Report On The Administration Of The Punjab And Its Dependencies For 1891-92

· 1893 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

12 PUNJAB ADMINISTRATION REPORT, 1801-02.

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33. NATIvE STATES.—The history of the States under the political |

4control of the Punjab Government is marked during the year by few features of

5special interest. :

64. Satisfactory progress continues to be made in the organization and

7equipment of the Imperial Service Troops, and much interest in the movement

8is manifested by some of the Darbérs. The administration of the Patidla State

9by the young Maharaja has been in some respects disappointing, and the Raja of

10Kapurthala has not evinced sufficient interest in the business of Government.

11Generally speaking, however, the conduct of affairs in most States has been

12not unsatisfactory, though Sir James Lyall found it necessary, on a review

13of the results of the Commissioner’s inquiries made in the preceding year,

14to pronounce a severe censure on the past administration of the Suket State

15and to convey a serious admonition to its ruler.

168. FRONTIER.—The expcdition of 1891 against the Hassanzai and

17Akazai clans of the Isazai tribe of the Black Mountain was described in the summary

18of events for last year. The final withdrawal of troops took place in November

191891; but the engagement of all three clans of the tribe (including the Madda Khel,

20who live on the west bank of the Indus) to enforce the perpetual banishment of

21Hashim Ali Khan and his relations was violated in April 1892 by his return to

22Baio, a village just within the Hassanzai boundary trans-Indus. The Madda Khels

23had also been induced to agree to the settlement of the family in their village of

24Doba which is close to Baio, and it was considered that the responsibility for

25Hashim Ali Khdn’s return rested upon them at least equally with the Hassanzais.

26The history of what followed docs not properly belong to this year’s Report. It is

27sufficient to say that negotiations, backed by the presence of troops at Oghi, were

28not successful in securing the Khan's surrender. It became necessary to despatch

29troops into the Madda Khel and Hassanzai country trans-Indus, which returned after

30burning Baio and several other villages, but without encountering any enemy.

31Hashim Ali Khan is still at large and retains many friends among the Isazai clans

32and elsewhere. The organization of the Hazdra Border Military Policeg which was

33sanctioned after the expedition of 1891, has been begun, but the Hassanzai and

34Akazai have not so far shown themselves cager to enlist. Considering the charac-

35ter of the recent relations with the three Isazai clans, the general attitude of the

36other tribes on the Hazdra and Northern Peshawar border may be described as

37satisfactory. A considerable number of Bonerwdls and Amazai took part in the

38demonstration made on the opposite side of the river against the expeditionary

39force at the end of March 1891, and the Chiggarzais continued to give an asylum

40to the Hindustani fanatics and assisted a body of the latter in a determined night

41attack on the British picquets during the same expedition. But, considering the

42persistent efforts of Hashim Ali Khan to secure allies in every direction, and the

43suspicion with which each advance of British troops is regarded by the tribesmen

44and the misrepresentations to which the actions of Government are subject, itis

45satisfactory that excitement has not been more widespread. As it is, the general

46conduct of the other tribes of this portion of the border, where it has ‘not ‘been

47friendly, ‘has not been seriously @ostile, and there appears to be a growing tendency

48for the trans-border clansmen “to resort to British officials for redress against

49British subjects. :