DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36956#0019
breach of confidence that incensed the feelings of Pakhtun Wall Khan
and his Pashtun followers. They rallied and put the attackers to Tight.
This was only his first victory, and soon Pakhtun Wali Khan ruled
Tangir with great sagacity. In 1909, he occupied Darel and brought
Sazin under his influence. His administrative innovations were quite
useful: He favoured the dissolution of the fortified villages and promot-
ed the construction of roads in the valley leading to the small bazaar m
Darel. In this way, he intended to stimulate economic interests in the
population, and quell the continual feuding among the clans. The visit of
Sir Aurel Stein was only possible due to Pakhtun Wali Khan's protec-
tion.
While the British administration was ready to come to terms with him,
his own subjects were not. He was murdered in 1917. His family was
able to escape, when one of his wives had the saving idea of throwing
hands of silver coins among the aggressors. These were the coins Pakh-
tun Wall Khan had earned by protecting the Kaka k/ie/ who had orga-
nised the felling of timber in the great forests. While the aggressors were
fighting among themselves over the silver, the family escaped.
All subsequent attempts to restore his regime ended with the death of the
usurpers (Stein 1928a:7-35). In Tangir and Darel, nine heaps of stones
were shown to us, each indicating the demise of one of the men who
would be king in this free country (Schomberg 1935:234-248). The for-
tresses constructed by order of Pakhtun Wall Khan were systematically
destroyed. The only document showing their former construction is a
photograph m a travel report by Sir Aurel Stem (Stein 1928b:flg. 25).
The construction workers who had been brought from the lower side-
valleys of the Indus did not remain unemployed, as, after the sudden
death of the usurper, the local fanners returned to their favourite pastime
- killing each other. Jealousy was the nonnal reason. The typical Tangiri
husband took even a minor suspicion against his spouse as a violation of
his honour, while on the other hand, he was always ready to accept the
3
and his Pashtun followers. They rallied and put the attackers to Tight.
This was only his first victory, and soon Pakhtun Wali Khan ruled
Tangir with great sagacity. In 1909, he occupied Darel and brought
Sazin under his influence. His administrative innovations were quite
useful: He favoured the dissolution of the fortified villages and promot-
ed the construction of roads in the valley leading to the small bazaar m
Darel. In this way, he intended to stimulate economic interests in the
population, and quell the continual feuding among the clans. The visit of
Sir Aurel Stein was only possible due to Pakhtun Wali Khan's protec-
tion.
While the British administration was ready to come to terms with him,
his own subjects were not. He was murdered in 1917. His family was
able to escape, when one of his wives had the saving idea of throwing
hands of silver coins among the aggressors. These were the coins Pakh-
tun Wall Khan had earned by protecting the Kaka k/ie/ who had orga-
nised the felling of timber in the great forests. While the aggressors were
fighting among themselves over the silver, the family escaped.
All subsequent attempts to restore his regime ended with the death of the
usurpers (Stein 1928a:7-35). In Tangir and Darel, nine heaps of stones
were shown to us, each indicating the demise of one of the men who
would be king in this free country (Schomberg 1935:234-248). The for-
tresses constructed by order of Pakhtun Wall Khan were systematically
destroyed. The only document showing their former construction is a
photograph m a travel report by Sir Aurel Stem (Stein 1928b:flg. 25).
The construction workers who had been brought from the lower side-
valleys of the Indus did not remain unemployed, as, after the sudden
death of the usurper, the local fanners returned to their favourite pastime
- killing each other. Jealousy was the nonnal reason. The typical Tangiri
husband took even a minor suspicion against his spouse as a violation of
his honour, while on the other hand, he was always ready to accept the
3