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Bajaur
— Agency —
Urdu transcription(s)
- Perso-Arabic
باجوڑ
script
Bajaur
Country Pakistan
Federally Administered Tribal
Province
Areas (FATA)
Administration
Khar
HQ
Tehsils List[show]
[1]
Government
- The Political
Shafeerullah
Agent
Area [2]
- Total 1,290 km² (498.1 sq mi)
[3]
Population (1998)
- Total 595,227
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
- Summer (DST
PDT (UTC+6)
)
There are three main tribes in Bajaur: Utman Khel, Tarkalanri, and Mamund. The largest tribe is
Utman Khel, judged by population or territory. The Utman Khel are at the southeast of Bajaur,
while Mamund are at the southwest, and the Tarkani are at the north of Bajaur. Its border with
Afghanistan's Kunar province makes it of strategic importance to Pakistan and the region.
Contents
[show]
[edit] Geography
District map of FATA and NWFP - Districts of FATA are shown shown in blue, Bajaur is located
in the north.
It is about 45 miles (72 km) long by 20 miles (32 km) broad, and lies at a high level to the east of
the Kunar Valley, from which it is separated by a continuous line of rugged frontier hills,
forming a barrier easily passable at one or two points. Across this barrier the old road from Kabul
to Pakistan ran before the Khyber Pass was adopted as the main route.
An interesting feature in the topography is a mountain spur from the Kunar range, which curving
eastwards culminates in the well-known peak of Koh-i-Mor, which is visible from the Peshawar
valley. It was here, at the foot of the mountain, that Alexander the Great found the ancient city of
Nysa and the Nysaean colony, traditionally said to have been founded by Dionysus.The Koh-i-
Mor has been identified as the Meros of Arrian's history—the three-peaked mountain from which
the god issued. [5]
In 1518 , Babur had invested and conquered the fortress of Bajaur and gone on to
“ conquer Bhera which was on the river Jhelum,a little beyond the salt ranges .After
the River Indus these formed traditionally the defensive frontier of India . Babur
claimed these areas as his own because they had been part of Taimur's empire .
Hence "picturing as our own the countries once occupied by the Turks" ,he ordered
that "there was to be no overrunning or plundering (of the countryside)" . It may be
noted that this applied to areas which did not offer resistance , because earlier , at
Bajaur , where the Afghan tribesmen had resisted , he had ordered a general
massacare , with their women and children being made captive .[6] ”
Babur justifies this massacre by saying "the Bajauris were rebels and at enimity
“ with the people of Islam , and as , by heathenish and hostile customs prevailing in
their midst , the very name of Islam was rooted out ....".[7] ”
'As the Bajauris were rebels and inimical to the people of Islam , the men were
“ subjected to a general massacare and their wives and children were made captive .
At a guess , more than 3000 men met their death . We entered the fort and inspected
it . On the walls , in houses , streets and alleys , the dead lay , in what numbers !
Those walking around had to jump over the corpses . [8] ”
The Gazetteers and Reports contain nearly all the modern information available about Bajour.
The autobiography of Baber (by Leyden and Erskine) gives interesting details about the country
in the 16th century.