Misplaced Pages

#16983

55-595: Gurwek is famous for being the site from where Mirzali Khan (Faqir of Ipi) led his guerrilla warfare, first against the British Empire , and later against the newly created government of Pakistan. It was in this town that Mirzali Khan symbolically declared his independent state of Pashtunistan . On May 11, 2010, at least 24 "suspected militants" were killed in Gurwek and Datta Khel from two drone strikes in Pakistan , in which

110-578: A Safi Pushtun revolt in 1947" as an aside. Besides the British document, none of these sources mention an earlier revolt in 1945 or 1946. The Cambridge History also states that the Safi were defeated by Mohammed Daoud Khan , implying that Daoud reprised his role in quelling the Safi in a new conflict from 1947 to 1949. However, Conflict in Afghanistan: A Historical Encyclopedia 's biography of Daoud only mentions

165-512: A choice to have an independent state of Pashtunistan composing all Pashtun majority territories of British India, instead of being made to join the new dominions of India or Pakistan. However, the British government refused to comply with the demand of the Bannu Resolution and only the options for Pakistan and India were given. Faqir of Ipi refused to recognise the partition of India and launched an armed rebellion against Pakistan which

220-460: A government school and later pursued religious studies at Bannu . He built a mosque and a house at Spalga, further south in North Waziristan agency in 1922. He went to perform Hajj at Mecca and later moved to Ipi in mid 1920s. He became a religious figure among the locals and was called "Haji Sahab" and was known for the introduction of both Sharia and Qanun law to Waziristan and for

275-410: A new conflict between the government and the Safi took place somewhere between 1947 and 1949. These include a mention of a "recrudescence in Safi discontent" in a British report dated 12 December 1947, which covered events from 1 May to 31 October 1947, although this report provides very little information in regards to the scope of the "recrudescence". The New Cambridge History of Islam also mentions

330-467: A new world. The adult men and some of the women were crying. This exile suddenly came upon our family. I was just small, and I heard that my father had come. He had been in prison along with my uncle. Just one of my uncles was at home. One of my brothers was at the military high school. People arrived - all of a sudden. We heard. One or two people said, "Look!" They were all wearing normal country clothes - not uniforms. I thought that people were coming, and it

385-651: A remote village in north Waziristan on the border with Afghanistan , where he propagated idea of an independent state, Pashtunistan , and continued his raids against the British, using bases in Afghanistan. He had the support of Nazi Germany in his warfare against British Raj. On 21 June 1947, the Faqir of Ipi, along with his allies including the Khudai Khidmatgars and members of the Provincial Assembly, declared

440-499: A result, Afghanistan was compelled to issue an open warning to the Faqir of Ipi and told him to refrain from any anti-Pakistan activities. The Faqir of Ipi died at night on April 16, 1960. Long suffering from asthma , during his last days, he was too sick to walk a few steps. People from far away often used to come and see him and ask for his blessing. His funeral prayers or Namaz-I-Janaza was held at Gurwek led by Maulavi Pir Rehman. Thousands of people came for his Namaz-I-Janaza. He

495-611: A revolt among the Safi lasting from 1947 to 1949. An article by Hafeez R. Khan from 1960, titled "Afghanistan and Pakistan", also briefly mentions a Safi revolt lasting from 1948 to 1949 in a timeline of Afghan history. The Sovietization of Afghanistan also mentions a Safi revolt in December 1947, while placing its defeat as late as 1954. Transition in Afghanistan: Hope, Despair and the Limits of Statebuilding mentions "the putting-down of

550-495: Is dated '١٣٢٤' (AH1324 = AD1945). The tribal revolts of 1944–1947 influenced Afghanistan to take a pro-Pakistan stance during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 . A pro-India stance in this case would necessitate stopping Pashtuns from joining Pakistan's war against India, which was expected to cause a resurgence in rebel activity when the government was hoping to focus on national reform. Some sources appear to state that

605-625: The Faqir of Ipi ( فقير ايپي ), was a tribal chief and adversary to the British Raj from North Waziristan in what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Pakistan. After performing his Hajj pilgrimage in 1923, Mirzali Khan settled in Ipi, a village located near Mirali in north Waziristan, from where he started a campaign of guerrilla warfare against the British Empire. In 1938, he shifted from Ipi to Gurwek ,

SECTION 10

#1732843937017

660-617: The Bannu Resolution which demanded that the Pashtuns should be given a third choice to have an independent state of Pashtunistan. The British government refused to comply with this demand. After the independence of Pakistan in August 1947, Afghanistan and India financially sponsored the Pashtunistan movement under the leadership of the Faqir of Ipi. He started the guerilla warfare against

715-537: The Punjab , to defeat Ipi's guerillas.This was in response to an ambush by Pashtun Waziristani tribesmen in which they had killed over 50 British Indian soldiers.However, the operation failed and by December, the troops were sent back to their cantonments . In 1939, the British Indian government claimed that the war capacity of the Faqir of Ipi's forces was enhanced by support from Nazi Germany and Italy , alleging that

770-528: The Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978) would, decades after the revolts, claim that the peasantry supported the Afghan government and that Safi tribes looted the peasant's homes and businesses in retaliation. According to David B. Edwards, the causes behind the Safi revolt lay in the change in Safi conscription laws. For many years prior to the uprising, the accepted procedure for enlisting military recruits - known as

825-424: The qaumi , or "tribal" method - had been for individual tribes to supply a certain number of men of their own choosing; these men would always serve together and generally in locations that were not far removed from their homes. Several years prior to the uprising, however, the government had insisted on employing a system referred to as nufus , or "population", in which the army conscripted its recruits directly from

880-477: The Afghan government moved troops into the southern province to reassert their authority in the area, which by then was a safe haven for smugglers. En route, the government force was attacked by a Zadian tribal leader named Mazrak . According to a later Pakistani inquiry, the conflict began after the Afghan government raided Mazrak's summer homes at the Taragharai hills and his winter home at Almara , since Mazrak

935-573: The British Raj in late 1944, though he was ultimately forced back into Afghanistan due to British aerial bombardment. Over the course of his uprising, Mazrak was joined by other rebel leaders, such as Sultan Ahmad and Abdurrahman (nicknamed "Pak"). Concurrently, Mohammed Daoud Khan fought against the Safi in the Eastern Province . The Mangal tribe rose up in June 1945. A 14-day long Safi siege of Kunar Khas

990-459: The British Raj. An oral account from 1983 described the revolt as follows: I think the Safi War [ safi jang ] was in 1945. It continued for a year and stopped in the winter of 1946. The government secretly planted some paid spies among the people. Approximately five hundred families were exiled after the war. I remember. They brought lorries. I was still small, and I was very happy that I would see

1045-449: The British. This move also helped rally support from Pashtun tribesmen across the border. In 1946, the British again attempted to decisively defeat Ipi's movement, but this effort was unsuccessful. On 21 June 1947, the Faqir of Ipi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan , and other Khudai Khidmatgars held a jirga in Bannu during which they declared the Bannu Resolution , demanding that the Pashtuns be given

1100-423: The Faqir of Ipi remained involved in Afghan politics. In March 1936, a British Indian court ruled against the marriage of Islam Bibi, née Ram Kori, a Hindu girl who converted to Islam, at Jandikhel , Bannu , after the girl's family filed case of abduction and forced conversion. The ruling was based on the fact that the girl was a minor and was asked to make her decision of conversion and marriage after she reaches

1155-513: The Italian diplomat Pietro Quaroni drove the Italian policy for involvement in Waziristan, although the British were unable find any concrete evidence for Quaroni's involvement. The British eventually suppressed the agitation by imposing fines and by demolishing the houses of their leaders, including that of the Faqir of Ipi.However, the pyrrhic nature of their victory and the subsequent withdrawal of

SECTION 20

#1732843937017

1210-531: The Pashtun fighters. Widespread lawlessness erupted as the Pashtuns blocked roads, overran outposts and ambushed convoys. In November 1936, the British Indian government sent two columns to the Khaisor river valley to rout Ipi's guerillas, but suffered heavy casualties and were forced to retreat. Soon after the Khaisor campaign a general uprising broke out throughout Waziristan. A successful British campaign suppressed

1265-762: The Safi accepted these terms, but all sources agree that the Safi uprising had subsided by the end of 1946. The events of this uprising are known as the Year of the Safi ( Safi kal ). The Safi uprising has received very little attention from scholars and researchers. Among the few texts that do discuss the revolt, there is disagreement about when it started and ended. The following table summarizes different information provided by various texts. (Duration: 1 year) The Mangal tribe rose up in Gardez in June 1945. Afghanistan had obtained Hawker Hind aircraft from Britain, purchasing 8 aircraft in 1937 and an additional 20 in 1939. During

1320-415: The Safi and Mangal, the former of which elected their own king, Salemai . Faqir of Ipi , a tribal leader from Waziristan (then part of British India ), also fought for the restoration of former king Amanullah Khan alongside other rebels. The Afghan government deployed Hawker Hind aircraft against the rebels, using aircraft to drop leaflets, gun down tribesmen and drop incendiary bombs. Mazrak invaded

1375-698: The Safi uprising was caused by the Afghan government's attempts to institute conscription among the Safi, trading monopolies granted to Afghan merchant companies, and government surveillance. Whit Mason attributes the Safi uprising to "extremely brutal taxation, oppression and poverty". The operations which would be officially dubbed the Operations in the Southern Province against Mazrak began in February 1944. There are multiple accounts as to how this conflict began. According to British records, it began shortly after

1430-690: The US fired up to 18 missiles. In 2014, about 929,859 people were internally displaced from North Waziristan as a result of Operation Zarb-e-Azb , a military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces along the Durand Line , which is the international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan This North Waziristan District location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mirzali Khan Haji Mirzali Khan Wazir ( Pashto : حاجي میرزاعلي خان وزیر ), commonly known as

1485-569: The age of majority, until then she was asked to live with a third party. The verdict enraged the Pashtuns, and further mobilized the Faqir of Ipi for a guerrilla campaign against the British Empire. The Dawar maliks and mullahs left the Tochi for the Khaisor Valley to the south to rouse the Torikhel Wazirs . A month after the incident, the Faqir of Ipi called a tribal jirga (Pashtun council) in

1540-451: The appearance of a mysterious Malang who posed as the brother of Amanullah temporarily helped boost Mazrak's fortunes, but lack of money with which to bribe the tribes caused the failure of the movement, and Malang had disappeared into obscurity by March 1945. By this time, the situation of the Afghan government was the most critical since the Ghilzai rebellion of 1938 - their aerial capacity

1595-551: The eastern province. By the end of October, most of the Safis, except for a few die-hards had come to terms with the Afghan government. This peace agreement included among other things the abandonment or postponement of Safi conscription. Aerial operations against the Safis in the Kunar valley ended in early November. In either 1945 or 1946, the Safi leaders, Shahswar , Said Muhd, Salim Khan and Allahdadd Khan fled to Mohmand tribal territory in

1650-481: The government treasury in Chagha Serai . Starting in late August 1945, 1,500-2,000 Safi rebels besieged a 400-men strong government garrison at Kunar Khas . This siege lasted 14 days, with the Safi being unable to capture Kunar Khas due to the Afghan air force supplying the settlement with food and ammunition. Had the Safi been able to capture Kunar Khas, that may have resulted in the collapse of government control in

1705-456: The harvests to government warehouses in Bar Kunar (Asmar) and Kuz Kanar (Khewa) districts. At the time, this could only be achieved with animal-powered transport . It was very commonplace for officials to delay acceptance of the deposit and question the quality of their produce. In order to be relieved from dues, farmers and landlords would often have to pay bribes. Despite this, the government of

Gurwek - Misplaced Pages Continue

1760-534: The introduction of the formal administration of justice and fairness in Ipi. In 1933, the Faqir of Ipi went to Afghanistan to fight against the Mohammadzai Afghan King at Khost to support the restoration of King Amanullah Khan . In 1944, the Faqir of Ipi joined his fellow Loya Paktia tribesmen again to support the restoration of Amanullah Khan in the Afghan tribal revolts of 1944–1947 . Until his death,

1815-410: The morning, you will be leaving." On 23 November 1946, Mohammed Dauod Khan gave the remaining Safi peace terms, which included the return of rifles and small arms ammunition captured from government troops, the surrender of Shahswar, Said Muhd, Salim Khan and Allahdadd Khan, the sale of grain to the government at reasonable rates, and the despatch of Safi youths to Kabul for education. It is unclear if

1870-591: The new nation's government. However, he couldn't succeed and his resistance diminished in the early 1950s. Mirzali Khan was born around 1897 at Shankai Kirta, a village near Khajuri in the Tochi Valley of North Waziristan, present day Pakistan, to Sheikh Arsala Khan Wazir. He was a Pashtun from the Torikhel branch of the Utmanzai Wazir tribe. His father died when he was twelve. He studied until fourth grade at

1925-451: The notice of Mir Salam who informed the other leaders and managed to incite a general uprising at Davagal and Badil among others. The conflict began when Safi rebels ambushed and captured government troops intended to gather conscripts. On 24 June 1945, 4 aircraft were dispatched to Jalalabad to deal with the Safi. Bombs and incendiaries caused extensive damage to Safi villages. One aircraft with 3 bombs, 1 vickers machine gun and 1 Lewis gun

1980-514: The operations, while another aerial officer, a pilot, fell into the hands of the rebels in the Mazar or Pech Daras, where he was knifed in the back and had his throat cut, but survived after local villagers found him laying unconscious near his aircraft and tended to his wounds. An incomplete list of aerial reconnaissance operations of note is listed below. With the defeat of the Safi and the surrender of Mazrak in late 1946 and January 1947 respectively,

2035-516: The period of 1 August to 31 October 1944, no major Afghan aerial operations against Mazrak were undertaken, other than reconnaissance flights. Around this time, Mazrak was subject to heavy bombardment in British territory, where he was sheltered by local tribesmen, after which he retreated back to Afghan territory. During his brief stay in the British Raj, Mazrak was joined by Sultan Ahmed, a rebel chieftain from Balochistan. They were later joined by another rebel leader nicknamed Pak. In November 1944,

2090-517: The population without consultation with any tribal body. The previous system was beneficial to the tribe, especially the tribal elders, who decided who would serve. The new procedure eliminated the power of Safi tribal leaders, and was thus fiercely resisted. One of the rebel leaders, Mazrak , supported the restoration of Amanullah Khan , a king of Afghanistan who was deposed in the Afghan Civil War (1928–1929) . According to British records,

2145-659: The revolts had come to a close. Hundreds of Safi were killed in the revolts, and following their defeat, the Kunar valley was ethnically cleansed of Safi Pashtuns. Other Safis, around 500 families, were exiled to Herat, Kabul or to Sholgara District . Veterans of the Afghan army who fought against the Safi were awarded the Royal Medal for the Suppression of the Rebellion in Kunar Province. The silver medal bears an inscription and

2200-474: The revolts lay in the worsening conditions of farmers, changes in conscription laws, the elimination of the power of Safi tribal leaders, Amanullah loyalism , trading monopolies, government surveillance, taxation, and poverty. The conflict began when government forces clashed with the forces of a tribal leader named Mazrak , who led the Zadran tribe in revolt. The Zadran uprising was followed by additional uprisings by

2255-610: The three Bādshāh Guls (i.e. grandsons of the Akhund of Swat) were active in support of the Kabul government while the Gul Şāḥib of Babra was secretly urging his followers in Chaharmung and Bajaur to support the Safis. However, further evidence of this has not been found. The Afghan government armed Nuristani and Shinwari tribesmen to fight the Safi. At one point in the rebellion, Safi rebels looted

Gurwek - Misplaced Pages Continue

2310-578: The tribal revolts of 1944–1947, these would come in use as the Afghan government used aircraft to drop leaflets, gun down tribesmen and drop incendiary bombs. It was rumoured that on one occasion, Afghan aircraft accidentally bombed and machine gunned government troops or allied tribal levies, causing 40 casualties. There were also a few minor accidents at the Jalalabad airfield, but the aircraft did not incur serious damage. Two aerial officers, Muhd Anwar Khan (pilot) and Abdul Vaqil Khan (observer) were killed in

2365-465: The troops was credited by the Pashtuns ( Wazir tribe ) to be a manifestation of the Faqir of Ipi's miraculous powers. He succeeded in inducing a semblance of tribal unity (something which was noted by the British Indian government) among various sections of Pashtuns including the Khattaks , Wazirs, Dawar, Mahsuds and Bettanis . He cemented his position as religious leader by declaring a Jihad against

2420-459: The uprising, leading to the realization of the futility of confronting the British directly especially with their advantage of air power. Ipi and his militants switched to guerrilla warfare. Squadrons of the two air forces ( RAF and RIAF ) launched numerous sorties against Ipi's forces, including dropping Jerrycan petrol bombs on crop fields and strafing herds of cattle. In 1937, the British sent over 40,000 British-Indian troops, mostly Sikhs from

2475-524: The uprising, which returned on 21 June. During that operation, the Hind aircraft were focused on dropping leaflets and incendiary bombs. No large explosives were dropped, but there were several instances of hostile tribesmen being gunned down by the aircraft. 2-3 villages were said to have been destroyed by incendiary bombs during this time. On request of the Afghan government, the British Raj took precautions to prevent Waziri tribesmen from aiding Mazrak. During

2530-429: The village of Ipi near Mirali to declare war against the British Empire. Faqir's decision to declare war against the British was endorsed by the local Pashtun tribes, who mustered two large lashkars 10,000 strong to battle the British. Many Pashtun women also took part in Ipi's guerilla campaigns, not only actively participated in the campaign but also singing landai (a short folk-song sung by Pashtun women) to inspire

2585-470: Was announced that my father had been released from prison. My father would be back home with us the next day. I was happy. [It was as though] the Jeshen (Independence Day) celebrations had begun. I was very happy. They were all armed, and as soon as they had come, they suddenly captured my family. Two or three hundred people, all dressed in civilian clothes, all are with the government, they captured us and said, "In

2640-669: Was buried at Gurwek. Faqir Aipee Road, a main artery connecting I.J.P. Road to the Kashmir Highway in Islamabad , is named after the Faqir of Ipi. Afghan tribal revolts of 1944%E2%80%931947 Rebel tribes: The Afghan tribal revolts of 1944–1947 or the Khost disturbances were a series of tribal revolts in the Kingdom of Afghanistan by Zadran , Safi and Mangal tribesmen which lasted from February 1944 to January 1947. The causes of

2695-464: Was limited by a shortage in bombs, their resources were stretched between the southern and eastern provinces, and the general population was discontented by high prices and a shortage of commodities. Further aerial operations against Mazrak, which included reconnaissance and bombing runs, took place in the Kunar valley from 24 June to 31 October 1945. Sultan Ahmad surrendered in November that same year, and

2750-455: Was lost during operations against the Safis. Among the villages bombed were the villages of Pacheyano Banda and Tanar. In one of the bombardments of the latter village, 11 members of a family were killed and the rest of the family members were unable to bury the dead in the village graveyard due to the threat of further bombardment. Instead they buried the dead in front of the family home, where they remained as of 2011. During this rebellion, it

2805-409: Was returned to Balochistan in custody. Despite Ahmad's surrender, Mazrak continued to fight. Ultimately, after 2 and a half years of resistance, Mazrak and his brother Sher Muhd Khan surrendered to the Afghan government, on 11 January 1947. The Safi rose up in either 1944 or 1945. It started when an order to arrest the Safi leaders - Sultan Mohammad, Abdul Qadir, Mir Salam and Momoond Khan, came to

SECTION 50

#1732843937017

2860-431: Was rumoured among the Safi that the government intended to ship women off to Kabul to become prostitutes. Among the more enthusiastic rebel fighters were younger men with more to gain and less to lose from fighting the government. The Safi elected a monarch of their own, named Salemai , as well as a Prime Minister ( Amanat Lewana ) and a Minister of Defence ( Amanul Mulk ). Some contemporary British records reported that

2915-523: Was suppressed by Pakistani airforce, decline and the general lack of interest by local people. Later on, the Faqir of Ipi, while addressing a gathering at Razmak , said that the Government of Afghanistan had misled him and deceived him in the name of Islam. He instructed his supporters that if the Government of Afghanistan made any future plan against Pakistan in his name, they should never support it. As

2970-536: Was suspected of housing Amanullah loyalist elements. For the following 3 months, Mazrak would carry out small raids from his new headquarters in Surkot. Government troops attempted to take Mount Almar in March 1944, but failed. Mazrak was forced to retreat into the hills following an attack by the Afghan government on 22 April 1944. On 25 April, the Afghan government dispatched 6 Hawker Hind aircraft to Gardez to deal with

3025-460: Was unsuccessful due to the Afghan air force supplying the settlement with food and ammunition. The Safi were defeated in late 1946, and Mazrak surrendered on 11 January 1947, ending the revolts. According to Alexander Davydov, causes of the revolts lay in the worsening conditions of farmers. Farmers and landlords were required to forfeit one-third of their harvest to the government, a practice referred to as sekoti . They would then have to transport

#16983