Ghorghushti
Encyclopedia
Ghorghushti is one of the largest towns of Chhachh
in Attock District
and is on the border of North-West Punjab (Pakistan)
, and Hazara in Pakhtunkhwa
/North-West Frontier Province
. The official spelling is Ghorghushti, but alternative, incorrect, spellings include: Ghurghushti, Ghourghushti, Ghaurghashti, Ghaur Ghushti, Ghurgushti, Ghourgashti or Ghaurghashti. In the Pukhto language it is called Ghorghushto.
The people who live here are predominantly Pathans (Pashtuns), speak Hindko with some speaking Pukhto (Pushto) and follow the Pashtunwali
/Pukhtunwali (locally called Pathan Walgi) code of conduct.
It is the birth place of the famous Pathan warrior Nawab Najabat Khan, also known as Najaf Khan. Najaf Khan was born in Mohalla Ishaq Zai in a house near the pond. Najaf Khan left this town to search for work in larger cities of India. He first went to Sardar Dawood Khan of Lahore to seek work who sent him to the service of Subidar Meer Minnoo of Lahore. There he made a name for himself after wrestling one of the infamous giants, whom he had killed in a bout. This was an era of constant battles, and he stood out as an accomplished fighter and leader. During one of the battles, he saved the life of Meer Minno, whilst others were fleeing the battle ground he stood firm with courage. He defeated his enemies, and was rewarded with a number of horses and men. A couple of years later, he left for Karnal where he fought more battles against Hill Rajas. He recalled reinforcements from Ghorghushti and built a fort in 1759 in Kunjpur.He became a Nawab after winning the respect of the Imperial leadership in Delhi. Amidst appeals from Muslim leaders like Shah Waliullah
, Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India to face the formidable challenge posed by the Maratha Confederacy. Ahmad Shah Abdali asked for help from his fellow Muslim Nawabs and Jagirdars against the armies of Marathas and Jats, who were killing and occupying Muslim areas following the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Nawab Najabat Khan joined the army of Ahmad Shah Abdali and participated in the Third Battle of Panipat
, there at the hands of Marathas he was killed on 17 January 1761. His direct descendent later joined the British and after the partition of India, the last Nawab of Kunjpura, Nawab Ibrahim Ali Khan, migrated to Lahore in Pakistan, and died in 1953.
The Salar (Sar) Khel tribe consider themself to be related to Nawab Najabat Khan through his elder brother Zabita Khan. It is stated in "Tareekh Kunjpura" he was of Zakka Khel clan of Yusufzai tribe. Nawab Najabat Khan had a brother who remained in Ghorghushti whose descendants now live in the town. The ancestral home in Mohalla Ishaq Zai is still owned by the descendents of Nawab Najabat Khan's brother, which has attracted many well-wishers from Kunjpur, Lahore, Karachi and Kotkay.
, and 6 km southwest of Qazipur
, 7 km east-north-east of Hazro
, and about 58 km west-north-west of Islamabad
. Towns of the same name also exist in the FATA
area, Swabi District
and in Bunner.
Ghorghushti is the northernmost town in Attock District and in the north it borders Haripur District
, in the south it borders Malak Mala
village, in the east it borders Jalalia
village and in the west it borders Kotkay village.
It is located at 33° 56' 41N Latitude and 72° 33' 7E Longitude. It has an altitude of 317 metres (1043 ft). The average annual rainfall in the district is 783 mm (30.83 inches).
Ghorghushti has a climate with very hot summers and very cold winters. The maximum temperature reaches 40°C. Due to the Ghazi-Barotha Canal the weather has become more humid in the northern part as compared to the southern part.
. Other tribes include: Asad (Sadoo) Khel, Najab Khel, Haider Khel, Suleiman (Sarma) Khel, Khizar (Khadar) Zai, Kara Khel and Chacha Khel. The progenitor of the Sadoo Khel tribe was Asad Khan. The proginator of the Haider Khel tribe was Haider Khan. Members of the Kara Khel “tribe” had migrated from Ghari Khara Khel,(now called Khurra Khel) located in NWFP around 1840s after the great flood which swept much of eastern Chach in 1841. It is believed that it was severe flooding and economic situation that led some people from their village to migrate to other villages, mainly to Ghorghushti. Another village, Allo, was also destroyed by this flood and it's surviving inhabitants migrated to Shinka
(where they named a Mohalla after their village namely; Allo), Asghar and majority to Malak Mala.
The land of Ghorghushti is divided among the seven main tribes: Inayat Khel (who own majority of the town's land), Dilawar khel, Matta khel, Asad(Sadoo) Khel, Najab Khel, Haider Khel and Suleiman Khel.
Babris are originally part of a tribe that migrated from the Kabul
area of modern-day Afghanistan
. They had settled in today's Chach, in a village just few miles up north called Shakh Chur
, as a result of wars and famines in Afghanistan. The Babris are one of the late arrivals of Pakhtun tribes to settle in Ghorghushti and Chach. Today, there still exists a tribe in Afghanistan known as Babris. Some of them settled in the neighbouring village called KotKay, which borders Ghorghushti on eastern side. There are also some families of Dalazaks
in Ghorghushti. They are scattered throughout Chach, as they were expelled from their place around what is now Akora Khattak
on the orders of the Mughal emperor.
The Asad Khels and Haider Khels and also, according to some, the Khizar(Khadar) Zais, are from a village called Hund, also called Ohind (Sanskrit name: Udabhandapura), on the other side of the River Indus. The ancient Gandhara
kingdom was ruled from here in its final days. This is the town where Alexander the Great crossed the river into India. It is now a very historic town where several excavations were carried out and a material of archaeological interest was uncovered. The finds were dated back to few thousand years, which proves that there was a thriving community there at one time. Its close proximity to the River Indus makes it prone to flooding from time to time; hence the population felt the need to take abode somewhere safe from flooding.
All of these tribes, along with other non-Pathan castes, have played their part in the development and the defence of the town.
Examples are the numerous wars fought in the Chach region. It is not uncommon to find members of these tribes going to other villages to support those who were resisting invaders and to defend the region. For example, in the battle of Torbela (Tarbela
) against the Sikh
s, all the tribes, especially the Inayat Khels,Dilawar Khels, Matta Khels, Haider Khels, and Asad(Sadoo) Khels and other tribes fought bravely against the mighty army of Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa, after whom Haripur District
is named. The Sikhs had run over the Punjab and were heading towards Afghanistan. While internally Afghanistan was very weak due to internal fighting, it was this region, Attock and Chach, which first resisted the invading army. The control of Sikhs in this region was nominal, and their war annals clearly show this. Many people were killed in these wars; some were fought within the town. During these wars those who were killed were buried quickly and as result there are many graves without names. One such example is two graves in the Asad Khel Masjid, at the bottom of Bazaar, in Mohallah Asad(Sadoo) Khel. These two graves are of two people, one from Sadoo Khel tribe and one from Inayat Khel tribe, who were assigned the task of protecting the Mohallah Sadoo Khel and Bazaar,which was a commercial hub of the town, from the invaders coming from the main road from Maskeen Abad. Their "Lashkar" (small army) fought well against the invaders but eventually the Lashkar lost to a more numerous invading army. As a result these Mujahideen were buried in the graveyard, opposite Qatta Baaz Baba Masjid, in Maskeen Abad. The Lashkar commanders were buried in the Sadoo Khel Masjid.
Just as the Matta Khels, Dilawar Khels and various other tribes are intertwined in the eastern part of Ghorghushti, Inayat Khels, Sadoo Khels, Suleiman Khels,Najab Khels, Kara Khels and Haider Khels are intertwined in the western and southern part of the town. Other tribes find their ways to be attached to the various tribes as well. Ghorghushti's non-pathan castes marry amongst themselves.
There are a myriad of other castes that populated over the years in the past. Because of varying circumstances and events, each caste arrived at its own respected timeframe. There are also a collection of castes who are called “ Kashmiris” who have migrated from Kashmir
long ago. Some Afghan refugees and people from Kohistanis
have also settled in Ghorghushti in the recent times after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
.
There are two villages on the outskirts of the town, Qibla Bandi and Qutb Bandi. These were remote Mohallas of Ghorghushti but over time, as the population grew, these Mohallas became separate villages. About 75% of the land of the town belongs to Inayat Khel tribe, which is a KHAN tribe of this town. Many settlers of the United Kingdom and the United States who had migrated from Ghorghushti many years earlier are the ones who are purchasing much of the land today. Because of this foreign investment, prices of the land of Ghorghushti have skyrocketed. These purchases are not limited to the descendants of the founding tribes, but include members of the other castes of Ghorghushti. Because of the high prices, many low and middle class families of Ghorghushti are not able to purchase land. The prices of the developing capital city of Islamabad and the prices of land in Ghorghushti are at par or are overshadowed by Ghorghushti's high prices.
As the newly arrived tribes settled, each was alloted a Mohalla using the name of the tribe, such as Mohalla Sadoo Khel, Mohalla Kara Khel(named after the village from where this "tribe" had migrated), Mohalla Najab Khel, and Mohalla Haider Khel. These are the only four mohallas which are named after the respective tribes. All four of these Mohallas are adjoining one another on the left hand side of the road leading to Muhallah Lakkar Mandi(wood market) starting with Muhallah Najab Khel and ending with Muhallah Sadoo Khel, which borders Muhallah Batooray, where the Bazaar is located. On the right hand side of the road is Muhallah Jahan banda. Each Mohalla has residents of many tribes and are not limited to members of the founding tribe's descendants.
mountains.
There are currently about 20 to 25 Mohallas (regions) in the town, and 50 to 60 Masajid (Mosques), but the number of Mosques increases as the population grows. There is one boys high school, in Mohallah Munawwar Abad, one girls high school, a hospital, in Mohallah Sainchee Abad/Mullah Khel, and five banks. The town has gas, electricity and telephone, and a Police station. The centre of the administration, Union Council, is also situated in Mohallah Munawwar Abad, next to the boys high school.
The famous Ghazi-Barotha
hydroelectric canal runs through an area of Ghorghushti called Bareetian. A large area of Ghorghushti was used up in constructing the Ghazi-Barotha Canal and many families were affected. These families were compensated and alloted some land on the other side of the Embankment "Pull" towards the mountain in a new Mohallah called Feroz Banda.
A small number of Ghorghushti people are also residing in a small village called Landi Arbab or Landi Yarghajo (old name of the village). This village is in neighbourhood with Bahadur Kalay where great pashtun poet Rahman Baba
was born in 17th century and is at a walking distance from Peshawar Saddar baazar.
The largest Ghorghushti population in the United States is in Stockton, California
a city in Northern California
. Some of the earliest arrivals, mainly from Inayat Khel, Kara Khel, Sadoo Khel and Babri tribes, came in the early 1900s, possibly earlier. Later arrivals include the various Malak tribes and various members of non-Pathan castes. The agriculture of the Stockton-Sacramento Valleys is much like that of Ghorghushti. Many of the early pioneers were men who left their families back in Ghorghushti. Many of these men worked as laborers in the fields. After some time, especially during the 1940s and 1950s, whole families began arriving. There are second, third, fourth and even fifth generation Ghorghushti-wals growing up in Stockton. Many Ghorghushti-wals had arrived prior to the creation of Pakistan and even today many consider themselves Afghan, a term synonymous to Pushtun, Pukhtun or Pathan, rather than Pakistani. Like all newly arrived immigrants, Ghorghushti-wals faced many dilemmas while trying to assimilate into the American mainstream, yet at the same time trying to maintain their Ghorghushti-wal culture and Islamic faith. However, the several generations of children that have been born here have been educated at colleges and universities and today hold various positions in all fields, including medicine, teaching, lawyers, banking, and running businesses. While many newly arrived immigrants and their children face difficulties in assimilating, as well as a few younger Ghorghushti-wals getting involved in various street gangs, drugs, and arrests, overall, the Ghorghushti-wals tend to be hard workers and are on their way to be successful within a few years of their arrival.
The majority of people from Ghorghushti living in UK reside in Birmingham, although there is a small community of them living in other cities as well i.e. Bradford, Cardiff, Luton, St Albans etc. Most of the Ghorghushti-wals in Birmingham are from Inayat Khel, Suleiman Khel, Kara Khel , Najab Khel, Chacha Khel, Kakar, Dillazak tribes and also non-Pathan castes such as Awan, Kumar etc as well.
The earliest arrivals came in 1950's but there are still fresh arrivals through marriages.
Most of the older generation worked very hard in factories and foudries but they managed to give their chidren a better standard of life by educating them.
tribe. Maulana Azizuddin, son of Hadhrat Maulana Shaykh Qutbuddin, was killed in October 2008 by some unidentified gunmen. Another religious family is of Hazrat Sayyed Ahmad and his nephew Hazrat Abdul Haq. They have been appointed in places like Delhi
, Lucknow
and South Africa
. Their students have come from as far as Isfahan in Iran
, Multan
, Qandahar, Kabul
Ghor and Ghazni
in Afghanistan
. Their graves are in their own private graveyard next to the Jinaza Gahh.
Other pious and famous scholars:
Chhachh
Chhachh is a region consisting of an alluvial plain extending from Attock District of Punjab, Pakistan, south-west to Topi - Swabi. The word Chhachh is derived from the Pashto word Chaj. It is bounded on the north and west by the river Indus, and is about long from east to west, and broad...
in Attock District
Attock District
Attock District is a district in the north-west Punjab Province of Pakistan.The district was created in April 1904 by the merger of Talagang Tehsil in the Jhelum District with the Pindigheb, Fatehjang and Attock tehsils from Rawalpindi District of the Punjab province of British India.Attock...
and is on the border of North-West Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, and Hazara in Pakhtunkhwa
Pakhtunkhwa
The Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been known by a number of names during its existence. In addition to North-West Frontier Province, the official name by which it was known from 1901 to 2010, other names used or proposed for the province include Afghania, Pakhtunistan, Pashtunistan,...
/North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
. The official spelling is Ghorghushti, but alternative, incorrect, spellings include: Ghurghushti, Ghourghushti, Ghaurghashti, Ghaur Ghushti, Ghurgushti, Ghourgashti or Ghaurghashti. In the Pukhto language it is called Ghorghushto.
The people who live here are predominantly Pathans (Pashtuns), speak Hindko with some speaking Pukhto (Pushto) and follow the Pashtunwali
Pashtunwali
Pashtunwali or Pakhtunwali is a non-written ethical code and traditional lifestyle which the indigenous Pashtun people from Afghanistan and Pakistan follow. Some in the Indian subcontinent refer to it as "Pathanwali". Its meaning may also be interpreted as "the way of the Pashtuns" or "the code of...
/Pukhtunwali (locally called Pathan Walgi) code of conduct.
It is the birth place of the famous Pathan warrior Nawab Najabat Khan, also known as Najaf Khan. Najaf Khan was born in Mohalla Ishaq Zai in a house near the pond. Najaf Khan left this town to search for work in larger cities of India. He first went to Sardar Dawood Khan of Lahore to seek work who sent him to the service of Subidar Meer Minnoo of Lahore. There he made a name for himself after wrestling one of the infamous giants, whom he had killed in a bout. This was an era of constant battles, and he stood out as an accomplished fighter and leader. During one of the battles, he saved the life of Meer Minno, whilst others were fleeing the battle ground he stood firm with courage. He defeated his enemies, and was rewarded with a number of horses and men. A couple of years later, he left for Karnal where he fought more battles against Hill Rajas. He recalled reinforcements from Ghorghushti and built a fort in 1759 in Kunjpur.He became a Nawab after winning the respect of the Imperial leadership in Delhi. Amidst appeals from Muslim leaders like Shah Waliullah
Shah Waliullah
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi was an Islamic scholar and reformer. He was born during the reign of Aurangzeb. He worked for the revival of Muslim rule and intellectual learning in South Asia, during a time of waning Muslim power...
, Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India to face the formidable challenge posed by the Maratha Confederacy. Ahmad Shah Abdali asked for help from his fellow Muslim Nawabs and Jagirdars against the armies of Marathas and Jats, who were killing and occupying Muslim areas following the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Nawab Najabat Khan joined the army of Ahmad Shah Abdali and participated in the Third Battle of Panipat
Third battle of Panipat
The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761, at Panipat , about 60 miles north of Delhi between a northern expeditionary force of the Maratha Confederacy and a coalition of the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali with 2 Indian Muslim allies—the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab, and the...
, there at the hands of Marathas he was killed on 17 January 1761. His direct descendent later joined the British and after the partition of India, the last Nawab of Kunjpura, Nawab Ibrahim Ali Khan, migrated to Lahore in Pakistan, and died in 1953.
The Salar (Sar) Khel tribe consider themself to be related to Nawab Najabat Khan through his elder brother Zabita Khan. It is stated in "Tareekh Kunjpura" he was of Zakka Khel clan of Yusufzai tribe. Nawab Najabat Khan had a brother who remained in Ghorghushti whose descendants now live in the town. The ancestral home in Mohalla Ishaq Zai is still owned by the descendents of Nawab Najabat Khan's brother, which has attracted many well-wishers from Kunjpur, Lahore, Karachi and Kotkay.
Geography and Climate
Ghorghushti lies about 4 kilometres east-north-east of NartopaNartopa
Nartopa or Nartupa is a village in Hazro Tehsil, Attock District in Punjab province, Pakistan. Nartopa is situated in the middle of the Chhachh area of Attock District and is the third largest village of the area, located to the west of Hazro...
, and 6 km southwest of Qazipur
Qazipur
Qazipur is one of the 44 union councils, administrative subdivions, of Haripur District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Qazipur is located at 33°59'34N 72°36'11E and lies to the west of the district capital Haripur-References:...
, 7 km east-north-east of Hazro
Hazro, Punjab
Hazro is a town located at north-west of Pakistan in Attock District of the Punjab province Pakistan. It is located approximately half-way between Peshawar and Islamabad, the federal capital...
, and about 58 km west-north-west of Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
. Towns of the same name also exist in the FATA
Fata
The FATA or FC-ATA is a type of computer hard disk drive. FATA is simply the low cost ATA or SATA disk drive equipped with a small external converter, that changes the interface to Fibre Channel...
area, Swabi District
Swabi District
Swabi District is the fourth most populous district of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It lies between the Indus and Kabul Rivers. The residents are referred to as Swabva'l. The Mandanr Yusufzai subsection of the Yousafzai clan of the Pashtuns form a majority of the population.-...
and in Bunner.
Ghorghushti is the northernmost town in Attock District and in the north it borders Haripur District
Haripur District
Haripur is a district in the Hazara region of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, province of Pakistan with an altitude of around above sea level. Haripur District has the highest Human Development Index of all the districts in the Hazara....
, in the south it borders Malak Mala
Malak Mala
Malak Mala is a village in the Chachh region of Attock District in Northern Punjab of Pakistan. It lies close to the borders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Its neighboring villages include Barazai, Behbudi, Shinka, Nartopa and Ghorghushti town....
village, in the east it borders Jalalia
Jalalia (Pakistan)
Jalalia is a village located in Chhachh, the northern part of Attock District of the Punjab province of Pakistan and lies close to the borders of the North-West Frontier Province. The village has two primary schools, a boys' high school, fourteen mosques and three madrasahs, and 40% of its about...
village and in the west it borders Kotkay village.
It is located at 33° 56' 41N Latitude and 72° 33' 7E Longitude. It has an altitude of 317 metres (1043 ft). The average annual rainfall in the district is 783 mm (30.83 inches).
Ghorghushti has a climate with very hot summers and very cold winters. The maximum temperature reaches 40°C. Due to the Ghazi-Barotha Canal the weather has become more humid in the northern part as compared to the southern part.
People
Ghorghushti was founded by the Inayat Khel (the KHAN tribe) , Matta Khel, Dilawar Khel (both Malaks) and the Kakar tribes. Matta Khel and Dilawar Khel have the same progenitor. The Kakar tribe came from Kakaristan, an older name of BalochistanBalochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
. Other tribes include: Asad (Sadoo) Khel, Najab Khel, Haider Khel, Suleiman (Sarma) Khel, Khizar (Khadar) Zai, Kara Khel and Chacha Khel. The progenitor of the Sadoo Khel tribe was Asad Khan. The proginator of the Haider Khel tribe was Haider Khan. Members of the Kara Khel “tribe” had migrated from Ghari Khara Khel,(now called Khurra Khel) located in NWFP around 1840s after the great flood which swept much of eastern Chach in 1841. It is believed that it was severe flooding and economic situation that led some people from their village to migrate to other villages, mainly to Ghorghushti. Another village, Allo, was also destroyed by this flood and it's surviving inhabitants migrated to Shinka
Shinka
Shinka is a small village near Jalalia village in Hazro Tehsil, Attock District, Punjab province of Pakistan. Nearby are Behbudi, Ghorghushti town, Malak Mala and Nartopa. Main tribes are Showkhel, Khankhel, Karamkhel, Ajakhel, Babukhel, Akakhel and Torakhel etc....
(where they named a Mohalla after their village namely; Allo), Asghar and majority to Malak Mala.
The land of Ghorghushti is divided among the seven main tribes: Inayat Khel (who own majority of the town's land), Dilawar khel, Matta khel, Asad(Sadoo) Khel, Najab Khel, Haider Khel and Suleiman Khel.
Babris are originally part of a tribe that migrated from the Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
area of modern-day Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. They had settled in today's Chach, in a village just few miles up north called Shakh Chur
Shakh Chur
Sheikh Choor is a small village in Haripur District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan with a population of about 1500 to 2000. Shaikh Choor is known as an agricultural town which produces wheat, cotton, tobacco, and maize in addition to vegetables and fruit.-Location:The village is...
, as a result of wars and famines in Afghanistan. The Babris are one of the late arrivals of Pakhtun tribes to settle in Ghorghushti and Chach. Today, there still exists a tribe in Afghanistan known as Babris. Some of them settled in the neighbouring village called KotKay, which borders Ghorghushti on eastern side. There are also some families of Dalazaks
Dilazak
The Dilazak are a Pashtun tribe of the Afghan Karlani branch, found in Pakistan and India.-History:The Dilazak descended from the Suleman Range into the valley of Peshawar during the time of the Samanid Dynasty, between 750 and 850 CE. They expelled or subdued local people of the Swati, Degan and...
in Ghorghushti. They are scattered throughout Chach, as they were expelled from their place around what is now Akora Khattak
Akora Khattak
Akora Khattak is a city along the Peshawar-Rawalpindi road, in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.-Birthplace of Khushal Khan Khattak:Akora Khattak is the birth place and burial place of the famous poet Khushal Khan Khattak...
on the orders of the Mughal emperor.
The Asad Khels and Haider Khels and also, according to some, the Khizar(Khadar) Zais, are from a village called Hund, also called Ohind (Sanskrit name: Udabhandapura), on the other side of the River Indus. The ancient Gandhara
Gandhara
Gandhāra , is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River...
kingdom was ruled from here in its final days. This is the town where Alexander the Great crossed the river into India. It is now a very historic town where several excavations were carried out and a material of archaeological interest was uncovered. The finds were dated back to few thousand years, which proves that there was a thriving community there at one time. Its close proximity to the River Indus makes it prone to flooding from time to time; hence the population felt the need to take abode somewhere safe from flooding.
All of these tribes, along with other non-Pathan castes, have played their part in the development and the defence of the town.
Examples are the numerous wars fought in the Chach region. It is not uncommon to find members of these tribes going to other villages to support those who were resisting invaders and to defend the region. For example, in the battle of Torbela (Tarbela
Tarbela
Tarbela is one of the 44 union councils, administrative subdivision, of Haripur District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan....
) against 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, all the tribes, especially the Inayat Khels,Dilawar Khels, Matta Khels, Haider Khels, and Asad(Sadoo) Khels and other tribes fought bravely against the mighty army of Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa, after whom Haripur District
Haripur District
Haripur is a district in the Hazara region of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, province of Pakistan with an altitude of around above sea level. Haripur District has the highest Human Development Index of all the districts in the Hazara....
is named. The Sikhs had run over the Punjab and were heading towards Afghanistan. While internally Afghanistan was very weak due to internal fighting, it was this region, Attock and Chach, which first resisted the invading army. The control of Sikhs in this region was nominal, and their war annals clearly show this. Many people were killed in these wars; some were fought within the town. During these wars those who were killed were buried quickly and as result there are many graves without names. One such example is two graves in the Asad Khel Masjid, at the bottom of Bazaar, in Mohallah Asad(Sadoo) Khel. These two graves are of two people, one from Sadoo Khel tribe and one from Inayat Khel tribe, who were assigned the task of protecting the Mohallah Sadoo Khel and Bazaar,which was a commercial hub of the town, from the invaders coming from the main road from Maskeen Abad. Their "Lashkar" (small army) fought well against the invaders but eventually the Lashkar lost to a more numerous invading army. As a result these Mujahideen were buried in the graveyard, opposite Qatta Baaz Baba Masjid, in Maskeen Abad. The Lashkar commanders were buried in the Sadoo Khel Masjid.
Intermarriage
Most of the tribes prefer to marry amongst themselves or from other Pathan tribes of other villages. Pathans generally marry within their own tribe or other Pathan tribes. However, a Pathan female is rarely married into a non-Pathan caste. When it comes to marriage, "khels" are very exclusive as to what tribe the marriage will take place with. Sadoo Khel females are usually not married to fellow Haider Khels or vice versa (reportedly) because of their historical enmity with each other. According to Haider Khels, the Sadoo Khels have usurped their share of the inheritance, while the Sadoo Khels do not consider Haider Khels as their cousins. However with the passage of time and intermingling with other tribes, various tribes now inter-marry without any hesitation.Just as the Matta Khels, Dilawar Khels and various other tribes are intertwined in the eastern part of Ghorghushti, Inayat Khels, Sadoo Khels, Suleiman Khels,Najab Khels, Kara Khels and Haider Khels are intertwined in the western and southern part of the town. Other tribes find their ways to be attached to the various tribes as well. Ghorghushti's non-pathan castes marry amongst themselves.
There are a myriad of other castes that populated over the years in the past. Because of varying circumstances and events, each caste arrived at its own respected timeframe. There are also a collection of castes who are called “ Kashmiris” who have migrated from Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
long ago. Some Afghan refugees and people from Kohistanis
Kohistan District (Pakistan)
Kohistan has two distinct meanings in Pakistan. In Persian "koh" means "peak" and "istaan" means "land of". In its usual modern sense Kohistan District is an administrative district within Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province covering an area of 7,492 sq.kilometres; it had a population of...
have also settled in Ghorghushti in the recent times after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
.
Development
Regions of the town are referred to as Mohallas, each of which is three or four streets and/or alleys; there are now 20 to 25 Mohallas in the town.There are two villages on the outskirts of the town, Qibla Bandi and Qutb Bandi. These were remote Mohallas of Ghorghushti but over time, as the population grew, these Mohallas became separate villages. About 75% of the land of the town belongs to Inayat Khel tribe, which is a KHAN tribe of this town. Many settlers of the United Kingdom and the United States who had migrated from Ghorghushti many years earlier are the ones who are purchasing much of the land today. Because of this foreign investment, prices of the land of Ghorghushti have skyrocketed. These purchases are not limited to the descendants of the founding tribes, but include members of the other castes of Ghorghushti. Because of the high prices, many low and middle class families of Ghorghushti are not able to purchase land. The prices of the developing capital city of Islamabad and the prices of land in Ghorghushti are at par or are overshadowed by Ghorghushti's high prices.
As the newly arrived tribes settled, each was alloted a Mohalla using the name of the tribe, such as Mohalla Sadoo Khel, Mohalla Kara Khel(named after the village from where this "tribe" had migrated), Mohalla Najab Khel, and Mohalla Haider Khel. These are the only four mohallas which are named after the respective tribes. All four of these Mohallas are adjoining one another on the left hand side of the road leading to Muhallah Lakkar Mandi(wood market) starting with Muhallah Najab Khel and ending with Muhallah Sadoo Khel, which borders Muhallah Batooray, where the Bazaar is located. On the right hand side of the road is Muhallah Jahan banda. Each Mohalla has residents of many tribes and are not limited to members of the founding tribe's descendants.
Ghorghushti today
The population of Ghorghushti is about 30,000 to 40,000. The total town area is just under 9100 acres (37 km²), and the town is split into two parts: Tahalqa 5809 acres (24 km²), and Daftar 3290 acres (13 km²). Tahalqa starts from the soil embankment called Pull (meaning bridge) to the GandgharGandghar
Gandghar is series of mountains east of the Indus River in Pakistan. The city of Haripur is situated at the front of these mountains. In the south, it is bordered by the Tarbela Dam and in North it borders Hasan Abdal. There are various tribes living on these mountains, especially Mashwani at the...
mountains.
There are currently about 20 to 25 Mohallas (regions) in the town, and 50 to 60 Masajid (Mosques), but the number of Mosques increases as the population grows. There is one boys high school, in Mohallah Munawwar Abad, one girls high school, a hospital, in Mohallah Sainchee Abad/Mullah Khel, and five banks. The town has gas, electricity and telephone, and a Police station. The centre of the administration, Union Council, is also situated in Mohallah Munawwar Abad, next to the boys high school.
The famous Ghazi-Barotha
Ghazi Barotha Dam
Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project is a 1,450 Megawatt run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Indus River in Pakistan.About 1,600 cubic meter per second of water is diverted from the Indus River near the town of Ghazi about 7 km downstream of Tarbela Dam...
hydroelectric canal runs through an area of Ghorghushti called Bareetian. A large area of Ghorghushti was used up in constructing the Ghazi-Barotha Canal and many families were affected. These families were compensated and alloted some land on the other side of the Embankment "Pull" towards the mountain in a new Mohallah called Feroz Banda.
A small number of Ghorghushti people are also residing in a small village called Landi Arbab or Landi Yarghajo (old name of the village). This village is in neighbourhood with Bahadur Kalay where great pashtun poet Rahman Baba
Rahman Baba
Abdul Rahman Baba is popularly known as Rahman Baba , was a Pashtun Muslim poet from Peshawar in modern-day Pakistan who remains the most popular poet among the Pashtuns...
was born in 17th century and is at a walking distance from Peshawar Saddar baazar.
Emigration
A large number of people from Ghorghushti are now living in Arab countries, UK, USA and other countries of Europe.The largest Ghorghushti population in the United States is in Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
a city in Northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Some of the earliest arrivals, mainly from Inayat Khel, Kara Khel, Sadoo Khel and Babri tribes, came in the early 1900s, possibly earlier. Later arrivals include the various Malak tribes and various members of non-Pathan castes. The agriculture of the Stockton-Sacramento Valleys is much like that of Ghorghushti. Many of the early pioneers were men who left their families back in Ghorghushti. Many of these men worked as laborers in the fields. After some time, especially during the 1940s and 1950s, whole families began arriving. There are second, third, fourth and even fifth generation Ghorghushti-wals growing up in Stockton. Many Ghorghushti-wals had arrived prior to the creation of Pakistan and even today many consider themselves Afghan, a term synonymous to Pushtun, Pukhtun or Pathan, rather than Pakistani. Like all newly arrived immigrants, Ghorghushti-wals faced many dilemmas while trying to assimilate into the American mainstream, yet at the same time trying to maintain their Ghorghushti-wal culture and Islamic faith. However, the several generations of children that have been born here have been educated at colleges and universities and today hold various positions in all fields, including medicine, teaching, lawyers, banking, and running businesses. While many newly arrived immigrants and their children face difficulties in assimilating, as well as a few younger Ghorghushti-wals getting involved in various street gangs, drugs, and arrests, overall, the Ghorghushti-wals tend to be hard workers and are on their way to be successful within a few years of their arrival.
The majority of people from Ghorghushti living in UK reside in Birmingham, although there is a small community of them living in other cities as well i.e. Bradford, Cardiff, Luton, St Albans etc. Most of the Ghorghushti-wals in Birmingham are from Inayat Khel, Suleiman Khel, Kara Khel , Najab Khel, Chacha Khel, Kakar, Dillazak tribes and also non-Pathan castes such as Awan, Kumar etc as well.
The earliest arrivals came in 1950's but there are still fresh arrivals through marriages.
Most of the older generation worked very hard in factories and foudries but they managed to give their chidren a better standard of life by educating them.
Notable religious scholars
There have been many prominent religious scholars emanating from Ghorghushti. The most famous of them are Shaykh-ul Hadith, Hadrat Maulana Shaykh Naseerud Din (Alayhi Rahmah) and his nephew Shaykh-ul Qur'an wal Hadith, Hadhrat Maulana Shaykh Qutbuddin (Alayhi Rahmah), both belonging to the KakarKakar
The Kakar are a Pashtun tribe, with members living in Afghanistan and Pakistan.-Kakar :Kakar Afghan was one of the grandsons of Qais Abdur Rashid. Kakar's father's name was Dani, son of Gharghasht, who was the son of Qais in the Afghan appendix of tribes. According to Afghan and Muslim historians,...
tribe. Maulana Azizuddin, son of Hadhrat Maulana Shaykh Qutbuddin, was killed in October 2008 by some unidentified gunmen. Another religious family is of Hazrat Sayyed Ahmad and his nephew Hazrat Abdul Haq. They have been appointed in places like Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Their students have come from as far as Isfahan in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, Qandahar, Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
Ghor and Ghazni
Ghazni
For the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni ProvinceGhazni is a city in central-east Afghanistan with a population of about 141,000 people...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Their graves are in their own private graveyard next to the Jinaza Gahh.
Other pious and famous scholars:
- Hazrat Gharhi Baba, who came from Sarhad, and whose grave is in Mochi Banda ("Mochi" is a caste who make and mend shoes i.e cobblers)
- Hazrat Akbar Shah Ghazi Baba, whose grave is in Mohallah Ishaq Zai
- Hazrat Mian Haleem Baba, who came from district Swabi Sarhad, and whose grave is behind the Boys High school in Mohallah Walidad Banda
- Hazrat Mian Bagga Baba, who came from Multan, and whose grave is in Mohallah Shera Banda
- Hazrat Akhunn Baba, who came from Sarhad, and whose grave is in Choti Mandi.