Tirah
Tirah, 1908
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
A mountainous tract of ' unadministered ' territory in the North-West Frontier Province, lying between 33° 37' and 34° N. and 70° 30' and 71° 15' E. It is inhabited in the summer months by all the sections of the Orakzai, two sections of the Jowaki Afridis, and by the Kulla Khel subsection of the Asho Khel sections of the Adam Khel Afridis. The name is also used in an extended sense to include almost the whole territory except the Bazar and Khyber valleys inhabited by these tribes, the portions occupied by them in the winter months being distinguished as Lower Tirah. Tirah thus consists of the country watered by the Mastura, one of the main branches of the Bara, which flows through the centre of the country, the Khanki Toi, and the Khurmana — three rivers which rise within a few miles of Mittughar (12,470 feet), a point on the Safed Koh in 33° 55' N. and 70° 37' E.
At Mittughar the Safed Koh range splits up into several branches, between which lie the valleys of Tirah. The principal of these are the Rajgal, Maidan, and Waran, inhabited by Afridis ; and the upper portions of the Mastura and Khanki Tois and of the Khurmana Darra, which are occupied by the Orakzai. Of the various branches of the Safed Koh, the most northern runs due north from Mittughar for about 16 miles, and then divides into two spurs. One of these runs north- ward and, after throwing out to the east lesser spurs which enclose and form the Bazar, Khyber, and Shilman valleys, abuts on the Kabul river. The other, known as Surghar, runs eastward and, dividing the Bazar and Chura valleys from that of Bara, ends in the Peshawar valley in the Kajuri plain. A second branch runs south-east, dividing Afridi Tirah from the Khurmana Darra, and throwing out to the east two spurs, one of which divides the Rajgal from the Maidan valley, while the other, which divides Mastura from Maidan in its prolongation eastwards, ends at Tanda Utman Khel, where it meets the combined streams of Waran and Mastura. At Srikando, a depression due north of this range, the valleys of Waran and Maidan are separated. The main spur known as the Saran Sar range ends abruptly at the junction of the two branches at So Toi or Maruani, which is separated from the Kajuri plain by the Gandah Gallha.
Another range, the Sampagha, after throwing out a large spur which divides the Khanki Toi from the Khurmana Darra, continues eastward, separating the Khanki Toi from the Mastura valley, to the Mazighar peak (7,940 feet), where it turns sharply to the north to Landukai and then again past Kohat. The Zawa and Samana range in its eastern extension ends at Shabu Khel, where it is cleft by the Khanki Toi, which runs east and west between the Khanki valley on one side and Miranzai on the other.
The valleys round the sources of the main rivers have an average elevation of 5,000 to 7,000 feet, and are buried in snow in winter, but afford abundant pasturage in summer. In winter the climate of Tirah is intensely cold, except in the Bara, Lower Mastura, and Khanki valleys, which become hot and unhealthy later in the year. Elsewhere the summer climate is pleasant and healthy. The rainfall exceeds that of Peshawar and Kohat Districts. That on the Samana averages 21 inches a year, and in the Khanki valley about the same, while in the Khurmana and Upper Mastura valleys it is greater, and in the Bara and Lower Mastura less.
The original inhabitants of Tirah were the Tirahis, probably a Tajik race, who were driven out of the country by the Pir-i-Roshan, ' the apostle of light ' ; and a remnant of them fled to Nangrahar. Soon afterwards, in 1619 or 1620, Mahabat Khan, Subahddr o{ Kabul under the emperor Jahangir, treacherously massacred 300 Daulatzai Orakzai, who were Roshania converts ; and, during his absence on a visit to Jahangir at Rohtas, Ghairat Khan was sent with a large force via Kohat to invade Tirah. He advanced to the foot of the Sampagha pass, which was held by the Roshanias under Ihdad and the Daulatzai under Malik Tor. The Rajputs attacked the former and the latter were assailed by Ghairat Khan's own troops, but the Mughal forces were repulsed with great loss. Six years later, however, Muzaffar Khan, son of Khwaja Abdul Hasan, then STibahddr of Kabul, marched against Ihdad by the Sugawand pass and Gardez, and after five or six months' fighting Ihdad was shot and his head sent to Jahangir. His followers then took refuge in the Lowaghar ; and subsequently Abdul Kadir, Ihdad's son, and his widow Alai, returned to Tirah. The death of Jahangir in 1627 was the signal for a general rising of the Afghans against the Mughal domination. Muzaffar Khan was attacked on his way from Peshawar to Kabul, and severely handled by the Orakzai and Afridis, while Abdul Kadir attacked Peshawar, plundered the city, and invested the citadel. Abdul Kadir was, however, compelled by the jealousy of the Afghans to abandon the siege and retire to Tirah, whence he was induced to come into Peshawar. There he died in 1635. The Mughals sent a fresh expedition against his followers in Tirah ; and Yusuf, the Afridi, and Asar Mir, the Orakzai chief, were at length induced to submit, and received lands at Panlpat near Delhi. Simultaneously operations were undertaken in Kurram. Yet, in spite of these measures, Mir Yakut, the imperial Diwan at Peshawar, was sent to Tirah in 1658 to repress an Orakzai and Afridi revolt.
Since the decay of the Mughal empire Tirah has been virtually independent, though owning at times a nominal allegiance to Kabul. Tirah was first entered by a British force in 1897, when the Orakzai and Afridis rose in 'ihdd or religious war against the British. The Orakzai attacked the Samana, and the Afrldis attacked Landi Kotal and the other posts in the Khyber Pass. These violations of British territory necessitated the dispatch of 34,500 men into Tirah, under the late Sir William Lockhart. The main body advanced from Shina- wari in the Miranzai valley over the Chagur Kotal, the precipitous heights of Dargai near which, being held in force by the enemy, were gallantly stormed. The troops advanced across the Khanki and Mastura valleys over the Sampagha and Arhanga passes to Maidan and Bazar, whence the whole of Tirah was overrun, returning to Peshawar by the Bara valley in December. The names of the princi- pal subdivisions of the two main tribes are given in the articles on Afridis and Orakzai.
