TAREEKH-E-PESHAWAR
Compiled by Munshi Gopal Das
Book Review
Dr. Mohammad Anwar Khan*
The book, Tareekh-e-Peshawar (History of Peshawar) compiled and finalized in 1874 by Munshi Gopal Das extra assistant settlement commissioner Punjab on the orders of his Settlement Commissioner (A.G. Hastings) of Punjab, is a landmark work. Gopal Das was assisted by 590 member’s secretarial staff holding subordinate office positions in the Settlement Commissionerate. The work was compiled between 1869 to 1874 and printed later at the Kohe-Noor Press in Lahore. A reprint of it has appeared short of maps, diagrams, figurative tables, and illustrations etc. lately by Globe Publishers Urdu Bazaar Lahore with no date of publication. The reprint is infractuous both by contents and authenticity. The original work is spread over 1682 pages on 11 x 8 inches coarse paper. Its price has not been listed anywhere as it was meant for official use. Reprinted Globe publication carries the sale price at Rs.250/- and is spread over 775 pages in 9 x 7 inches drab material paper. The original production had stood the rigours of time and weather and provides smooth reading even after 134 years of its appearance.
The book is divided into seven chapters each called Baab and then subdivided into sections called a Fasal. The details are as under:
Chapter I geography with 8 sections one each on mountains, rivers, water management, archaeological monuments, population settlement, flora and fauna.
Chapter II deals with early history of region with 3 sections, concerning early political history, the Khattak settlement and the Afghan administration.
Chapter III is an account of the people of Peshawar with 5 sections dealing with society, habitation, professions etc.
Chapter IV in its three sections talks about administrative organization of Peshawar and its subdivisions.
Chapter V is about property and area holders of Peshawar and is explained in five sections.
Chapter VI deals with land disputes intra and inter tribes while Chapter VII deals with the society in the tribal belt of Peshawar.
Peshawar as appears in the book comprises almost whole of the present N.W.F.P. minus districts Hazara, Bannu and the tribal belt towards Afghanistan. It was still part of the Punjab administration managed by Lahore Secretariat. It stretched over 3956 miles: 86 (length) x 46 (breadth) miles. It contained 6 tehsils and 275 villages with a settled area of 2504 square miles. The parganah or tehsils are (i) Peshawar (ii) Daudzi (iii) Utman Bulaq (iv) Hashtnagar (v)Yussufzai (vi) Nowshehrah.
It is surrounded all around by mountainous terrain with no forest inside. Water is available here through rivers, streams (valla) and periodic riverbeds (khwarr). The major rivers (i) Sindh is also called Attock, Abbasin and Neelaab. This river emanates in Tibet and flows through Kashmir, Skardu, Hazarah, Atttock, Neelaab, Dera Ismail Khan, Kot Mithan and joins the Punjab rivers, flows on to Sindh emptying in the Arabian Sea. It flows for 36 miles inside northwestern part of Peshawar region from Kiarah in Yussafzi tehsil towards the south Khairabad area of Nowshehrah tehsil. Its water is used through canals in Nowshehrah and the Peshawar valleys.
Second river, the book talks about is the Kabul, known also as Michni, Nagumaan and Landay. Two branches of it within Peshawar district are called Adaizai in the north and Shahalam in the south. In its upper reaches the Kabul River chiseled into nine streams (Nu-Anhaar) are Nahar Markaykhel, Nahar Mamakhel, Nahar Chapparhar, Nahar Pacher, Naher Hissarak, Nahar Kote, Nahar Gaz and Nahar Laghmann. Since the river moved through Kabul, it got its patent name after it. From Ningarhar it moves toward Peshawar, and at Michni, its parts into two sections, (i) Adaizai (Hajizai) moves towards Hashtnagar, Chagharmiti and onwards at Jangal it becomes Shahalam and on change of bed it beacame Nagumann (unpredictable) and (ii) on onward movement towards Nowshehrah (Khairabad) it is called Landay where it joins the Indus. Most areas of Peshawar and Hashtnagar are irrigated by it. The river’s crossing over facilities, through boats exist at 12 points in Peshawar region.They are Michni, Nagumaan, Mian Gujjar, Zakhi, Dobandi, Dheri, Khweshgi, Nowshehrah, Akora, Jehangirah and Adaizai.
The third important river of the area is Swat (Swad). The river moves from Swat, enters Hashtnagar at Abazai, becomes Abazai River and joins Nagumaan at Nisata. On its movement inside the Hashtnagar area, it branches off or the river itself assumes the names of Jagibola, Khialay, Shambur etc. The river streams ultimately rejoin at Parrang and flow towards Khairabad merging into Kabul River.
The fourth river rises in the west of Peshawar in Sufed Koh out of four streams called Medan, Rajgul, Tordarah, Kholanay and jointly called Barra in their lowever reaches. The rivelet enter Peshawar region in Sangu and Shekhan areas and waters the Mohmand and Khalil tapas (counties) of Peshawar and ultimately moving towards the east joins Nagumaan river. Bara inside the settled area carries water (i) from its main sources of the tribal mountains (ii) spring water from Musazai, Hazarkhani (Mohmand) area and (iii) flood water in rainy seasons. Bara as such is not a regular flow stream and emerges only in its feeder areas otherwise remains mostly dry and is distributed in the inflow area by its users per working agreement in both the Khalil and Mohmand areas. Most of its khwarrs (beds) bring heavy devastating floods in rainy seasons to the detriment of the area inhabitants. Barra water in settled area is distributed through its Juis (streams)
The book gives full details of the irrigation uses, streams and benefit of each river in its pages 33-48.
Historical monuments of archaeological significance are detailed from page 48 to 58. Jamrud fort, Mahabat Khan Mosque, Ranigat, Shahbazgarhi, Takhtbai etc. find prominence in historical list of the area monuments. Peshawar fort however does not appear in the list.
A highly detailed list of the area flora and fauna appears in pages 59 to 74, followed by the forage in pages 75 to 84. Fruit gardens with description of each fruit follows up on the next page along with animals of the area in pages 86 to 117.
Chapter I continue on in its Fasal or sub-chapter (six) about the cantonments, police posts, roads and the sarais (travelers’ rest houses). Peshawar Cherat, Nowshehrah, Mardan housed the British army, followed by a brief description of the police stations, sarais etc. A descriptive list of the roads and sarais has been given in pages 121-140. Fasal seven describes the physical and residential composition of Peshawar with its mosques, temples, handicraft etc. at pages 141-160.
Details of Peshawar’s suburbs Sangu, Safed Sang, Mulazai, Lakarai, Landi, Haji Pandu (Phandu), Nodeh, Tehkal, Regi, Chamkani, Matani, Adaizai, Surazai, Dehbahdar, Musazai, Shaikh Mohammadi, Badaber, Azakhel, Mashogagar followed by the settlement in other five tehsils, Hashtnagar, Daudzzai , Yussufzai, Utmanzai and Nowshehrah with various tapas attached to them inhabited by Mohmand, Yussafzai, Khattak etc. are given upto page 358. Peshawar festivals both concerning Muslim and Hindu communities dot the book till page 374. The men and dynasties ruling over Peshawar from Temur Shah (1793) till the British advent in 1848 appears on page 375 at start of Chapter II of the book. The next page with its sub–chapter (Fasal) talks of the Khattak settlement in Peshawar which the author says had entered Bannu from Kohe-Sulaiman some six hundred years back and then moved subsequently to Akora and other areas. Its genealogy is traced to one Darvesh Mohammad nicknamed Panju. Next Fasal takes up the administrative organization of the area under the Afghans from Abdali, onwards, the Sadozai and Barakzai period, followed by those of the Sikhs. Changing order of the Jagirdars and income and revenue affairs are reported in similar order in the work.
Chapter III of the book, talks generally of genealogy and socio-economic pattern of life amongst the resident population of Peshawar particularly those in the rural and urban areas over pages 394 onwards. Inhere the author discusses the rule of Sheikh Malli of the Akozai tribe who laid the distribution formula (Waish, Kasoor or Bakhra) system of land amongst he Afghan tribes of Yussafzai, Mohammadzai, Khugiani, Daudzai, Khalil and Mohmand, that is of the six lands of the Afghans. This formula worked till new order of the British (1869). This Waish system along with genealogy table continues on over the next couple of hundred pages including the culture, traits, pastime, dresses, food, marriage ceremonies and arms of the Pathan population on the northwest frontiers of India. A long illustrated (hand drawing) list of dresses, jewelry, appliances, tools and weapons follows page 748 of the book, including those of the Hindus living amongst them.
Currency coins both old and new appear in the book (pp.901-906). The earlier Greek, Hindu, Tatari and Sikh followed by transacting Afghani of all demonitions with those of the British common in Peshawar including Swat where Afghan Mahmud Shahi is called Ghunda. City currency dealers called Saraaf, deal in all sorts of currencies in Peshawar. A comprehensive list of such coins is displayed along with their local names, metal substance inscribed figures and the rulers’ portrait. This is followed by weight and measure manuals in vogue for items of consumption in the market (pp.907-902).
Next comes on the book Peshawar’s trade links with India and Central Asia. Amritsar, in Punjab, linked British commodities of Bombay and Calcutta, through Peshawar to Kabul onwards in the north. Carvans from Bokhara moved via Kabul regularly to Peshawar and vice-versa. Similarly Peshawar linked this trade within the area towards Swat, Buner and Tirah besides 38 Mandis (markets) of its Tehsils. India supplied steel ware, cotton products, chinaware, indigo etc. to Central Asia and the latter furnished its dry and fresh fruit to all parts of India, some items of fresh fruit even went to Bombay etc. A large list of such items is given between pages 930 to 948. The book also talks about the famines, that affected time and again this area when in 1816-17, corn was selling for four seers a rupee otherwise the normal corn (maize)20 seers went for a rupee.
The pages (973-1012) give description of the land produce of Peshawar and its tehsils, followed by tools of cultivation and other handicraft skills of the inhabitants of the area. An illustrated list of such tools and men at work is given from pages 1029 to 1040. Rates of daily wages, skill-wise is given from page 1041-1051 onwards. It usually was 2 to 3 annas per day. On maturity of a crop, the helpers were shared with five to ten percent of the actual harvest depending nature of labour put in. The following pages proceed with land settlement issues of the region. The British tried to follow the Rivaj both hereditary and religious governing the society as per vogue in the light of Sharia and local customs. The Khans, Maliks, Nambardaran, Zaildaran etc. find mention in each category of the area. All such practices were recorded and were properly endorsed by the elders of the area concerned in form of Iqrarnamah (agreement deed). Such documents go up to page 1409 of the book. Then from pages 1410 to 1662 continue the irrigational water sharing agreements between the landed gentry of the beneficiaries of the area rivers, canals, streams, spring flood water etc. both categories duly verified and attested by the British government settlement authorities. This pertain to all the tehsils of Peshawar like the Khalil, Mohmand, Yussufzai, Khattak and other segments of population in the region. The system evolved short and long term remedies for interruption in water supply on account of change, diversion or interruption in the feeder source.
The last part of the book, in its Fasal 5 talks of the land revenue and administrative procedure adopted for this purpose by the British authorities. Gopal Das took over this assignment in July 1869 and initiated the work with training of 590 Patwaris (land assessors and recorders) and support staff. The book, though called a history, is in fact is a guide or record book for the British policy makers. It has consulted earlier historical works, like Makhzan, Farishta, Rehmat Khani and other basic data works for updating the compilers notions, yet is no way be taken as a final version on predated issues. Its strength lies in recording contemporary events and figures of the time. The language of the book is early format of Urdu where Hindi, Persian, Uzbek, Arabic and for local consumption Pashto words are used in making it a comprehendible manual. The Urdu print media had not yet properly developed and it depicts an evolutionary form of it in the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent.
The book holds significance as it connects pre-British annals of Peshawar in its new age with emergence of the European advent in this part of the world. There is little rather insignificant writing on Peshawar barring out S. M. Jaffar’s “Peshawar Past and Present” (1946) followed by Ahmad Hassan Dani’s “Peshawar: Historic City of the Frontier” (1969) and thus Gopal Das’s “Peshawar” can form the basis of much needed knowledge and information on this city and its surroundings.