 History
The area
constituting Mardan
district is a part
of the Peshawar
valley, which first
appears in the
history as part of
the Gandhara
kingdom. After
invasion of
Alexander the Great,
the mists of
obscurity began to
clear up. The armies
of Alexander reached
the Indus valley by
two separate routes,
one direct through
the Khyber Pass and
the other led by
Alexander himself
through Kunar,
Bajaur, Swat and
Buner in 326 B.C.
After Alexander's
departure, the
valley came under
the rule of
Chandragupta, who
ruled the valley
from 297 to 321 B.C.
During the reign of
the Buddhist emperor
Asoka, the grand-son
of Chandragupta,
Buddhism was the
religion, of the
Peshawar valley. The
valley saw the
revival of
Brahmanism after the
Greeks took over in
the time of king
Mehanda. The
Seythians and
Indians followed and
retained control of
the valley till the
7th century A. D.
Before the close of
the 7th century, the
Afghans appeared in
the valley. At that
time Peshawar valley
was under the
control of the
rulers at Lahore.
The Afghans joined
the Gakkhars who
held the country
between the Indus
and the Jhelum
rivers and compelled
the Lahore rulers to
cede to them the
hill country west of
the Indus and south
of the Kabul river.
In the 10th century
the area came under
the control of
Sultan Sabuktgin who
defeated Raja Jaipal,
the hindu ruler of
Lahore. Sabuktgin's
son Sultan Mahmud
of. Ghazni made this
area as the rallying
point for his
numerous raids into
the interior of
India. In the 1 Sth
century the Pathans
of Ghor overthrew
the Ghaznavis and
the era of Ghaznavis
came to an end. In
1505 the Mugha)
emperor Babar
invaded the area
through Khyber Pass.
It remained under
the rule of the
Mughal emperors up
to the time of
Aurangzebs. During
his regime the
Pathan tribes
revolted and
Aurangzeb himself
led his army to
re-establish his
authority but after
a hard struggle
which lasted for two
years(1673-75) he
was compelled to
agree to the terms
which left the
Pathans practically
independent. In 1738
came the surrender
of Peshawar to Nadir
Shah by which all
the territory west
of the Indus, which
included present
Mardan district was
ceded by the Mughals
to Nadir Shah.
Ranjit Singh took
Attock in 1814 and
Peshawar in 1818. He
left Hari Singh
Mfl1a in command and
withdrew himself to
Lahore. This valley
remained under the
:control of the
Sikhs up to 1849.
They were defeated
by the British in
the Second Sikh War.
Major Lawrence was
appointed as the
first Deputy
Commissioner of
Peshawar. From hat
date Peshawar became
an administrative
district under the
Punjab* Government.
At that time the
present Mardan
district was a part
of Peshawar
district. In 1909
Frontier 'Province
was constituted and
in 1937, Peshawar
district was
bifurcated into
Peshawar and Mardan
district.
Ethnicity and
Tribes
Mardan district is
mainly inhabited by
the Yusafzai Pathans
but the Lundkhwar
valley has sizeable
Khattak population.
The origin of the
Pathans is traced
back to two brothers
Khakai and Ghori who
gave their names to
the two divisions of
the tribes settled
near Qandhar. The
Khakal were
subsequently
expelled by the
Ghoris and they
settled near Kabul
about the middle of
the 13th century.
When they increased
in number and
acquired wealth they
split into three
clans, the Yusafzais,
Gigyanis and.
Turklays. At the
close of the 15th
century, the
Yusafzais and the
Gigyanis moved to
the plains of
Peshawar and
eventually ousted
the Dalazaks and
spread into Buner
district. They
eventually moved
into Mardan district
and the area came to
be known as "Yusafzai
Plain"
The other main tribe
of Mardan are
Khattak and
sahibzadagans. The
Khattaks trace their
decent from Lukman,
surnamed Khattak,
son of Burhan and
grand son of Kaman.
The Khattaks and
Yousafzais were in a
state of perpetual
war with each other
before the reign of
emperor Aurangzeb.
In the time of
Aurangzeb, Khushal
Khan Khattak the
great pushto poet
and warrior fell out
with Aurangzeb and
made peace with the
Yousafzai. The name
“Sahibzadagan” mean
the sons of a pious
person. The tribe of
Sahibzadagans
started in 17th
century when one of
the pious person of
Ahmad Shash Abdali’s
family came from
kaundahar(Afganistan)
to fight for the
cause of Allah(swt).
His name was Shaik
Shoaib, but because
of his
self-righteous and
due to his respect
people called him
‘Sahib’, and from
then his family
members were called
Sahibzadagans (the
sons of a pious
person). Sahibzada
tribe is still one
of the respectful
tribes of pathans in
Mardan, Swat, Swabi
and elsewhere. After
the construction of
Upper and Lower Swat
canals from the Swat
river, the Mohamand
tribes started
penetrating in the
district. They
started as petty
tenants of landlords
of the district and
gradually by their
hard work they
replaced many
 of
their landlords. The
Mohmands are mainly
found in shumali
Kamalzai and Junubi
Kamalzai area of
Mardan tehsil, but
are also found in
small number all
over the district.
Besides these main
tribes, some Sayyeds
and Gujars and
Afridis are also
found in the
district. The Gujars
are more in number
and some historian
told that they are
the original
inhabitants of the
area. Afridis had
settled down from
Hassan Khel tribe
Frontier region
Peshawar . They are
mainly in Transport
and Contractor
business . Though
less in number but
has holding of the
area by their
strenghth and unity
amoung them sleves .
They play a major
and desisive roll in
the local politics.
Dress and
ornaments
There is significant
difference in dress
of common people and
educated and upper
classes. The upper
class people are
inclined to western
dress. The middle
and lower classes
are generally
wearing typical
pathan dress, the
old loose coat or
khalqa has been
replaced by the less
cumbersome qamiz
with blanket or
coarse chader during
winter season around
the body. Among the
villagers use of
mazari cloth is
common for qamiz and
shaiwar. A chitrali
woolen cap is used
in winter white a
typical light color
cap in summer.
Chapplies are the
most common foot
wear. Shalwar qamiz
and dopatta is the
dress of female.
Pardah is universal
among women in a
form of a printed
coarse chaddar or
plain white chaddar
or burqa.
The use of ornaments
among female is also
common in the
district. The women
adorn themselves
with ear rings and
bangles with rare
use of band quba,
which consists of
two egg like cups
connected by chain
or a flat circle
shaped gold hanging
on forehead.
Culture, Customs
and Traditions
Religion has a great
impact on the
culture of people.
Islam is the
dominant religion
while a small
fraction of hindus
not of pathan
ancestry also live
with the natives.
The Sayyeds, Mians
and Sahibzadas enjoy
special respect
amongst the pathans
for their ancestry.
The visit to shrines
or ziarats is very
common specially the
women.
The Yousafzai
Pathans are brave
and hospitable
people. A slight
insult is greatly
resented and ends up
sometimes in
violence. Revenge is
taken even from the
son or grand-son for
the wrongs of the
father or
grand-father. This
pattern of life has
resulted in extreme
insecurity and utter
disregard for human
life.
There are many forms
of greetings and
salutations. It is
very usual for the
pathans to embrace
each
 other when they
meet. This is
followed by a chain
of inquiries like jor ye (Are you all
right), Khushal ye
(are you happy)
besides, some other
similar expressions
of good will.
Marriage and
deaths
There are different
customs and
traditions which are
followed on
occasions, such as
marriages, births
and deaths. The main
features of such
occasions are
described below:-
Marriage customs
Frequently the
parties have some
previous
acquaintance before
the marriage. The
parents of the boy
and girl make the
choice. Sometimes
after the girl's
father agrees to the
match, the relatives
of the boy take
presents to the
girls house and the
engagement is
announced. On that
occasion shots are
fired and friends of
both the parties
congratulate each
other. After
engagement the boy
seldom sees the girl
till they are
married. The
ornaments, clothes
for the bride and
other articles
required for the
marriage ceremony
are provided by the
parents of the boy.
Births
The birth of a boy
is an occasion of
great rejoicing. The
parent of the baby
receive
felicitations from
friends and
relatives. The birth
of a girl is not
welcomed and
generally goes
unnoticed.
Deaths
On the death of a
person, the women of
the neighborhood
also join the women
of the deceased
family in
lamentation. After
the funeral rites
are completes alms
are distributed to
the poor at the
graveyard. At the
house of decease(
the mourners are
provided with food
by relatives or
friends of the
deceased' family, as
no food is then
cooked at home.
People continue to
come for condo fence
to the Hujra of the
area for three
consecutive days.
Festivals and
fairs
Festivals and fairs
are a part of the
pathan life. The
most important
festivals are the
two Eids. Apart from
that, there are
weekly cattle fairs
in all towns, at
which cattle and
other necessities of
life are bought and
sold. |
