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INTRODUCTION
Lying at the southern side of two Waziristans and named after the Wazir tribe.
South Waziristan Agency is the largest in size of all the FATA bordering North
West Frontier Province. It has two headquarters. Tank is the winter headquarter
of the Agency while Wana is its summer headquarter. It is functioning since 1895
A.D. It is bounded on the north by North Waziristan Agency on the north-east by
Bannu and Lakki Marwat Districts, on the east by Tribal Area Adjoining Tank.
Tank District and D.I.Khan Districts on the south by Zhob district of
Balochistan Province and Tribal Area adjoining D I.Khan District and on the west
by Afghanistan. The total area of the Agency is 6.619 square Kilometres.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
The Agency is mostly a mass of rugged and complex hills and ridges. There are no
regular mountain alignments. The land rises gradually from south and east to
north and west. The dominating range is the Preghal in the west along the border
with Afghanistan.
It is the highest peak which is 3515 metres high. Zarmelan, Wana, Shakki, Zalai,
Spin and Tiarza are the main plains of the Agency.
MINING
There is hardly significant mining to be mentioned. Coal mines have been
discovered in the disputed area of Neeli Kach Tehsil Wana. Copper is found in
Preghal and Spin Kamar.
CLIMATE
The Agency has hot summers and very cold winters. In winters the mercury goes
below freezing point in places of high altitude. The summer season starts in May
and ends by September. June is generally the warmest month when the mean maximum
temperature rises slighhtly over 30 degrees centigrade. The winter starts in
October and continues till April. December, January and February are the coldest
months. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures for this period are 10 and -2
degrees centigrade respectively. The Agency is outside the monsoon zone, yet at
higher altitudes fair amount rainfall is received. South Waziristan Agency has
an arid climate for the most part and receives little precipitation generally.
The western portion bordering Afghanistan receives more rainfall than the
eastern portion touching Tank and D.I.Khan districts. Most of the Agency
receives mean annual rainfall of 6 inches, while a small piece in the south
eastern corner receives less than 10 inches annually.
HISTORY
From the time of taking over the Frontier from the Sikhs, in 1849 the Deputy
Commissioner Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu controlled all political matters in
Waziristan up to 1895. These areas did not come under the British control until
November 1893, when the Amir of Afghanistan signed a treaty renouncing all
claims to these territories. After attack on the Delimitation Commission Escort
at Wana in 1894 and subsequent large military operations in 1894-95, a Political
Agent for South Waziristan was permanently appointed with headquarters at Wana.
Another was also appointed for Tochi area (North Waziristan) with headquarters
at Miranshah. The post of Resident in
Waziristan was created in 1908. The Political Agent in
North Waziristan was
subordinate to the Resident, who was directly responsible to the Chief
Commissioner of North Western Frontier Province. With the withdrawal of Indian
government to the settled districts, the regular armed forces were withdrawn and
instead local Militia was raised in 1900. However, large scale disturbances
occurred in 1904 resulting murder of the Political Agent and Militia Commandant
at Sarwakai. Later a plot to murder all the British Officers, seized the Wana
fort and handed it over to Mullah Powindah, the self-styled king of Waziristan
was discovered. The Political Agent and the Commandant on the same night
disarmed and dismissed all the Mahsuds from the Militia. A few months later they
were again enlisted but once again they were disbanded in 1906.
RACE AND TRIBES
Mahsuds and Wazirs are the two main tribes of this Agency. There are also some
Dotaris and other Powindah settlers in the south-west corner of the Agency
between Thati to Zarmelan. The Bhittanis inhabit a strip of country along the
south-east border of the Agency. Some western ethnologists consider the Wazirs a
tribe of Rajput origin probably an Indian race with admixtre of some foreign
blood like that of Seythians of Tartars. According to their own traditions, the
Wazirs call themselves the descendants of Wazir who was the son of Sulaiman, the
son of Kaakai, the son of Karian and grandson of Ghurgust. So they are usually
described as being a tribe of Karlanri or Gurgust Pathans. From this common
origin come the Wazirs, a title which properly includes both the Wazirs and
Mahsuds but the word Wazir has now practically been appropriated by the former.
The Mahsuds are divided into three main divisions and hence the term Dremahsuds.
These are Alizai (Shabi Khel and Manzai), Shaman Khel and Bahlolzai. Each of
these are divided into sections and sub-sections. These three divisions share
benefits and losses equally according to what is known as Nikat. The Manzais are
divided into Giddi Khel and Palli Khel. The Manzais have a small number of Syeds
as their Hamsayas (neighbourers). They are said to have come either from Yaman
or Turkistan. The Shaman Khel of Shah oar commonly known as "Shahoor
Shaman Khel" are a mixed community of Khalli Khel and Char Khel but are treated
separately: The Marsanzai is a small tribe living in Shaktu but usually treated
separately
RIVERS AND STREAMS
Direction of water courses,
in general, is from west to south i.e. from the watersheds of Sulaiman mountains
to the Indus. There are two principal rivers in the Agency viz. Gomal of
Luni and Tank Zam. Some important rivulets are Khaisora, Shaktu, Splitoi, Wana
Toi, Shuza, Shinkai and Shahur. The rest are merely mountain streams generally
insignificant but they all become dangerous and impassable during heavy rains
which frequently occur during the months of July and August. The
Gomal River rises in two
branches in the eastern slopes of the western Sulaiman range in the Birmal
District of Afghanistan not far from the source of the Tochi River. The Tank Zam
is formed by the junction of the Tauda China and the Baddar Toi, at Dwa Toi,
south of Razmak.
DRESS AND ORNAMENTS
The tribal people of this area wear special and distinctive dress. The dress of
men consists of a turban smock; Shalwar and Chaddar. The smock is generally
white or grey and occasionally embroidered on the chest with silk or cotton.
Their Shalwars are baggy and big. Maliks and other well-to-do wear white cotton
smocks and carry Chaddar on their shoulders. The young educated males wear
modern dress as worn by people elsewhere in the country. Women wear different
coloured clothes as to be identified. Married women put on dark-blue or dark-red
smocks of coarse cotton. The spinsters invariably of both married and unmarried
women are similar and fit closely below the knee.
FOOD
The people of South Waziristan eat simple food of wheat and maize bread. They
are also fond of rice cooked in mutton. Pullo and roasted meat are served on
special occassions.
DWELLING
The houses in settlements are built of Pucca bricks plastered with mud and give
appearance like a fort with a tower for defence. Along Tank- Wana road passing
through a grim rocky country hills, there are scattered groups of neatly built
mud houses standing in the middest of grazing grounds and cultivated patches and
dominated by tall watch towers. The principal villages of the Mahsuds are Makin
and Kanigurram. Some of the Mahsuds and Wazirs are migratory who come down in
winter and live in tents or huts in the district of Dera Ismail Khan.
OCCUPATION
Majority of Wazirs and Mahsuds of South Waziristan are pastoral. The Wazirs
breed a good race of horses and sheep and earn their livelihood from sheep
rearing. A large number of Mahsuds are employed in the Army, as levies and
Khassadars in Militia and scouts. Mahsuds have also taken to business in Tank
and Dera Ismail Khan and run buses and trucks. The other articles of petty trade
in this Agency are charcoal, wool, potatoes, chilghozas and a few varieties of
locally grown fruits.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Wana is the summer headquarters of the Agency. It is an important tehsil and a
camp at par with Razmak. The population is mostly of Ahmadzai Wazirs. It has a
vast plain and extensive valleys surrounded on all sides by hills. It is an
important industrial and agricultural centre, Ladha, Makin, Sararogha,
Azamwarsak and Angoor Adda are the important places of the Agency. Khanigurram
is inhabited principally by a tribe called Urmar, whose origin is not thoroughly
known, but are believed to be of Indian descent. They have a language of their
own, and identify themselves with the Mahsud. The tribesmen manufacture small
arms and knives, whichare.moosfor their finish and performance and much liked by
the tourists and foreigners.
ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP
The civil administration of South Waziristan Agency has been functioning since
1895 under a Political Agent who administers civil criminal and revenue cases in
accordance with the Frontier Crimes Regulations and Customary Law. The Agency is
divided into three administrative Sub Divisions of Sarwakai, Ladha and Wana.
These three sub-Divisions are further divided into eight Tehsils. Sarwakai is
administered by Assistant Political Officer whereas Ladha and Wana Sub Divisions
are administered by Assistant Political Agents. Each tehsil is headed by a
Political Naib Tehsildar. The Malik system introduced by the British government
is functioning in the Agency. Maliks used to work like media between
administrations and the (Qaum) or Tribe. A Maliki is hereditary and devolves on
the son and his son so on and so forth for which regular benefits and subsidies
are sanctioned from time to time. Lungi system known as Sufaid Resh is slightly
lower form of Maliki.
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