Gazetteer Of The Bannu District 1883-84

· 1883 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1Banna District.)

2CHAP, II].—THE PEOPLE. 69

3Bannichi tenants. The Umarzais are great wood-carriers, and sup-

4ly the cantonments with half the wood: fuel there consumed,

5bongiae it in by the Gumatti Pass, Collectively the clan is rude,

6thriftless and kept little in hand by its grey-beards, but amongst its

7members are a sprinkling of shrewd acquisitive men. During the

81870-71 border disturbances the Umarzais sympathised with their

9kinsmen, the rebellious Muhammadkhels, and some of their young

10men fought on the rebel side. The whole clan probably numbers

11twice as many as the portion counted in the Settlement Census.

12For some years after annexation the Umarzais gave much trouble,

13and were treated as outlaws until in 1852-53 Major Nicholson

14punished them, and after a time re-admitted them into our

15territory.

16As before said this clan is lineally a branch of the Spirkai, but

17has long ranked asaseparateclan. It is divided into four tarafs,

18viz., Muhammadkhel Khas, Sudankhel, Shudakai, and what may be

19‘ralled miscellaneous. The first is the most numerous, and has no

20fewer than five recognized sections, of which Ro, Kuda and Kauzi

21are the most important. The Shudakai taraf is an affiliated kkel

22from the remnant of some old hill tribe, which cannot trace descent

23from Spirki. In the Settlement Census not more than fifty souls

24escaped enumeration through absence in the hills. The clan has

25several strong men in it of a turbulent disposition. In 1870-71 it

26rebelled, and gave much trouble before it was re-admitted into

27our territory. On the whole the Muhammadkhels are the least

28lightly assessed of all our Waziri clans; but they are rightly so,

29as, owing to most of their lands being irrigated, a crop of some sort

30is always assured to them. Their poorer members eke out a subsis-

31tence by selling fire-wood and mats in the town and cantonments.

32The main divisions are Takhti, Narmi and Sardi. The first are

33both the most numerous and wealthy. Though very independent in

34manner, the clan is generally well conducted, and has shrewd, able

35representatives to support its interests. It is pretty comfortably off.

36Its hamlets and homesteads are strong and well built. It is the

37most numerous Waziri clan settled within our border. All its mem-

38bers come down to the plain for the cold weather. Few families

39escaped enumeration in the Settlement Census. The Masauds are

40annually encroaching more and more on the hill territory remaining

41to the Bakkakhels, and thus compelling them to become plain-

42dwellers.

43The case of the Janikhels closely resembles that of the Bakka-

44khels, the Masauds gradually supplanting them in the hills, and so,

45nolens volens, the clan is becoming more and more permanent

46settlers in our territory. It has three chief branches, Edia, the

47most numerous, Tor and Malikshthi. The latter are comparatively

48few and poor. The clan has never given much trouble, though at

49times if thwarted it threatens to withdraw to the hills. Sucha

50threat has hitherto been for this and for most other clans a brutwm

51Julmen, and now that cultivation has so enormously increased, and

52that the Masauds are year by year absorbing more and more of the

53hill lands of their Darweshkhel kinsmen, it is unlikely that any clan

54will ever be so foolish as to seriously go off to the hills in a body.

55Chapter ITT, 0.

56Tribes and Castes.

57Umarzai,

58Muhammadkhel,

59Bakkakhels,

60Janikhels,