History of the Pashtun people
During the medieval period, Pashtuns dominated the horse trade with India even through the horses were bred by Turkoman and Uzbek nomads in Turkestan. After the Pashtun dealers had bought the horses at low prices from the nomadic tribes of Turkestan, they were fattened for one or two months in the various meadows around Kabul. … Read more
The Arab geographer Al-Masudi (896-956) writes that from “Al-Qandahar” comes one of the five rivers which forms the Mihran (Indus river). The Al-Qandahar of Al-Masudi was most likely Gandhara region (Peshawar valley and surroundings), not the modern Kandahar (which is referred to as “Rukhaj” or “Rakhaj” الرخج by Masudi and other Arabs). There is no … Read more
Arab Gul Khattak belonged to the Darish Khel village of Karak. Initially he was a soldier in the British-Indian army. After committing honour killing, he was forced to seek refuge in Waziristan where he created a gang of raiders. He looted wealthy Hindu traders of Karak and kidnapped them for ransom. It is said that … Read more
In late 19th century, Umra Khan of Jandul (now located in Lower Dir district of KPK) was gaining tremendous power and influence. The growing power of Umra Khan was alarming and worrisome for not only the ‘Khans’ of surrounding regions but also for Amir Abdur Rahman, the ruler of the Kabul kingdom. Amir Abdur Rahman … Read more
The famous Indian tweep Bharadwaj (aka True Indology) has shared a British map of Kandahar city dated to 1880, in which one of the four gates of the city is named “temple gate”. He assumes that it is temple of Shiva and states that it is “a testament to the durability and continuity of Hindu … Read more
Treaty of Kalat 1758 with fake details No treaty on those terms in the following screenshot was signed between Mir Naseer Khan of Kalat and Ahmad Shah Durrani. The treaty with those particulars in the screenshot, is forgery by Baloch nationalists. An attempt has been made by them to pass off Kalat as a sovereign state, … Read more
According to Gulshan-i-Ibrahimi (written in 1612 AD), Afghans (Pashtuns) and Khaljis formed the vanguard of the army of Sultan Shahabuddin Ghori. The Pashtun and Khalji commanders of the vanguard (مقدمة الجیش), who always boasted of their valour and prowess, fled from the battlefield (along with the right and left wings of the army) in the … Read more
Ahmad Shah Durrani In 1839, James Rattrey (British soldier and artist) visited the tomb of Ahmad Shah Durrani in Kandahar, drew a painting of it and described him as follows : “The sovereign who sleeps there, called by the Afghauns “the faultless King,” was the greatest monarch their country ever produced. The people of every … Read more
Punjabi nationalists and Punjabi liberals on social media often say that Waris Shah (an 18th-century Punjabi poet) referred to his contemporary Ahmad Shah Durrani as a “rabid dog of Kabul” or “Kabuli dog” in his poetry. To determine the truth, I researched the matter and read several translations of Waris Shah’s “Heer.” To my surprise, … Read more
Mosque and tomb of Bibi Zarrina (the mother of Sikandar Lodi) at Dholpur (Rajasthan state, India). Her honorific Zarrina means golden since she was daughter of a goldsmith. She was renowned for her beauty. According to the Persian inscription on her tomb, she died in 1516 AD. For more details see this article by Mehrdad Shokoohy … Read more