History of BunerHistory of Buner
The sound and fury of the gallant of the ancient times still echo in the vallies of Buner. Most of them faced military at the hands of militants of these mountainous area. Olaf Caroe has pointed out that the armies of Alexander the grate had passed though Karaker,Daggar ,Ambela and Malandri in 327-326 BC. The same route was later on followed by Maghul armies in 1526 A.D. this has referred by sir Robin lane fox in his book. Alexander the Great and by Olaf Caroe in his book. ‘The Pathanas’. The Yousifzai tribe had occupied Buner shortly before 1519 A.D. after which the great land settlements by venerated Shaikh Mali had been carried-out in this area. It is true that never in entire history .not even in the time of Alexander the Great, A kber, Aurangzeb, the Sikh or the British, the ancient inhabitants, and later the Yousifzai of this area were the subjects of any those empires.
In 1587 A.D. Akbar’s armies had passed through Karaker, Toorwarsak, Daggar(Brandu) and ultimately badly defeated at Malandrai wherein King Akbar’s belovedRaja Birbal and his 8,000 men lost their lives. Akbar could not get even the body of Raja Birbal to be burnt. During the Sikh’s rule over frontier they could not enter the area of Buner. This area become sanctuary and strong citadel to the Muslim fighters of Syed Ahmad Shaheed loyally stood in support of those Mujahiddins against the Sikh and the British onslaughts.
The people of Swat and Buner united to from a state and the great freedom fighter Syed Akbar Shah of sitana become the first rules of Swat and Buner from 1849-1857. after his death in 1857(exactly on the same date independence war of 1857 started) there was no ruler 1915 and thus the period in known as ‘Era of Pukhtoo’ when every tribe was ruled by its own elders.
When the British armies tried to reach Malka a strong hold of Mujahideens. They invaded through Ambela in 1863 A.D. which resulted in the famous Ambela War. Though it was an unequal between the flesh and blood on one side and the mettle and technology of the British empire on the other but the Raj Shamefully failed in winning the target .ironically their retreat from Buner resembles to Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Like the Geneva accord the British persuaded the Khans of Buner through Ajab Khan and Aziz Khan of Sadhum to strike a deal with Buner’s Khans to accompany and allow British officers to go to Malice and as a token buner few houses as an excuse fro so called honorable withdrawal from Ambela Wars and save their prestige. It is painful to see that all khans of Buner were persuaded for this purpose for 13,000 rupees only. The deal was struck through Zaidullah khan of Daggar. The British as per their own record had lost the largest number of British officers in a single military expedition in India i.e.238 officers died 670 injured they were licking their wounds to the last day of their Raj because they could not establish then rule in Buner till the dawn of independence in 1947.
The fight of Islam had reached through Sufis ( saints) and Ulemas (priests) much earlier but when shortly after 1000 A.D. the forces of sultan mehmood of Ghazni defeated the last Budha ruller Raja Geera under the command of pir Khushal the religion of the assumed a dominant role in society the arrival of Pir baba 1502-1575 A.D. and that of the Yousifzai tribe. Accelerated the spread of islam in the area. This shrine at Pacha kalay is still the center of attraction for Muslims throughout sub-continent.
In 1915 Syed Abdul jabbar shah of sitana become Badshah of Swat but in 1915 Mian Gul Abual Wadood manipulated his expulsion from Swat and become a ruler himself. He was succeeded by this son Mian Gul Jehanzeb in 1949. the state was merged in Pakistan on 29th July 1969 and Buner become a district in 1991.
races and tribes.
the mine tribes which are living in the area.
- Yousifzai
- Mandar>
- Syed
- Gujar<
- Sikh
Yousifzai.
the Yousifzai are living in in the southern part of the area.Baba jee Kondow (Baba jee pass) is the natural boundre between the Yousifzai and Mandar tribes of the area.
Mandar
Mandar is another big tribe which is living in Buner. it is said that Mandar's are areas. some of branches of this tribe are also living in Chamla and Kadu Khel the southern of district Buner.
Syed
the Syeds are the descendants of Hazrat Ali. the son law of prophet Muhhamad (P.B.U.H). the Syeds of Buner are the descendants of Syed Ali Tarmazai(Pir Baba) whose pedigrees goes back to Hazrat Ali. Syed Ali Tarmazai (Pir Baba) migrated from Ajmeer Sharif to Buner in the year 1540 on the advice of Shaik Salar Attaullah Roomi for preaching purpose.
he got married and stayed here permanently. Syed are settled in every fehsil of Buner. they are very influential and respected every where.