Hashtnagar
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, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Hashtnagar
(' Eight cities '). — Tract in the Charsadda tahs'il of Peshawar District, North-West Frontier Province, comprising a strip of country that extends 10 miles eastward from the Swat river, and stretches from the hills on the north to the Kabul river on the south, between 34° 3' and 34° 25 N. and 71° 37' and 71° 57' E. It is said to derive its name from its eight chief villages, which j'jrobably occupy the site of the ancient Peukelaotis or Pushkalavati. General (Auiningham, however, believed the modern term to be a corruption of Hastinagara, the city of Hasti, the Astes of Arrian. Raverty gave the old name as Ashnagar, but he does not explain its derivation. I'cfore the \'usufzai Afghans settled in the Peshawar valley, Hasht- nagar was held by the Shalnianis, a Tajik race, subjects of the Sultan of Swat, and the Hisar of Hashtnagar was the capital of a province which extended to the Kalpani. After Babar's time it became the stronghold of a Muhammadzai chieftain. 'I'he inhabitants are Muham- madzai I'athans. The area is 303 square miles, and the tract is naturally divided into two sections : the s/io/gira, or lowlands, irrigated from the Swat river: and the »iaira, or high plain, which is inter- sected by the Swat Ri\er Canal. Xc.ir the head of ihr canal is Ahazai Fort.
