Dargai
Encyclopedia
Dargai is an administrative area
of the Malakand District
in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the main highway from Peshawar
to Swat, Dir
and Chitral
. Business previously flourished in the area as most visitors travelling to these areas passed through Dargai, but numbers have declined following a 2006 suicide bombing and subsequent unrest which adversely affected tourism. Dargai is well known for its timber market.
Tribal area
until 1970 when the former princely states of (Chitral
, Dir
and Swat) were amalgamated into the Malakand Division, which was in turn divided into districts, one of which was the Malakand Protected Area, known as Malakand District. In 2000 the Malakand Division was abolished and despite constitutional changes since 1970, the expression "Malakand Agency" is sometimes still used as a name for the entire area of the former agency, but more often to refer to the Malakand District.
Utmankhel
tribe and a large battle took place at parng Ghar. Owing to its defenders being only a small band of poorly armed mujahideen
, the Utmankhel were subdued. In December 1853, a brigade was sent after them under the command of Lord Klaidy, which raided Dargai and Kharkeay – small villages of the Ranizai
tribe at the bottom of the Malakand Pass
. The attackers were well equipped with artillery, so the Ranizais accepted a ransom of Rs.5000 and thereafter proclaimed jihad
or holy war in the Buner Valley, at that time ruled by Syed Akhbar Shah Badshah. The British felt threatened by Badshah and made an unsuccessful attempt to take the valley.
Swat ruler Akhund Sahib (Saidu baba) died in 1877 and the following year Lord Klaidy took a strong force and entered Ranizai territory via Palai and Sherkhana at the southern boundary of the Malakand Agency when the Ranizais once more resorted to arbitration.
In 1895, British army major Sir Arlo along with Colonel Kelly started a war against Umara Khan, a sardar
and politician whom Winston Churchill
called the Afghan Napoleon. The British camped at Dargai and Kharkay before a huge battle in the Malakand pass during which the Swat Ranizais displayed great valour. On September 12, 1895 an agreement was signed between the British and the Swat Ranizais.
The second battle of Malakand took place in 1897 during a period of Swat Ranizais resistance when even the Pukhtoon women came out to fight. History records the valour of a woman belonging to a respectable family of Dehri Alladand who fought day and night as well as provided food and water to the mujahideen and who died with her sword drawn. She is buried on the outskirts of Dehri Alladand village where the people refer to her as Shaheeda Abai (martyred grandmother).
Hazrat Sadullah Khan, alias Sar tor Faqir ("bear-headed Faqir"), also known as Mullah Mastan or the Mad Mullah by the British, was a tribesman of the Buner Swat. When the British seized Amandara, Sar tor Faqir marched from Landakay towards Thana the British proceeded to Dehri Alladand and the Batkhela. They by-passed the British troops at Amandara and decided to raid Malakand, where they defeated the British. Later, the Sikh
s joined the British, but still they were still beaten by the mujadeen'. When the battle ended a large number of British and Sikhs had been killed or captured, and a large quantity of arms and ammunition seized. Nineteen mujahideen were killed, including Sar Tor Faqir. His tomb stands at the bottom of Elephant Pass (Hathi Darrah) to the south of the village of Zulamkot in Dehri Alladand in Malakand.
Later on, the British formed a new force known as the Malakand Field Force to deal with the tribes of Malakand, a force in which Winston Churchill was a second lieutenant. He was also the editor of the daily Civil and Military Gazette. The Malakand Field Force raided many villages in Malakand including Swat, Dir and Chitral. Thereafter British rule gradually enveloped the whole area.
resulted in the award of four Victoria Cross
es. The Heights were held by Afridi tribesmen but were successfully stormed by the Gordon Highlanders and the Gurkhas on 20 October 1897. Piper
George Findlater
and Private Edward Lawson of the Gordons, Henry Singleton Pennell
of the Derbyshire Regiment and Samuel Vickery
of the The Dorsetshire Regiment were medal recipients. The action was commemorated in verse by William McGonagall, the pipe march
The Heights of Dargai by J. Wallace and the fiddle tune Dargai by James Scott Skinner
. Richard Thompson later arranged and recorded a version of the Skinner tune for the guitar.
al Centre is located near Dargai Railway Station. In November 2006 a suicide bomber killed 42 Pakistani Soldiers in Dargai and during the recent war in Swat, Dargai Fort was used as a supply centre for troops stationed in Swat and Dir.
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
of the Malakand District
Malakand District
Malakand District is a district of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan.The District was formed in 1970 as a Provincially Administered Tribal Area, It had previously been a Tribal Area known as the Malakand Protected Area, part of the Malakand Agency...
in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located on the main highway from Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
to Swat, Dir
Dir, Pakistan
Dir is a town in Upper Dir District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is sometimes known as Dir Proper or Khas Dir to distinguish it from the district. It lies at the foot of the Lowarai Pass, the main motor road to Chitral, on the Dir River, a tributary of the Panjkora River.Dir was...
and Chitral
Chitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
. Business previously flourished in the area as most visitors travelling to these areas passed through Dargai, but numbers have declined following a 2006 suicide bombing and subsequent unrest which adversely affected tourism. Dargai is well known for its timber market.
Background
Dargai was part of the Malakand AgencyMalakand Agency
The Malakand Agency was one of the Tribal Areas in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan until 1970. It included the princely states of Chitral, Dir and Swat, and an area around the Malakand Fort known as the Malakand Protected Area.In 1970, following the abolition of the princely states,...
Tribal area
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
until 1970 when the former princely states of (Chitral
Chitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
, Dir
Dir, Pakistan
Dir is a town in Upper Dir District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is sometimes known as Dir Proper or Khas Dir to distinguish it from the district. It lies at the foot of the Lowarai Pass, the main motor road to Chitral, on the Dir River, a tributary of the Panjkora River.Dir was...
and Swat) were amalgamated into the Malakand Division, which was in turn divided into districts, one of which was the Malakand Protected Area, known as Malakand District. In 2000 the Malakand Division was abolished and despite constitutional changes since 1970, the expression "Malakand Agency" is sometimes still used as a name for the entire area of the former agency, but more often to refer to the Malakand District.
History
The British commenced their campaign against Malakand in 1853 and Dargai became well known for its battles during their rule. First, the British conducted a campaign against the PashtunPashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
Utmankhel
Utmankhel
The Utman Khel or Utmankhel are a Pashtun tribe who occupy the hills to the north of Peshawar in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Their land lies between the Mohmands and the Ranizais of Swat, to the west and south-west of the junction of the Swat and Panjkora rivers...
tribe and a large battle took place at parng Ghar. Owing to its defenders being only a small band of poorly armed mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
, the Utmankhel were subdued. In December 1853, a brigade was sent after them under the command of Lord Klaidy, which raided Dargai and Kharkeay – small villages of the Ranizai
Ranizai
The Ranizai are a subtribe of the Yusufzai Pashtun tribe in the Malakand District in North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan.The tribe consists of two subdivisions; the Swat Ranizai and the Sum Ranizai....
tribe at the bottom of the Malakand Pass
Malakand Pass
The Malakand Pass is a mountain pass in Malakand District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.The pass road begins at Dargai. The road across the pass is in good condition, but is always crowded with a continuous stream of trucks. From a viewpoint about one kilometre before the top of the pass, one can...
. The attackers were well equipped with artillery, so the Ranizais accepted a ransom of Rs.5000 and thereafter proclaimed jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
or holy war in the Buner Valley, at that time ruled by Syed Akhbar Shah Badshah. The British felt threatened by Badshah and made an unsuccessful attempt to take the valley.
Swat ruler Akhund Sahib (Saidu baba) died in 1877 and the following year Lord Klaidy took a strong force and entered Ranizai territory via Palai and Sherkhana at the southern boundary of the Malakand Agency when the Ranizais once more resorted to arbitration.
In 1895, British army major Sir Arlo along with Colonel Kelly started a war against Umara Khan, a sardar
Sardar
Sardar is a title of Indo-Aryan origin that was originally used to denote feudal princes, noblemen, and other aristocrats. It was later applied to indicate a Head of State, a Commander-in-chief, and an Army military rank...
and politician whom Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
called the Afghan Napoleon. The British camped at Dargai and Kharkay before a huge battle in the Malakand pass during which the Swat Ranizais displayed great valour. On September 12, 1895 an agreement was signed between the British and the Swat Ranizais.
The second battle of Malakand took place in 1897 during a period of Swat Ranizais resistance when even the Pukhtoon women came out to fight. History records the valour of a woman belonging to a respectable family of Dehri Alladand who fought day and night as well as provided food and water to the mujahideen and who died with her sword drawn. She is buried on the outskirts of Dehri Alladand village where the people refer to her as Shaheeda Abai (martyred grandmother).
Hazrat Sadullah Khan, alias Sar tor Faqir ("bear-headed Faqir"), also known as Mullah Mastan or the Mad Mullah by the British, was a tribesman of the Buner Swat. When the British seized Amandara, Sar tor Faqir marched from Landakay towards Thana the British proceeded to Dehri Alladand and the Batkhela. They by-passed the British troops at Amandara and decided to raid Malakand, where they defeated the British. Later, the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s joined the British, but still they were still beaten by the mujadeen'. When the battle ended a large number of British and Sikhs had been killed or captured, and a large quantity of arms and ammunition seized. Nineteen mujahideen were killed, including Sar Tor Faqir. His tomb stands at the bottom of Elephant Pass (Hathi Darrah) to the south of the village of Zulamkot in Dehri Alladand in Malakand.
Later on, the British formed a new force known as the Malakand Field Force to deal with the tribes of Malakand, a force in which Winston Churchill was a second lieutenant. He was also the editor of the daily Civil and Military Gazette. The Malakand Field Force raided many villages in Malakand including Swat, Dir and Chitral. Thereafter British rule gradually enveloped the whole area.
Dargai Heights
An attack on Dargai Heights during the Tirah campaignTirah Campaign
The Tirah Campaign, often referred to in contemporary British accounts as the Tirah Expedition, was an Indian frontier war in 1897–98. Tirah is a mountainous tract of country.-Rebellion:...
resulted in the award of four Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
es. The Heights were held by Afridi tribesmen but were successfully stormed by the Gordon Highlanders and the Gurkhas on 20 October 1897. Piper
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
George Findlater
George Findlater
Sergeant George Frederick Findlater VC was a Scottish soldier in the British Army, who was awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry, for his role in the Tirah Campaign...
and Private Edward Lawson of the Gordons, Henry Singleton Pennell
Henry Singleton Pennell
Henry Singleton Pennell VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
of the Derbyshire Regiment and Samuel Vickery
Samuel Vickery
Samuel Vickery VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
of the The Dorsetshire Regiment were medal recipients. The action was commemorated in verse by William McGonagall, the pipe march
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
The Heights of Dargai by J. Wallace and the fiddle tune Dargai by James Scott Skinner
James Scott Skinner
James Scott Skinner was a Scottish dancing master, violinist, fiddler, and composer.Skinner was born in Banchory, near Aberdeen. His father was a dancing master on Deeside. James was only eighteen months old when his father died. When James was seven, his elder brother, Sandy, gave him lessons in...
. Richard Thompson later arranged and recorded a version of the Skinner tune for the guitar.
Local attractions
Today, scenic locations in Dargai include the Jabban and Malakand hydro-electric project where water passes through a 3 miles (4.8 km) tunnel before entering a natural drop of 350 feet (106.7 m). The two power houses at Dargai and Malakand Khas will be supplemented by a third 81 MW facility that was recently constructed in Dargai. The Punjab RegimentPunjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment may refer to the following existing units:*Punjab Regiment *Punjab Regiment From 1922 to 1947, the British Indian Army included 6 numbered Punjab Regiments:*1st Punjab Regiment*2nd Punjab Regiment*8th Punjab Regiment...
al Centre is located near Dargai Railway Station. In November 2006 a suicide bomber killed 42 Pakistani Soldiers in Dargai and during the recent war in Swat, Dargai Fort was used as a supply centre for troops stationed in Swat and Dir.