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Hazara region

Coordinates:34°50′N73°14′E/ 34.833°N 73.233°E/34.833; 73.233
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other places, seeHazara (disambiguation).
Hazara region byJames Abbott.

Hazara(Hindko:هزاره,Urdu:ہزارہ), historically also known asPakhli,[1]is a region innorthern Pakistan,falling administratively within theHazara Divisionof theKhyber Pakhtunkhwaprovince. It forms the northernmost portion ofSindh Sagar Doab,and is mainly populated by the indigenousHindko-speakingHindkowansandKohistani people,with a significantPashto-speaking population. The inhabitants of Hazara are collectively called theHazarewal.

Etymology

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The origin of the name Hazara has been identified with Abisāra, the country ofAbisares,the monarch of the region at the time ofAlexander's invasion.[2]The British archaeologistAurel Steinregards it as derived from theSanskritname Urasā, or 'Urasha'.[2]Sultan Pakhal Gibari Swati named it 'Pakhli' in 1190s.[3]However, the region only came to be known as Hazara afterTimurheld control of it after defeatingSwati Sultanin 1399, and assigned it to his local chieftains, namely theHazara-i-Karlugh.[4][5]

History

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Ancient period

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Alexander the Great,after conquering parts ofnorthern Punjab,established his rule over a large part of Hazara. The region ofAmband its surrounding areas have been associated withEmbolinamentioned byArrianandPtolemy's GeographynearAornos,the town chosen to serve as Alexander's base of supplies.[6]According toArrian,the ruler of the region in Alexander's time was called Arsakes.[7]

With the rise ofChandragupta Maurya,the region came under the complete control of theMauryan Empire.Ashokagoverned this area as a prince,imperial thronec.272 BCE. he made it one of the major seats of his government. TheMansehra Rock Edicts,inscribed on three large boulders near Mansehra record fourteen of Ashoka's edicts, presenting aspects of the emperor'sdharmaor righteous law. These represent some of the earliest evidence of deciphered writing inthe subcontinent,dating to middle of the third century BCE, and are written from right to left in theKharosthiscript.[8]

The region was briefly and nominally controlled by many rulers foreign rulers, including theIndo-Parthians,Indo-Scythians,andKushans,who promotedBuddhismthroughout Central and South Asia. The region reached its height under the Buddhist rulerKanishka the Great.During the Kushan period, Buddhist art and architecture flourished in the area.[9]

Major Rock Edictof Ashoka inMansehra.

Medieval period

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When the Chinese pilgrimHiun-Tsangvisited the area in the 7th century, it was under the control ofDurlabhavardhana,the ruler of theKarkota dynasty.[10]He mentioned the region asWu-la-shi.[7]

TheTurkandHindu Shahidynasties ruled Hazara one after another.Mahmud of Ghaznidefeated the Hindu Shahi rulerJayapaladuring his first campaign. However, there is no significant historical evidence attesting the Ghaznavid rule in Hazara. After the fall of the Hindu Shahi dynasty in the 11th century, the rulers of Kashmir took control of the area, the most notable being under the leadership ofKalasa(1063 to 1089) until the area fell to theGhurids.[11]

In 1399, theTurco-MongolwarriorTimur,on his return toKabul,stationed hisKarlukTurkicsoldiers in Hazara to protect the important route betweenKabulandKashmir.[12]

InMughalera, the region was part of thePakhliPargana(district), which formed a part of the largerKashmir Sarkar,which in turn was part of the Kabul Subah after 1586. It was elevated to the level of aSarkarin 1648 when Kashmir became a separateSubah.[13][14][15]

At the beginning of the 18th century, Turkic rule came to an end due to the increased aggression of theSwatis.The most crucial attack was that of theSwatisin 1703, in collusion with Syed Jalal Baba, the son in law of the last ruler of Pakhli, SultanMehmud Khurd.Thus,Swatisousted theTurksand captured this area during the last part of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century.[16][17]

Modern period

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See also:Hazara Tribal Agency

The area became under theDurrani Empirefrom the mid-18th to the early 19th centuries. The Durranis considered it wise to rule the region through the local tribal chiefs. TheAmbarea was ruled bySuba Khan Tanoliduring the reign of the Durrani Empire.[18]He was appointed asnazim(area administrator or Governor) byTaimur Shah Durraniin 1775 or 1776.[19]Suba Khan Tanoli died in 1783.[20]

Hazara came under Sikh rule in 1820 when the region was conquered by theSikh Empireled by theSikhgeneralHari Singh Nalwa.The city ofHaripurwas founded by him in 1822 and became the headquarters of Hazara until 1853.[21]He was also appointed byRanjit Singhas the secondNazimof Hazara after the first NazimAmar Singh Majithiawas killed by the local populace at Samundar Katha inAbbottabad.[22]

After theFirst Anglo-Sikh War,under the terms of theTreaty of Lahore,the area was governed byMajor James Abbott.Abbott managed to secure and pacify the area within a year. During theSecond Sikh WarAbbott and his men were cut off by the Sikh army from supplies and reinforcements from the rest of the British Army, but were able to maintain their position.[23]

Military map of the Hazara region, surveyed by D. G. Robinson in 1848–49, original copied by Shekh Meea Jan in 1856

By 1849, the British had gained control of all of Hazara. However, the local tribes were occasionally rebellious, including theSwatisandthe Tor Ghar tribes.The British sent many expeditions against these tribes to crush several uprisings between 1852 and the 1920s, including theHazara Expedition of 1888.[24][25][26] From the early 1930s onwards, the people of Hazara gradually became active in the freedom movement for an independent Pakistan under the active leadership of renownedAll India Muslim Leagueleaders such asAbdul Majid Khan TarinandJalal Baba.Sometime before theindependenceof Pakistan in 1947, the Nawab ofAmbMuhammad Farid Khan Tanolialso developed good relations withMuhammad Ali JinnahandLiaqat Ali Khanas a politic move.[27][28]

In this picture seated (left to right):Sahibzada Mohammad Khurshid(first Pakistani Governor of the NWFP),Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan(firstPrime Minister of Pakistan),Muhammad Farid Khan Tanoli(Nawab of Amb) andBegum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan(wife of Liaquat Ali Khan). Darband,Amb State,1949.

DuringBritish rule,the region of Hazara along with the districts ofPeshawar,Kohat,BannuandDera Ismail Khan,had formed part ofPunjab province,until the western parts of the province were separated to form the newNorth-West Frontier Provincein 1901.[29][30][31]The areas aroundAbbottabadandMansehrabecame theHazara DistrictofPeshawar Division,whilst areas to the north of this became theHazara Tribal Agency.Sandwiched between Hazara Tribal Agency and Hazara District were the smallprincely statesofAmbandPhulra.[30]This system of administration continued until 1950, when these two small states were incorporated into the Hazara district.[30]

From 1955 to 1970,NWFP provincebecame part ofWest Pakistanunder the One Unit policy, with the Hazara district forming part of thePeshawar Divisionof West Pakistan.

Geography and climate

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Lake Saiful Muluk,located in theKaghan Valley,near the town ofNaranin theSaiful Muluk National Park.

Hazara is bounded by theIslamabad Capital Territoryand the province ofPunjabto the south,Azad Kashmirto the east,Gilgit-Baltistanto the north, whilst to the west lies the rest of the province ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa.The riverIndusruns through the division in a north–south line, forming much of the western border of the division. The total area of Hazara is 18,013 km2.

Because it lies immediately south of the mainHimalayanrange, and is exposed to moist winds from theArabian Sea,Hazara is the wettest part of Pakistan. At Abbottabad, annual rainfall averages around 1,200 millimetres (47 in) but has been as high as 1,800 millimetres (71 in), whilst in parts of Mansehra District such asBalakotthe mean annual rainfall is as high as 1,750 millimetres (69 in). Due to its location on the boundary between the monsoonal summer rainfall regime ofEast Asiaand the winter-dominantMediterranean climateofWest Asia,Hazara has an unusual bimodal rainfall regime, with one peak in February or March associated with frontal southwest cloud bands and another monsoonal peak in July and August. The driest months are October to December, though in the wettest parts even these months average around 40 millimetres (1.6 in).

Due to the high altitude, temperatures in Hazara are cooler than on the plains, though Abbottabad at 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) still has maxima around 32 °C (90 °F) with high humidity in June and July. Further up, temperatures are cooler, often cooler than theNorthern Areasvalleys due to the cloudiness. In winter, temperatures are cold, with minima in January around 0 °C (32 °F) and much lower in the high mountains.

Hazara accounts for a high level ofPakistan's tourism industry.[32]Along theKarakoram Highwayare major destinations for tourists including the famousKaghan Valley,Lulusar Lake,Balakot,Naran,Shogran,AyubiaandBabusar Top.[33]The region is famous for its scenic beauty and landscapes, resulting in its popularity as a summertime resort amongst locals and tourists.[34]

National parks

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There are about 29National Parks in Pakistanand 3 in Hazara.

Name Photo Location Date established Area (Hec) Key wildlife
Ayubia National Park Abbottabad District 1984 3,122 Indian leopard,Leopard cat,Yellow-throated marten,Asian palm civet,Masked palm civet,Rhesus macaque,Red giant flying squirrel,Koklass pheasantandKalij pheasant
Saiful Muluk National Park Mansehra District 2003 12,026 Himalayan black bear,Yellow-throated marten,Masked palm civet,Himalayan goral,Himalayan musk deer,Siberian ibex,Himalayan monalandCheer pheasant
Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park Mansehra District 2003 75,058 Persian leopard,Yellow-throated marten,Himalayan black bear,Siberian ibex,Himalayan goral,Himalayan monalandWestern tragopan

Demographics

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Languages of Hazara region (2023)[35]

Hindko(56%)
Pashto(20.68%)
Kohistani(14.6%)
Urdu(1.5%)
Shina(1.11%)
Others (6.5%)

In the 1951 Census of Pakistan, 81.7% of population of Hazara region was reported to be speaker ofHindko(labelled as Punjabi), forming a majority.[36]In the 2023 census, the share of Hindko,PashtoandKohistanispeakers was 56%, 20.68% and 14.6%, respectively.[35]Some major tribes of the Hazara region of Khyber Pakhtunhwa province ofPakistanare as follows.[37][38]


Education

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Some districts of Hazara have received high scores in education inAlif Ailaan's 2017 rankings:Haripur Districtwas ranked first in Pakistan, whileAbbottabadandMansehrawere in the top three for the province ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa.[39]

Movement for Hazara Province

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Main article:Hazara Province Movement

The movement for a separateHazara provincebegan in 1957, when regional lawyers Mufti Idrees and Abdul Khaliq first raised the question of a separate province,Kohistan.[40]In 1987,Hazara Qaumi Mahaz(HQM) was founded by Muhammad Asif Malik advocate, a prominent advocate who campaigned for the creation of a separate province.[41]

Map of Hazara division, Khyber Pakhtunkwa

TheEighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistanwas passed on the 8th of April 2010, which among other changes, renamed theNorth-West Frontier ProvincetoKhyber Pakhtunkhwa.The name change of the province was met with strong opposition from thepeople of Hazaraand protests erupted in the region with wheel and shutter jam strikes.Abbottabadbecame the nerve center of the movement. On the 10th of April, theKhyber Pakhtunkhwa Policefired at unarmed protesters, leaving 7 dead and dozens injured.[42]Allegedly, the firing was ordered by the coalition government ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa,led by theAwami National Party.[43]This is one of the earliest incidents ofpolice brutalityin Pakistan in recent years,[clarification needed]occurring before theModel Town Lahore incident,whose FIR has not been registered still today.[44]

In 2014, the resolution for the creation of theHazara Provincewas adopted by theKhyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.[45]The movement slowed down and shrunk to only observing the 12th of April martyrs anniversary, the death of the movement's pioneer,Baba Haider Zaman,in 2018.[46]

In 2020, the movement started again when the government began work for the creation of theSouth Punjab province.[47]Hazara's leaders sought to include the creation of theHazara Provincealong with it.[48]A bill for the creation of the Hazara province has also been tabled in theParliament of Pakistan.[49]

Notable people

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Main article:List of Hazarewals

See also

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References

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  1. ^Ansari, A. S. Bazmee (1971)."Hazāra".InLewis, B.;Ménage, V. L.;Pellat, Ch.&Schacht, J.(eds.).The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.Volume III:H–Iram.Leiden: E. J. Brill.doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_2843.OCLC495469525.
  2. ^abHeckel, Waldemar; Tsouras, Peter G. (2021-06-30).Who's Who in the Age of Alexander and his Successors: From Chaironeia to Ipsos (338-301 BC).Greenhill Books. p. 2.ISBN978-1-78438-651-1.
  3. ^Imperial Gazetteer of India.Vol. 19. p. 319.In Babar's time, Pakhli(Hazara) was held by Khakhas and Bamba tribes whose chiefs had been the ancient rulers of this tract who were driven out by "Gibari Sultan of Swat and Bajaur" and the tract derives its names as Pakhli, from one of these(Gibari Swati) conquerors.
  4. ^Kohli, M. S. (2003).Miracles of Ardaas: Incredible Adventures and Survivals.Indus Publishing. pp. 26–27.ISBN978-81-7387-152-8.
  5. ^Khan, Shakirullah; Zahoor, Muhammad (June 2023)."The Uraśa State and its capital: Some notes".Journal of Asian Civilizations.46(1). Islamabad:Quaid-i-Azam University:49–61.
  6. ^Holdich, Thomas (2020-07-25).The Gates of India.BoD – Books on Demand. p. 59.ISBN978-3-7523-3718-1.
  7. ^abBrill, E. J. (1993).E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam: 1913-1936.BRILL. pp. 297–298.ISBN978-90-04-09789-6.
  8. ^Department of Archaeology and Museums (2004-01-30)."UNESCO world heritage Centre - Mansehra Rock Edicts".Whc.unesco.org.Retrieved2011-03-30.
  9. ^Ancient Pakistan.Chairman, Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar. 1971.
  10. ^Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999).Ancient Indian History and Civilization.New Age International. p. 293.ISBN978-81-224-1198-0.
  11. ^Watson, Hubert Digby (1908).Gazetteer of the Hazara District, 1907.Chatto & Windus. p. 121.
  12. ^The Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 13, p. 76
  13. ^Abu'l-Fazl, 16-17th century. tr. H.S. Jarrett, v 2, p 397 (1891)
  14. ^Zutshi, Chitralekha (2019-09-11).Kashmir.Oxford University Press. p. 30.ISBN978-0-19-099046-6.
  15. ^Siyar-ul-Mutakherin
  16. ^Hazara Gazetteer 1883–84
  17. ^Tareekh e Hazara
  18. ^Hazara Gazetteer 1883–84
  19. ^Panni, 341
  20. ^Panni, aa
  21. ^"Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 13, p. 55".Dsal.uchicago.edu.
  22. ^"Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Subjugation of North Western Frontier – Kirpal Singh".The Tribune.Retrieved2012-10-26.
  23. ^Charles Allen,Soldier-Sahibs: The Men who made the North-West Frontier,London: Abacus, 2001. pp. 193–195.ISBN0-349-11456-0
  24. ^Lee, Sidney,ed. (1912)."McQueen, John Withers".Dictionary of National Biography(2nd supplement).Vol. 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  25. ^Raugh, Harold E.The Victorians at War, 1815-1914: An Encyclopedia of British Military History.Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2004, pp. 163-164,ISBN978-1-57607-925-6.
  26. ^H. E. Weekes (2011).History of the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles1858 to 1928.p. 90.</ref
  27. ^Quaid-I-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah Papers: First Series, Volume III: On the Threshold of Pakistan, July 1–25, 1947 By Mahomed Ali Jinnah, Series Editor, Prof Dr Z. H. Zaidi Edition: illustrated Published by Oxford University Press, 1997 Original from the University of Michigan Digitized 29 Aug 2008 ISBN978-969-8156-07-7 1120 pages
  28. ^Frontier of faith: Islam in the Indo-Afghan borderland By Sana Haroon Edition: illustrated Published by Columbia University Press, 2008 ISBN978-0-231-70013-9 254 pages In 1947 the Nawab of Amb, Mohammad Farid Khan, acceded to Pakistan by signing the Instrument of Accession of his State, in favour of Pakistan
  29. ^Khan, Mohammad Asif (2007).Changes in the Socio-economic Structures in Rural North-West Pakistan.Mohammad Asif Khan. p. 15.ISBN978-3-8175-0408-4.
  30. ^abcLaw, Gwillim (2015-05-20).Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998.McFarland. p. 276.ISBN978-1-4766-0447-3.
  31. ^Epstein, M. (2016-12-27).The Statesman's Year-Book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1934.Springer. p. 165.ISBN978-0-230-27063-3.
  32. ^"Hazara division continues to receive influx of tourists".The Express Tribune.2022-05-09.Retrieved2023-05-02.
  33. ^"Tourists throng scenic Hazara division".Daily Times.2021-07-23.Retrieved2023-05-02.
  34. ^"Tourists throng scenic Hazara division".Daily Times.2021-07-23.Retrieved2023-05-02.
  35. ^ab"Pakistan Census 2023"(PDF).www.pbscensus.gov.pk.Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  36. ^"Census of Pakistan, VOLUME 4 1951. North-West Frontier Province: Report & Tables"(PDF).Manager of Publications, Government of Pakistan, Karachi.1951.
  37. ^abcdefg"GENETIC ANALYSES OF THE MAJOR TRIBES OF ABBOTTABAD AND MANSEHRA DISTRICTS THROUGH DENTAL MORPHOLOGY AND DNA ANALYSES".prr.hec.gov.pk.HAZARA UNIVERSITY MANSEHRA. 2014.The study was conducted from October 2010 to March 2014. Seven tribes viz. Abbassi, Awan, Gujar, Jadoon, Karlal, Syed and Tanoli were included in this study. Collection of dental casts, saliva samples for DNA isolation, optimization of PCR conditions, gene clean protocols and data analyses etc. were done in the Human Genetics Lab, Department of Genetics Hazara University. All the selected tribes were analyzed for Hyper Variable Sequences of mitochondrial DNA (HVS1 & 2 mtDNA) for determination of maternal affinities, diversity in the hypervariable region and availability of haplogroups, in different tribes.
  38. ^"Races and Tribes".kp.gov.pk.Retrieved5 June2023.
  39. ^"District Ranking".Retrieved11 September2018.
  40. ^Orakzai, Rifatullah (16 April 2010)."آخر ہم ہیں کون؟".BBC Urdu.Retrieved11 April2020.
  41. ^Munir, Mohammad (2017)."Realities of a Separate Hazara Province".Retrieved11 April2020.
  42. ^"Seven killed in Abbottabad violence".Dawn.com.13 April 2010.Retrieved11 April2010.
  43. ^Shaheen, Sikander (14 April 2010)."Complete strike observed in Hazara Division".The Nation.Retrieved11 April2020.
  44. ^"Abbottabad firing incident: Tehreek Suba Hazara to request Khattak to order registration of FIR".The Express Tribune.17 September 2014.Retrieved13 April2020.
  45. ^"KP Assembly adopts resolution to create Hazara province".Dawn.com.21 March 2014.Retrieved11 April2020.
  46. ^Yousafzai, Shahabullah (24 October 2018)."Man behind Hazara province movement, Baba Haider Zaman passes away at 84".The Express Tribune.Retrieved11 April2020.
  47. ^Editorial (2020-03-17)."Hazara province".DAWN.COM.Retrieved2021-03-19.
  48. ^Rehman, Ziaur (3 February 2020)."Why Hazara province movement has resumed from Karachi".The News International.Retrieved11 April2020.
  49. ^Asad, Malik (21 August 2019)."Bill seeking to create new provinces referred to NA speaker".Dawn.com.Retrieved11 April2020.

34°50′N73°14′E/ 34.833°N 73.233°E/34.833; 73.233

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