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INTRODUCTION
It was in the year 1910 when North Waziristan Agency was constituted as a full
fledged agency with its headquarters at Miran shah. It is inhabited by extremely
gallant and valiant tribes of Wazirs and Daurs. The agency lies from 32.35
degrees to 33.22 degrees latitudes and 69.22 degrees to 70.38 degrees
longitudes. It is bounded on the north by Afghanistan, Kurram Agency and Hangu
District, on the east by Tribal Areas Adjoining Bannu District and Tribal Area
Adjoining Karak and Bannu Districts. On the south by South Waziristan Agency and
on the west also by Afghanistan. The total area of the agency is 4707 square
kilometres.
PHYSICAL
FEATURES
Geographically, the whole of
Waziristan is a single unit. However for the administration
convenience it has been split into two agencies i.e North and
South Waziristan. The area
has been described as the land of high and difficult hills with deep and rugged
defiles. The mountains of North Waziristan are geographically apart from the
larger mountain system of the Koh-e-Sufaid in the north and the Sulaiman in the
south. The Waziristan hills were subject to igneous activity during the late
Cretaceous period. The highly mineralized zone of Razmak is connected with it.
The mountains and hills form a rampart between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Average
height of the Waziristan hills are about1500 to 2500 metres above the sea level.
The important ranges in the Waziristan hills are Derwesta, Laran, Vezda, Ingame,
Shoidar, Shawal, Eblunkai, Alexandra, Muzdak and Zakha. Tochi river flowing
through the agency have formed the Tochi Pass named after the river, through
which armies, people and cultures have moved in and out of this region. The
Tochi Pass connects Ghazni in Afghanistan with Bannu in Pakistan. Tochi river
has carved sufficiently large and important valley which is bounded by hills and
mountains on all sides except the eastern side. It is about 100 kilometres in
length and opens up into Indus valley near Bannu. The Tochi valley is fertile
and cultivable. Ketu and Kurram are the other two minor rivers which flow in the
northern part of the agency.
MINING
Following minerals have been found in the area:
Copper
associated with volcanics at Boya, Manzarkhel Spinkamar (east of Shora-Algad).
Manganese associated with cherts. Chromite associated with serpentinites. There
are only two mining sites of chromite at Mohammad Khel and Saidgi. In some hills
ordinary stones are mined for construction of buildings etc.
CLIMATE
The climate of the area is cold in winter and warm in summer. Summer season
starts from May and continues till September. June is generally the warmest
month. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during the month of June are 31
and 18 degree Celsius respectively. The winter starts in October and continues
till April. December. January and February are the cold months. The mean maximum
and minimum temperatures during the month of January are 10 and minus 2 degree
Celsius respectively. Rainfall is scanty except in the Razmak area where the
rainfall is slightly higher.
HISTORY
During the Mughal rule, Waziristan was a part of Mughal Empire, and once Bahadur
Shah, son of Aurangzeb personally visited this place and received the tribute
from the Wazirs and Daurs. After the fall of Mughal Empire, the Sikhs could
extend their sway up to Bannu only. Their short rule was confined to sporadic
forages as far as they could not dare to got near the tribal areas. Both tribes,
Wazirs and Daurs accepted ,the influence of the Mughal and Durrani Kings who
counted on them as a solid army always in readiness to help them in exigencies.
When the British took over the administration of the settled district of Bannu
in 1849, the tribes of North Waziristan were under the sovereignty of the Kabul
government. As both the Wazirs and Daurs used to be at logger heads amongst
themselves, the Daurs invited the British to enter their country in order to
establish peace in this area and to give them protection from Wazirs. The
British, therefore, entered North Waziristan in 1894 and made agreement with the
tribes. The Britishers introduced a regular system of land record and revenue
administration for the most fertile part of the Tochi valley. It was later in
the year 1910 when North Waziristan was made a full fledged agency. In 1935-36,
a Hindu-Muslim clash occurred over a Hindu girl of Bannu, who had married a
Muslim which led to disturbance in Waziristan. The tribesmen rallied round one
Mirzali Khan, Tori Khel Wazir, who was later on given the title of the Faqir of
Ipi. Jehad was declared against the British and the Faqir of Ipi with his huge
Lashkar (force) remained at war with the British till the
latter
evacuated the area in 1947. The Faqir of Ipi died in 1960. Inspite of his
opposition to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan the Jirgas in Waziristan decided
in favour of joining Pakistan.
RACE AND
TRIBES
The chief tribes in
North Waziristan are the Utmanzai Wazirs and Daurs. Besides, there are
small tribes like the Gurbaz, Kharsins, Saidgis and Malakshi Mahsuds. These
tribes, except Saidgis, are Pakhtoons. According to the tribal annals they are
descendants of Karlaur, who in turn descended from Kais Abdur Rashid. As regards
the ethnic origin some historians believe that they are semites, but it is the
general belief that they are of Aryan origin. The traditions of the tribesmen
however indicate that they are descendants of Karlan and Ghurghust, and are,
therefore, generally accepted as being a tribe of Karlanri or Ghurghust Pathans.
The Saidgis are the descendants of a Syed who accompanied the founder of the
Wazir tribe. The Wazirs dominate the hilly tracts; Khaisora. Sherathala Plain,
Kaitu valley, Lower stretches of the
Kurram River and upper parts
of Tochi valley beyond Kharakamar. They are divided into three main sections
namely. Ibrahim Khel; Wali Khel and Mamit Khel. These sections are further
divided into several sub-sections. The Daurs are divided into two main sections
viz: Upper Daurs and Lower Daurs and the area occupied by them is also known as
Upper Daur and Lower Daur. They have settled in the fertile Tochi valley, mostly
on the left bank of Tochi river from Khajuri to Kharkamar. The Kharsins are
affiliated with Bora Khel and Madda Khel Wazirs. They live near the Durand Line
to the north-west of the agency flanked by Madda Khel Wazirs and Saidgis.
Mahsuds are the cousins of Wazirs; both have common ancestor, viz. Wazirs. A
section of Mahsuds called Bahlol Zai Malakshai occupy a small portion of Razmak
surrounded by Bora Khel and Tori Khel Wazirs. The Saidgis occupy Zoi valley,
Shawal. Dawegar and Dande plain near the Durand Line.
RIVERS
AND STREAMS
There are five notable rivers namely: Tochi; Kaitu; Kurram; Khaisor and Shaktue.
There are some streams namely: Khoni Aigad; Chashma Aigad; Saidgi Algad; Kanungo
Aigad; Sagga Aigad; Tauda China Algad; Damoma Algad; Tarkhobi Algad; Suedar
Aigad.
DRESS
AND ORNAMENTS
The common dress of tribesmen consists of shirt, trousers, Waist-coat, sheet of
cloth, turban and Chappal. The Wazir woman wears a sleeved blouse or petti-coat
and a long heavy shirt with trousers. She covers her head and body with a sheet
of cloth. A married woman wears coloured trousers while unmarried wears simple
trousers. On festivals and marriages Wazir women put on colourful and ornamented
blouse and a multi-coloured frock some times made of 40 metres cloths. To
further adorn themselves the women put on rectangular pieces of silver and gold
that hung on their forehead and side-ways down to ears. A Daur woman's dress is
almost similar to a Wazir woman. As footwear she uses Chappal of leather.
FOOD
The staple food of the tribesman is wheat or maize bread. Milk is taken in its
various Forms. Roasted meat Larmin is relished much.
DWELLING
The Daurs live in houses closed together in a compact area. In case of Wazirs a
large joint family lives either in one and the same house called Ket or Kot or
in houses adjacent to one another, but separated from the houses of the other
families. A walled enclosure of mud or mud and stones. three to five metres high
is called Kot. Most of the Kots have fort like structure with a tower in the
centre of every' Kot used as a strategic point for fighting with the enemy, when
hostilities break out. Every section in a village has a Masjid and a common
sitting place. One or several households have a private guest house hujra
attached to the house. [n a house there may be one or several rooms.
OCCUPATION
Due to the rugged nature of terrain and lack of education inhabitants look
forward to
government services. Sizeable number of people earn their livelihood by going
abroad for labour. Local people have also invested in transport business.
PLACES
OF INTEREST
Miranshah town is the headquarters of North Waziristan Agency, It is connected
with Bannu and other important places in the agency by metalled roads. This town
houses the offices of all government departments in the agency and also serves
as a market centre for people of the area.
Razmak
valley is a summer resort Ghulam Khan Pak-Afghan border and Keitu valley which
also share Pak-Afghan border are some of the other places of interest in the
agency.
ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP
The agency is under the general charge of a Political Agent who administers
civil, criminal and revenue cases in accordance with Frontier Crimes Regulation
and Customary Law. The North Waziristan Agency consists of three sub-divisions
and nine Tehsils. Each of the sub-division is headed by an Assistant Political
Officer/Assistant Political Agent. The Political Agent is assisted by three
Assistant Political Agents in criminal cases and other official work including
matters maintaining law and order in the agency. Assistant Political Agents
assist the Political Agent in tackling problems of the agency. They perform
their duties like a Liaison Officer between the Political Agent and the tribes.
They also decide cases of minor criminal nature and civil suits. Political
Tehsildars and Political Naib- Tehsildars are incharge of Tehsils and their main
duty is to control the tribes and maintain law and order within their own areas.
They are answerable to the Political Agent through the Assistant Political
Agent. They deal with all cases occurring in the protected area of their
respective Tehsils. Land revenue administration in some parts of the agency is
carried on exactly on the same lines as in the settled districts of Pakistan.
The Frontier Crimes Regulation is applicable in this area. Cases occurring in
the unprotected area are decided by the tribes themselves through their elders
who are known as Maliks and Motabars. The Maliki system introduced by British
government was the same in North Waziristan Agency as functioning in other FATA.
Maliks use to work like a medium between administration and the Qaum or tribe. A
Maliki is hereditary and devolves on the son and his son so on and so both for
which regular benefits and subsidies are sanctioned from time to time. Lungi
system known as Sufaid Resh is slightly lower form of Maliki. In North
Waziristan Agency there are 1620 Maliks and Lungi holders.
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