A Turkoman who killed more than one thousand Pashtuns by boiling them alive in large cauldrons

In 1610s, the Mughal governor of Siwi fort (i.e. Sibi fort in modern Baluchistan, Pakistan) killed more than one thousand Pashtuns by boiling them alive in large cauldrons to create awe and terror in the hearts of the unruly population. The name of that Mughal officer was Quje Ali and and he was a Turkoman … Read more

The district and town of Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is named after a 16th century Mughal fort

The district and town of Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is named after a 16th century Mughal fort built by Mughal general Zain Khan Koka (1) for the purpose of subduing Yousafzais.  Mughal emperor Jahangir in his diary writes :  “On the other side of the river Kama (2) there is a fort which Zain Khan … Read more

Mir Chakar Rind : separating fiction from history

Mir Chakar Rind is often glorified as the “King of Baluchistan”, and some modern accounts bestow upon him the epithet “the great.” However, a rigorous examination of history reveals a different picture. Far from a king, Chakar Rind appears to have been no more than a tribal chieftain, his stature inflated by legend and fiction. … Read more

Nimla or Mimla garden (Nangarhar province)

The Nimla garden (Khogiani district, Nangarhar) was ordered to be constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan on the eighteenth of Sha’ban 1056 Hijri (September 1646) between the time of his coming from Delhi to Kabul, and his return to Delhi [1]. It is said to be the work of the famous architect Ali Mardan Khan, … Read more

History of the Tanoli tribe of Hazara

Majority of the Tanolis (or Tanaolis) insist on being of Pashtun origin but their rulers have accounted themselves to be of Barlas Mughal origin. Tanoli or Tanawali is actually an adjective denoting their abode Tanawal. They are divided into two divisions, Pul-Al and Hando-Al, the former occupies Lower Tunawal, and the latter occupy Upper Tunawal … Read more

Safdar Khan Babi

This large and imposing painting, of circa 1790-1810, depicts the Afghan nobleman of Mughal empire, Safdar Khan Babi. The painting is inscribed to the top in black nasta‘liq against scrolling white clouds, the letters intermingled with diagonal flights of birds. . The inscription may be partially read as follows: J(?)…. khan ji al-mukhatab be-safdar khan bahadur babi ‘alamgir … Read more

When Pashtun tribesmen wiped out an entire Mughal army in the Khyber Pass (1672)

By Barmazid  In 1672 AD, a small incident triggered a huge war in Pakhtunkhwa. In that year some Mughal troops stationed in Kunar insulted a Parachi woman who was there to sell and buy. Some Pashtun men belonging to Safi tribe witnessed that and killed those troops for insulting that woman. Hussain Beg Khan, the … Read more

History of Pir Roshan (Bayazid Ansari)

The real name of Pir Roshan was Bayazid Ansari. He was born in Pashtun-ruled Jalandhar (East Punjab, India) in 1524-25 AD. His family was living in both Kaniguram (in modern South Waziristan) and Jalandhar. He has been variously described as an Ormur and Ansari. His father Abdullah was a learned man and was a Qazi … Read more