Shabqadar: Imprisonment for 180 years and indelible impressions of history

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Shabqadar: Imprisonment for 180 years and indelible impressions of history


Azmat Akbar

The loneliness and darkness of the cage has such an effect on the heart and mind of the prisoner that the very idea of freedom begins to seem foreign to him.

Night and day, all hours feel the same. Especially for a prisoner who doesn't even know his guilt. What was my fault? Finding the answer to this question paralyzes thinking.

Of course, incarceration is a painful experience and is only felt by humans or animals who have gone through this ordeal. But last week, I met a prisoner who is neither a human nor an animal, but the two gates of Shabqadar Fort, which have been bound for 180 years under man-made law for uncommitted crime. It seems that after the end of their imprisonment, they went to the prison of the pages of history, that perhaps only imprisonment is written in the destiny of these doors.

2 such gates of Shabqadar Fort which have been bound for 180 years; Azmat Akbar


It was the reign of Raja Ranjit Singh and in Shabqadar (formerly called Shankargarh) there were fierce attacks by the Mohmand tribes against the Sikh army. During this period, Raja Ranjit Singh ordered his son Sher Singh to build a fort at a safe place in Shabqadar to prevent attacks by the Mohmand tribes.

Sher Singh approached Tota Ram, an architect of the time, and after finalizing the design, began the construction of the fort on a relatively high mound at Shankargarh (Shabqadar) in 1835.

The Watch Tower in the very center of the fort;

Watch Tower;


The fort was to be used to communicate with Sikh forces in other forts around the city and to monitor the movement of the Mohmand tribes. The construction of the fort was completed in a short span of 2 years and in 1837, the Sikh forces under Sher Singh started regular work here to suppress the Mohmand tribes. Prior to the construction of the fort, Shankargarh was called Sharif Kaur, but after the completion of the construction work, the Sikhs settled around the fort, started their business here and renamed the area Shankargarh.

The purpose of building this fort at a height was to provide long-range surveillance so that it could better line up against possible enemy attacks while also connecting Peshawar and adjoining areas through its Watch Tower. Was done

In a short span of 3 years, the Mohmand tribes attacked the fort several times but without much success.

The construction of the fort was completed in a short span of 2 years; Azmat Akbar


In the winter of 1840, an army of Mohmand tribes led by Saadat Khan attacked the fort of Shankargarh (Shabqadar). At first, the Sikh forces fought hard but some of the invading lashkar soldiers managed to break through the main gate of the fort and started killing the Sikh soldiers inside the fort. Raja Sher Singh sent a message of help to the troops at Peshawar and Machnai forts, forcing the army of the Mohmand tribes to retreat.

While Sher Singh began to amass an army of his own, the Mohmand tribesmen, after considering the move to break down the gates of the fort, filed a case in the court of the then 'French General Jean Vittoria'. Within two days, the court convicted Tota Ram, the architect who designed the fort, and sentenced him to cut off his hands and imprison him for 100 years. Under this decision, while Tota Ram's hands were cut off, the main gates of the fort were bound with iron chains along with the Watch Tower for a long imprisonment.

Sher Singh had filed the case in the court of French General Jean Vittoria - Azmat Akbar

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I have spent the best years of my life from childhood to boyhood in the historic city of Shabqadar and I have seen this fort many times, but last week I visited the historical city of Shabqadar again with a few local journalist friends and 180 in this fort. I had the opportunity to hear the cries of the imprisoned for years. Here I had the opportunity to hear again the stories of my forefathers' struggle for freedom and the countless sacrifices made for that purpose.

After the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir, the area came under the control of the Sikhs and remained under their control till 1850. The area later came under the control of the East India Company. While the Mohmand tribes continued to fight against the Sikhs, they also fought against the British under the leadership of Malanjamuddin alias Hada Mullah.

In 1876, the area was renamed Shabqadar in order to celebrate the religious fervor of Muslims in the area, to celebrate Shab-e-Qadr in full force and to quell the revolt of the local Muslim tribes against the British.

The two huts in the castle were reminiscent of the stay of Winston Churchill, a former British prime minister, writer and British army officer.

Churchill's living room; Azmat Akbar

Churchill Hit;


After the uprising at Chakdara ended in 1897, Churchill stayed for a while at Shabqadar Fort in order to control the long-running Mohmand invasions. The room in which Churchill lived is still called Churchill Hut, and the beds, fans, pictures and other items used by Churchill adorn the room.

Beds, fans and other things used by Churchill; Akbar


The graves of the British soldiers inside the FC Training Center outside the fort compound were reminiscent of the battle of 1915 between the local Muslim army led by Haji Sahib Tarangzai Baba and the British army.

Graves of British soldiers killed by local Muslim soldiers in 1915 - Azmat Akbar


The Frontier Corps (FC) Force was formed in 1913 by combining the Samana Rifles and the Border Military Police, and in 1944 the fort became a regular FC training center. Young people receive training and play their part in national security and defense.

In the year 1913, FC Force was formed by merging Samana Rifles and Border Military Police. Azmat Akbar


With a population of about 400,000 and an area of more than 4.5 million, the beautiful Shabqadar Tehsil of Charsadda District is located between the Swat River and Kabul. ﯾﮧ ﺷﻤﺎﻝ ﺳﻤﺖ ﺳﻤﺖ ﻣﯿﮟ ﺳﮯ ﺳﮯ 35 ﮐﻠﻮﻣﯿﭩﺮ ﮐﮯ ﻓﺎﺻﻠﮯ ﭘﺮ ﻭﺍﻗﻊ. Due to its strategic location, the area is prominent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

 

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It is bounded on the east by the lush green areas of Doaba and Charsadda, on the north by the Swat River, on the south by the Kabul River, on the west by the Mohmand District, the Bajaur Tribal Area and the Afghan border, making it an important trading center. Is.

Due to its proximity to Mohmand Agency, Bajaur and Afghanistan, Shabqadar is also an important commercial center - Azmat Akbar


Shabqadar is a very important city for tourists who are interested in history. Not only can the fort built by Sher Singh be a tourist attraction here, but also the historic bazaar of Shabqadar, Patwarkhana, Matta Mughal Khel Fort and the British cemetery around it, Machnai Fort, Mohmand Dam, Swat River. The historical forts at Manda Pul, Yusuf Baba and Abazai are also places of interest.

The people of Shabqadar are very friendly and hospitable. They are also incomparable in hard work and skill. The sheets (shawls) made here are also supplied with cotton and khaddar cloth, the famous slippers of Charsadda and gar and other items not only domestically but also abroad.

Manda Head Barrage on the Swat River and the area of Mohmand Dam; Azmat Akbar


After visiting Shabqadar Bazaar, we went to the historical town of Matta Mughalkhel, 10 km away from Shabqadar, from where after a further journey of about 5 km, we reached Mian Patte, an area specially known as a hunting ground.

In the past, the area has been the scene of various battles between the Mohmand tribes and the British. In winter, large numbers of rare birds make their home in the mountains, which is why local hunters flock to the area. Mian Patte is also the starting point of Pandiali, the most beautiful tehsil of Mohmand district. The mountain trails and tranquil environment can be a source of comfort for trekking enthusiasts and tourists, so don't forget to visit here when they come to Shabqadar.

After getting acquainted with the beauty and history of the Mian Patta area with local friends, we headed back.

Mian Patta area remains a battleground between the Mohmand tribes and the British; Azmat Akbar


A few tips for tourists who want to visit Shabqadar

• There is no hotel facility here, so either arrange to stay at a local person's house or visit all the places of Shabqadar in one day with the arrangement of overnight stay in Peshawar.
• If you want to see the historic fort of Shabqadar, you will need permission from the FC Commandant Officer.
• The Mohmand, Gigiani and Syed tribes live in this area, so pay special attention to the local traditions.
• Be sure to have a local guide with you during your Shabqadar tour.
• All the mobile communication networks work here so with 4G internet you can stay in touch with your loved ones all over the world.

Azmat Akbar is a social worker and CEO of Trap Travels Pakistan. You are not only interested in tourism but also committed to its promotion.

https://www.dawnnews.tv/authors/2535

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Its weird how we still follow those colonial era court rulings. We need to shun this identity of slavery and instead take pride in the identity of those freedom fighters who fought sikhs and British for decades. Such stupid ruling of colonial courts should be abolished and shamed. The forts and monuments should be renamed to freedom fighters. Our british base of military should be demolished and they should be reimagined in the names and stories of freedom fighters.

 

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The weeping willows of Shabqadar and other marvels at this magnificent fort


Shabqadar fort is definitely worth a visit for anyone interested in the region's Sikh history and colonial rule.

Omar Mukhtar Khan

After the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, the Sikh rule in Punjab was in doldrums due to palace intrigues and infighting. However, it continued to expand from Amritsar to Peshawar on account of a strong and professional army that it had at its command. One feature of this army was the many European Generals whom Ranjit Singh had acquired after the 1815 battle of Waterloo, following which, these Generals had migrated to Iran and further east. These Generals trained Ranjit Singh's army on modern warfare, especially his 'Fauj i Khaas' brigade, which can be compared to some sort of a special services group. General Jean-Baptiste Ventura was among those European Generals, and for those who do not know, he used to reside in what is now the Chief Secretary's office in Civil Secretariat Lahore.

Peshawar was also under the control of Sikhs, with Italian General Paolo Avitabile (known as Abu Tabela) residing at the site of Gor Khatri. He ruled the city by throwing people off the minarets of Masjid Mahabat Khan as a mark of terror. At that time, communities of various tribes were settled around Peshawar and Sikh forces were stationed some 30 or so kilometres from it at the Shabqadar fort in Mohmand agency. They were also tasked with controlling the tribal factions and communities. One night, in the year 1840, tribesmen from Mohmand attacked the fort and were able to break the huge wooden gates at its main entrance. This was followed by a slaughter of Sikh forces that were stationed at the fort after which the tribesmen withdrew from the battleground.

The 1837 Shabqadar Fort is a witness history spanning almost 200 years — from being ruled by the Sikhs to the British and now Muslims.


Lahore Darbar was infuriated, so a court was established under the leadership of General Maan Singh and General Ventura to fix responsibility for the disastrous breach. The two conducted an investigation for two days and concluded that it was the criminal negligence of the wooden gates that led to the disaster.

The Sikh General assisted by General Ventura decreed a hundred-year imprisonment to the huge willow gates for dereliction of duty. The gates were plank-cuffed with heavy chains to the main observation tower at the fort. The gates' punishment legally ended in 1940 but no one relieved them and they remain chained to this date.

The fort's observation tower.


It is rumored that when Bhutto visited the fort in the 1970s, he tried to prevail as prime minister for the release of the condemned gates but to no avail.

Shabqadar is a small town an hour out of Peshawar and on the borders of Mohmand. It is regarded as a region that has always held strategic value when it comes to keeping peace in Peshawar. Along with it come the various tribes who have historically been independent-minded and governments have had to maintain peace through a policy of continuous negotiations with them. And as the Sikhs and later the British ruled the area, they established many forts in the region in order to gain some space to prepare at the time of attacks.

This board received gun shots from a British soldier who was infuriated upon being told after many days of trek in the blistering sun that a post he had to reach was still a few hours away. This story was told to me by a staff member at the Shabqadar fort and is about one of the FC units that was deployed in South Waziristan for counter insurgency back in the colonial days.


Shabqadar fort was one such fort established by the Sikhs in Mohmand in 1837. The fort today works as a training centre for the Frontier Constabulary and is maintained well by the forces deployed there. It is an efficient location from an operational point of view and the FC has also been able to preserve its historic character.

As we entered the fort, the friendly hosts took as to 'Churchill's room', where Winston Churchill spent few days as a war correspondent in 1897 during the great tribal uprising. The room features Churchill's bed and room chairs. There is also an old manual sheet fan. And the walls adorn photographs from the time and some artefacts.

Churchill's Hut.

Churchill stayed here in 1897.


The fort also boasts a small museum with artefacts from the last two hundred years. These are mainly military equipment, including gazails (ancient rifles), binoculars, mortar guns etc. Such museums and places have the unique capacity to transport you into those bygone eras and make you wonder how tough life must have been at the time for all parties.

The museum at the fort.


Next we found ourselves standing before the good old condemned willow gate under arrest since 1840. The three-metre-high black door leans against the observation tower in the middle of the fort, telling a story of 200 years, of the rule of Sikhs, British and now of Muslims. Nothing much has changed for the condemned gates. The tablet next to the gates reads: "The weeping willows: In the winter of 1840, a Mohmand Lashkar (war party) succeeded in breaking down these gates. The then Sikh Maharaja Sher Singh (Ranjit Singh son) had them court martialed for treason. The French General Jean Ventura headed the proceedings which lasted two days, having found them guilty as charged, the gates were sentenced to 100 years' imprisonment. They are languishing enchained ever since."

The condemned gates tied to the tower. The gates are also known as the weeping willows.


At the time, the tall observation tower was used to monitor the surroundings and perhaps functioned as a great source of information for impending attacks from the tribesmen. The tower adorns many commemorative plaques from colonial times, celebrating fallen comrades, mostly the ones who died from cholera or sunstroke.

We walked from the observation tower to FC's officers' mess. The messes of these historic units are always a treat to explore as they give you a history lesson of the establishment in 10 minutes. The walls of the mess displayed antique guns and other memorabilia but the most fascinating part was the pictures of leaders and celebrities who visited the fort at some point. These include Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, General Ayub Khan, General Zia, and many others.

FC officers' mess.


The visitors book at the fort made for an interesting read, although, I could only see the one kept since 1950s. It showed that Iskandar Mirza visited the fort on October 3, 1957, along with Akhtar Hussain and Sardar Abdur Rashid Khan. Mirza was the country's president at the time, Hussain was governor of then West Pakistan and Khan was West Pakistan's chief minister.

President Iskandar Mirza visited the fort in 1957.


However, for me, the most interesting entry was that from famous Parsi journalist and businessman Ardsher Cowasjee and his wife Nancy Cowasjee. They visited the fort on February 6, 1960, some 60 years ago.

Nancy and Ardsher Cowasjee visited the fort in 1960.


Shabqadar fort is definitely worth a visit for anyone interested in the region's Sikh history and colonial rule. In order to make the most out of its historic value, the government should devise a plan in collaboration with law enforcement agencies to allow a limited number of visitors to be able to explore these gems spread all across our northwestern border. Other similar places include the Balahisar fort, and the Shabqadar, Jamrud, Kharlachi and Alexandra forts, to name a few. The government should also consider opening up other historical places tied to the region's martial history so the public is able to learn more about the stories of our northwestern frontier.

All photos by author.


Omar Mukhtar Khan is a development professional with passion for travel and heritage. He blogs at www.travelpangs.com and can be reached at omarmukhtar16@gmail.com