
-
British Relations with the Afridis of the Khyber and Tirah, CC Davies,
Army Quarterly, January 1932.
-
Beyond the Khyber Pass, L Thomas, 1923.
-
Couplings to the Khyber: The Story of the North Western Railway, PSA
Berridge, David & Charles,
London,
1969.
-
Death March through the
Khyber Pass,
GJH Evatt, 1879-1891.
-
Drum along The Khyber (Novel),
Duncan McNeil,
Ballantine Books, New
York, 1973.
-
Eighteen Years in The Khyber (1879-98), R Warburton, John Murray,
London, 1900.
-
Gateway to The Khyber, R
Bryans,
1959.
-
Guardians of the Khyber Pass, David M Hart, Vanguard Books Ltd, 1985.
-
Guardians of the Frontier (The Frontier Corps NWFP), Major (Retd)
Muhammad Nawaz Khan, FF, Published by FC NWFP, Peshawar, 1994.
-
Guardians of the North West Frontier, Andre Singer, Time, Life
Books, 1982.
-
History of the Khyber Rifles, July 1987.
-
Khyber: The Story of the North West Frontier (British India’s NWFP),
Charles Miller, Macdonald and Jane’s, London, 1977.
-
Kandahar and Khyber Pass,
Parliamentary Papers, Great British, No LXX,
C 2776, 2811, 2852, 2090 of 1881.
-
Khyber Calling,
Rajput, 1938.
-
Khyber Caravan, G Sinclair,
London,
1936.
-
Lords of the Khyber: The Story of North West Frontier, Andre Singer,
Faber and Faber, London, 1984.
-
My Khyber Marriage, NM Abid Ullah, George C Harrap & Co, London, 1934,
-
Military Report on Tribal Country between Khyber and Kurram,
Government of India Press, Simla, 1930.
-
Operations against the Zakha Khel Afridis, Government of India
(Frontier & Overseas Expeditions from India, Vol 11, Supp A), 1908.
-
Official Records — Khyber Political Diary, Peshawar, 1903,
1904, 1907;
London
India Office Record: (1) IORL/P&S 12/1811; (2) 10/44; (3) 12/3189; (4)
10/200; (5 12/3130; (6) 10/46; (7) 12/1544; (8) 12/3142.
-
Over Khyber to the Caspian Sea, Ruth Ahlsand, Thacker & Co Ltd,
Bombay, 1944.
-
Poem on India, ACC Harvey, New India Publications,
Lahore,
1946.
-
People of the Khyber: The Pathans of Pakistan, James W Spain,
Praeger,
New York, 1963.
-
Permanent Way Through the Khyber, V Bayley, 1934.
-
Story of Khyber, MS Sabir, University Book Agency, Peshawar, 1966.
-
The Tirah and Afridis Question, Government of India Report, EG Barrow,
1881.
-
The Free Frontier: Warriors of the
Khyber Pass,
B Moynahan, Sunday Times Magazine, London,
21 March 1976.
-
The Tribes of the Khyber Range: Afridis, Mullagoris, Shinwaris, R Warburtion.
-
The Khyber — A Historical Sketch, M Saida Khan Shinwari, 1926.
-
The Pathans, Olaf Caroe, MacMillen, London, 1958.
-
The Frontier Scouts, Charles Chenevix, Trench Jonathan Cape, 1985.
-
The Frontier Corps (An Introduction), Peshawar, 1967.
THE FATEHGARH FORT OF JAMRUD
GENERAL
Forts and citadels have played an important role in history. In the
past, stationing forces in these forts enabled the rulers in controlling
different areas and people. For this reason we find many old forts,
built at strategic places, by ruling dynasties which existed
in
various
periods of time. When the Sikhs occupied Peshawar Valley after the
battle of Nowshera, they reconstructed Balahisar
at Peshawar and gave it the name of Sameergarh.
Similarly, Shankargarh
Fort at Shabqadar, Michni Fort, Jehangira/Khairabad Fort, Kishangarh
Fort, Bara (now Fort Mackeson), Bara Fort and Fatehgarh
Fort at Jamrud were constructed. These satellite posts were meant to
combat Mohmands, Yusufzais, Khattaks, Adamkhels
and Khyber Pass Afridis and, further also, ensured the security of
Peshawar.
JAMRUD
While travelling
from Peshawar to the Khyber Pass, one comes across this first major town of
Khyber Agency at a distance of about
10 miles. After a short travel
ahead of the Hayatabad market area, one straightaway gets a glimpse of a
magnificent fort and the Bab-e-Khyber. Jamrud lies on the important
Khyber road, short of Qadam, which is located at the mouth of the
Khyber Pass.
Dr Ahmed Hasan Dani (Peshawar Historic City of the Frontier,
PP 195,
1st
Edition,
1969), refers to Babar as having recorded Jamrud to be situated near
a river (Rud). The name was to have connection with the legendary
Persian King Jamshed of Shahnama fame. I personally believe that Jamrud
is derived from Jam and Rud. As there is no perennial river or
Rud, the
water in the stream would flow only during Jam, meaning rain in Pashto.
Thus, the town built on the banks of a seasonal stream became Jamrud
with the passage of time. Even today the local tribesmen refer it only
as ‘Jam’ in their daily conversation. While the Grand Trunk Road to
Khyber was constructed by Akbar’s Engineer Qasim Khan in 1586, the
Khyber Railway was constructed by the British in 1925, passing through
Jamrud.
THE SIKH RULE IN PESHAWAR AREA
Though the Sikhs had won the battle of Nowshera in 1823 against the
Yusufzais, it was in 1834 that Han Singh Naiwa crossed the Indus River
again and camped near Chamkani with 9,000 men. Dr Dani (Peshawar
--
Historic City of Frontier,
P
110,
1969) writes that after the occupation
of Peshawar, Amir Dost Muhammad Khan of Kabul made unsuccessful attempt
to occupy Peshawar in 1835. Hari Singh Naiwa advanced to Jamrud and
built a fort there in 1836. Amir Dost Muhammad Khan again attacked and
Han Singh was killed in the battle. He was followed by Sardar Tej Singh
and General Avitable (1838-42) as
governors of Peshawar. The satellite
forts mentioned earlier were built by the Sikhs.
When the Sikh Empire was crumbling, Amir Dost Muhammad Khan sent an
army of 12,000 under his half brother Nawab Jabbar Khan in November 1848
and took Peshawar. In March 1849, however,
Punjab
was annexed by the British and the forces under Sir Walter Gilbert GCB
arrived in Peshawar. No battle was fought with the Afghan forces but
Jamrud and surrounding area came under the British rule.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE FORT
The solitary mound, on which the present fort has been built,
must have
played an important role in providing observation of the area around. It
must have possibly been occupied as outpost by many armies. The Mughals
during the time of Akbar The Great (Dr Dani’s book on
Peshawar)
did occupy the area but the information about building of a fort is not
available. Moorcraft (Dr Dani's
book)
also visited the place and records the importance of the place from
broken walls and large
60-square-yard tank.
The Sikhs were the first to build a major fort at Jamrud. The Sikh
General Hari Singh 1aid the foundation stone of the fort in 1836 (6th Poh 1893 Vikram Samrat). The fort played an important role in the
historical events after 1836. When the British annexed this area in
1849, they enlarged the fort and constructed more barracks, which are
still being used.
THE FORT BUILDING
The Jamrud Fort today gives a look of a ship, having been build on a
mound, overlooking the vast and open area around. Though nowadays there
are many villages around the fort, but in the early days it must have
enjoyed a commanding position of a unique type.
The fort can be divided into three different portions. The outer portion
comprises the buildings constructed during the British rule. These
are mostly to the
western and
eastern sides and give a rectangular to
the area. The whole area is surrounded by a wall having gates leading to
the interior of the fort.
The
central
portion is a huge square
surrounded by a high mud wall. Traces of a moat all around and outside
the wall are partially visible at places. Four circular bastions that
protrude outwards have been built at each corner. The general pattern of
the walls suggests that this was the original Mud Fort of the Sikhs
similar to other forts on the Frontier. A gate leads to the interior
from the
eastern side, which also has a domed white room along with
small enclosure near it. This is the Samadah of General Hari Singh Nalwa
and will be discussed at a later stage.
After entering the mud fort, one comes across yet another fort wall
enclosing an irregular circle. The wall has eight bastions of various
sizes in it and is made of mud and stones. Inside this enclosure are
some rooms as well as a high red coloured building visible from a
distance. This building is enclosed by a stone and brick wall with four
circular bastions at the corners.
The whole fort building gives an impressive look from a distance.
There is a huge well inside the fort, which is a masterpiece of past
engineering. It has been dug by cutting stones and is very deep. It must
have been the only source of water for the garrison in the early days.
All the walls in the fort are crowned by peep holes for facilitating
fire and observation of the occupants.
SAMADAH OF GENERAL HARI SINGH NALWA
The Sikh General and Governor of Peshawar, Hari
Singh Nalwa was killed
near Jamrud Fort by the tribesmen. The Samadah of General Hari
Singh Nalwa is a white-domed square room, which is very conspicuous. There
used to be a small cavity in the floor of the room indicating the place
of cremation of the late General. It has now been filled up. There is a
marble slab in outer side of the
eastern wall of the room. The
inscription on the slab reads as follows:
Tomb of the Late Sikh General Hari
Singh Nalwa cremated 30th April 1837 Commemorated by Guru Gujumal Kapur of Peshawar
dated September 1892.
(Also written in Gurmukhi)
2nd Yadavindra Patiala,
November
1944.
There used to be a garden and Burj Hari
Singh near the present
Islamia
College,
Peshawar. The garden and the Burj do not exist anymore but the
name of the area,
'Burj Hari Singh',
is still used by the people. The Burj was constructed by Hari Singh and it was here that he fell during
the battle against Afghan Prince of Muhammad Akbar Khan’s forces.
OLD BADGES IN THE FORT AREA
The Jamrud Fort has remained under occupation of Sikh, Afghan,
the
British and Pakistan Army units throughout its history. Some of the
units of the British Indian Army and Pakistan Army have constructed
their badges on the walls in the fort area. Some of these are now
broken. The unit names that I could record during my visit on
09 May 1994
are given below:
-
Nepalese Cont? Regiment, Oct
1945
-
2nd Yardayindra Patiala,
March
1944
-
Corps of Engineers,
March
1961 and 1967
-
88 LAA Regiment,
July
1975 — October
1976
-
2nd
Commando SSG
-
20 Baloch, September
1982
—
April 1988
THE FORT ENVIRONS
While going from Peshawar to the Khyber Pass, one travels through the Jamrud Bazaar and the
Bab-e-Khyber. The latter, a magnificent gate, was constructed in 1964.
Many marble slabs have been erected near the gate,
on which the
history of invading armies and races travelling
through the Khyber have been written. The tourists can obtain a lot of
information before entering the historic
Khyber Pass. Whereas the fort stands to the right side of the gate, the
Jamrud town is towards the left of it. The Tomb (Ziarat) of Hazrat Wali
Baba (RA) is situated in the town area. The locals also talk of a Bara
Dan (old building) in the middle of a huge pond nearby. The building,
they say, stood till recent years before its ultimate destruction. The
pond could well be the tank seen by Moorcraft during his visit.
CONCLUSION
Jamrud is today a busy town having many modern buildings
and facilities.
The Jamrud Fort and Bab-e-Khyber attract many tourists. The
bazaars with Jawans
(soldiers) of Khyber Rifles, Khyber
Levies, Khassadars and the armed
tribesmen give a Central Asian colour to this historic town on the road
to Khyber.
THE MUD FORT OF BARA
GENERAL
There are many forts in the
NWFP,
constructed over a period of time during the past about
2,000
years. The ruins of the oldest fort that exist today are of the Fort of Adh-i-Samut near Kohat. This is the fort of Raja
Adh, who was a
Buddhist and was constructed about two thousands years ago. I have
already covered this fort in detail. Many other old forts have been
constructed and reconstructed as the case may be. Today we find Mughal,
Sikh and British forts in the entire area. Lately Pakistani forts have
also come into existence in places like Timergara and Khar etc. A ruined
fort of the Mughals can be seen at Hund. The Mughal fort of Balahisar at
Peshawar was replaced by a Sikh fort and ultimately reconstructed by the
British. The British forts and pickets of different sizes and shapes can
be seen all over the tribal area.
The Sikhs also constructed a. number of forts in the Frontier for
maintenance of their forces.. On required basis the forces could spread
around in the area, devastate it and collect revenue. ‘These forts
included one at Bannu and named after Maharaja Daleep Singh. A fort was
also constructed at Ten. The present Balahisar Fort at Peshawar was a
major one and was named as Sameergarh. The other satellite Sikh forts in
the Peshawar valley were the Shankargarh Fort at Shabqadar, the
Fatehgarh Fort at Jamrud, the Kishangarh Fort (now Fort Mackeson), the
Jehangira-Khairabad Forts and the Mud Fort of Bara built in 1830s.
LOCATION
The Mud Fort of Bara had been constructed by the Sikhs. It is about nine
miles
west of Peshawar and was meant to control and keep the Bara
Afridis away from the city of Peshawar. The fort was supported by the
Jamrud Fort in the
north and Kishangarh Fort in the
south. The
fort has
been constructed at a strategic place gaining strength from Bara River
bed on the
eastern side. The whole surrounding area,
especially the
tribal area in the
west,
can be clearly observed from the
fort's towers.
As was a common practice in those days, the fort has been constructed
with mud. It is about two hundred feet square and is the only old Sikh
fort, even now in a reasonably better shape. At the four corners are
bastions of about a hundred feet circumference having rooms underneath.
The bastions also have rooms on top, which seem to be British addition.
The interior walls are about 20 x 25 feet high and have been broadened
to 10 feet by earth-filling. These ramparts therefore are very strong.
There is about 4.5 feet high parapet wall on this embankment having no
fire slits, but a standing man can easily fire his weapon from the top.
There is about 10 feet wide path or gallery around the interior wall,
which is covered by the outer wall of the fort. This wall is also
sufficiently high and protected soldiers while moving around the fort.
There is a small tower in the middle of the exterior wall on the western
and eastern sides. The whole fort is surrounded by a moat or deep ditch
for filling with water (probably from Bara River) to impede the
attackers from reaching the fort walls.
Inside the fort, there are rooms constructed for soldiers, the back
walls being supported by the embankment. The compound has barracks and,
a small mosque. The barracks and rooms seem to have been constructed
during the British days. The main gate of the Fort is in the middle of
the northern wall. It has strong doors with big wooden beams over it.
The size of the gate is about 10 x 10 square feet. This also seems to
have been made by the British. Outside the main gate are buildings
comprising of houses, and offices. After turning from Peshawar-Bara Road towards the
fort, one
observes two Muslim graves in a garden it cold not be know as to who are
buried there.
CONCLUSION
The Bara Fort, which was constructed to check the Afridis, continues to
enjoy the same importance till date. Today one finds smart Frontier
Constabulary Jawans in its occupation. The famous Bara
Market is
situated in its close proximity. The
fort witnessed many Afridi attacks
only to be repulsed by the
Sikh and British soldiers before the tribe
finally came to terms in
tribal
'jirgas'
(councils)
held in the same
fort or at
Peshawar.
Sheikh Mahboob Ali was one of the famous persons, who negotiated between
the British and
tribals. His majestic house which is worth seeing is a
few kilometres
south of Bara Fort. Whoever visits Bara Fort, must have a
look at it in Sheikh Mohammadi. The
fort and this residence are silent
witnesses to many historic events and merit preservation.
THE KAFIRKOT FORT IN THE KHYBER PASS
One of the most important passes in the world is the famous Khyber Pass.
It is located between Jamrud Fort and the Pakistan Afghanistan border at
Torkham. The Khyber Pass has served as a gateway from
Central Asia to
India for thousands years. Many races and invading armies marched
through this pass and influenced not only the Politics of India but also
left their mark on the cultural panorama of the Indo-Pak Sub Continent.
The rulers, who controlled the Khyber Pass, built roads, forts and other monuments in the
Khyber Pass. One can also see the Buddhist Stupa at Sphola and the
mosque at Ali Masjid, which has been constructed in the memory of the
bravery exhibited by Hazrat Ali (RA) in the battle of Khyber in
Arabia.
While travelling through the
pass on the Grand Trunk Road, built by the
great Afghan ruler of India, Sher Shah Suri, one can see the historic
Khyber Railway and many forts, pickets and bunkers, constructed by the
British. The Sikhs could only make it to the foot of the hills and
constructed a fort at Jamrud,
where General Han Singh Nalwa was killed.
The
great conqueror Amir Taimur (Tamurlane) built a prison, which is in
good shape even today and can be seen from Michni Post a few hundred
yards below. It is from Michni Post that one can see the walls of a fort
on the ridgeline in north-westerly direction. These are the ruins of the
famous Kafirkot Fort.
Two places in the North West
Frontier Province are known as Kafirkot. One is located near Bilot
Sharif in Dera Ismail Khan, where one can see the ruins of a fort and
Hindu temples. The one located in the Khyber Pass was visited by me on 05
September 1996, in the company of Captain Ahfaq Ali
of the Khyber Rifles.
The Kafirkot Fort can be reached from Landikotal Bazaar,. from where a
road leads in the northwest direction towards Charbagh Fort built in
1926-27, after the Third Afghan War, by the British. One leaves the
metalled portion of about seven-kilometre
road and drives beyond
Charbagh
Fort towards the villages of Khargali. As one enters a nullah
behind a rocky ridge, one can see old and new graveyards and the houses
of the villages. Suddenly one comes across a ruined triangular, walled
enclosure to the right side. That is the Kafirkot Fort. One has to get
down the vehicle and walk across the Khar Ohand gorge to climb up the
fort. The triangular fort has been strategically located to cover the
most important approach from the valley down below. It dominates the
area and provides good observation. The walls of the fort have been made
of dressed stones and are worth seeing. The thickness of the walls
varies from four to about seven feet and must have been about
15
feet high. There is a filled up well in the courtyard, which according
to the locals was a death well and criminals used to be hanged there. In
my opinion, however, this was a well for water. As the water source is
the nullah down below, the well must have been dug below the nullah bed
level to get water through seepage. The criminals could in any case be
just thrown down the cliff but the well inside the fort was a
requirement for security reasons. Such wells are a common feature in
the Khyber and other mountainous areas.
In order to see the remaining portion of the fort, one has to climb up
to the top of the ridge. One is surprised to see about
400-yard-long wall of the fort along the Kafirkot ridge. This is the wall,
which is visible from Michni Post. The ridge is now having two British
made pickets known as North Kafirkot and
South Kafirkot. This wall is also made of dressed stones and has some
bastions to cover the entire area. The rear is secured due to the rocky
ridge
line itself. As a whole, the fort is a very impressive monument,
which has been unfortunately ignored at all levels.
As far as the history of the fort is concerned, it is said that the site
had a Buddhist monastery at one time. The possibility of its existence
cannot be ignored, but no traces of a monastery can be seen there today.
I believe that being located on the shortest route between Landik