THE THREE SWORDS OF SARDAR BAHADUR SUBEDAR MEER JAFFIR, OBI, IOM, COKE’S RIFLES PART 1
The Northwest Frontier The Three Swords of Meer Jaffir (Part 1 & Part 2) Gun Running to the Northwest Frontier A Tale of Subedar Major Mauladad (1822-1890) The Buddhist Road and The Storming of the Malakand Pass 1895 The Guides Saab Ka Risala 1846-1900 Safe Conduct – A tale about Syed Wazir Ali (Part 1 & Part 2) Under The Raj Revisiting the Great Arc of the Meridian Neither Freedom nor Salt The Lahore Cantonment of Mian Mir Vale Hunting in India and the Peshawar Vale Hunt Feeding the Armies of the Raj Eating Curries in London Signposts, Tablets & Way Markers of the Raj British Indian Army & State Forces Under Pelican Wings— Bahawalpur State Forces On the Departure of Gowhar-i-Taj’s Own Infantry Battalion to Burma. The Irregular Cavalry through the Lens of a Painting The Indian Mountain Artillery Soldiers of the Salt Range Subedar Major Mauladad The Anglo-Sikh Wars Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 1 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 2 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 3 The Anglo-Sikh Wars & The Battle of Chillianwala Finding Zamzama’s Twin The Death of Capt John Anderson, Bengal Artillery Roads, Railways & Bridges Bridging the Mighty Indus Crossing Rivers in Punjab On the Tracks of the Frontier Mail Pre Independence Personalities Who was Sahabzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan A Gnarled Oak with a Broken Heart Heritage Of Sahabzada Yaqub Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim – The Islamic Cultural Renaissance Philosopher 24 Marris Road, Aligarh – Dr Abdullah Butt Maj Gen Syed Shahid Hamid An Indian Lieutenant at the 1936 Berlin Olympics The Power of a Mother’s Prayers A Muslim Instructor at Staff College Entering the Hallowed Ranks of the Indian Political Service. Edit Template THE THREE SWORDS OF SARDAR BAHADUR SUBEDAR MEER JAFFIR, OBI, IOM, COKE’S RIFLES PART 1 September 19, 2025 hamzasyed In 1953, my late father Major General Syed Shahid Hamid visited 7th Frontier Force Battalion (Coke’s Rifle) on the frontline in Azad Kashmir. The purpose was to present a family heirloom that was of immense historical significance to the battalion and originally belonged to Meer Jaffir (or Mir Jafar) who was an ancestor from the paternal side of my father’s family. While recording this presentation, the digest of service of the battalion states, ‘Meer Jafar was one of the first and most distinguished stars in the galaxy of brilliant soldiers who had fought in the Bn. Having joined COKE’S RIFLES at the time of its raising he had served in it for 9 years until he was invalided out of the service and the letter of JOHN COKE (now coloured with age) was a glowing tribute to the outstanding services of this old veteran. The sword was a beautiful silver handled weapon of war which had been artistically mounted in a glass case. Both these presents were eagerly welcomed by all of us and were later placed in positions of honour in our officer’s mess’. Meer Jaffir was a Kabuli born to Syed Momeen, who was a Nasir (helper or Madadgar) to Shah Shuja ul Mulk, a Sadozai who first ruled Afghanistan from 1803 until 1809. After Shah Shuja was overthrown, he sought refuge with Ranjit Singh in exchange for the Kohinoor Diamond. Syed Momeen remained with Shah Shuja during his twenty years in exile the greater part of which was spent in Ludhiana. It was during these years that God blessed Syed Momeen with a warrior son who he named Meer Jaffir. In 1838, the British decided to reinstate Shah Shuja on the throne of Afghanistan which triggered the First Anglo-Afghan War (1838–1842). Ranjit Singh did not allow the British Army of the Indus invading Afghanistan to pass through Sikh territory and had to take the southern route through Quetta and Kandahar. However, he did allow what Durand referred to as ‘a motely contingent of 4000 Afghan Levies’ to be formed in Ludhiana to escort Prince Tamoor Shah (the heir-apparent of Shah Shuja) through the Khyber Pass to Kabul. The levies were commanded by Meer Abbas and his cousin Meer Jaffir enlisted in this force. In February 1839, Capt. Joseph Ferris arrived in Peshawar with two companies of the 20th Native Infantry that had escorted guns and treasure and was to form part of the escort of Major Claude Wade, the political agent in Ludhiana. While waiting for Wade, Ferris organised several irregular corps to aid in the movement through the Khyber. The principle one was a body of border Pathans (320 strong) armed with the Jazail and initially titled as 1st Shah’s Jazailchee. Both Meer Abbas and Meer Jaffir were enrolled into the Jazailchee and the latter would serve with Ferris for the next ten years. When Wade arrived at Peshawar a month later, his efforts to win over the Afridi tribes of the Khyber met only partial success and the pass had to be forced with a mixed contingent of Shah Shuja’s Afghan levies, Punjabis from Ranjit Singh’s regular army, the two companies of 20th Native Infantry and 1st Shah’s Jazailchee. Leading his two companies and the Jazailchees, Ferris took a distinguished part in the operations through the Khyber especially in capturing the strategic fort of Ali Masjid on 27th July 1839. Jalalabad was vacated by the Afghans and a subsequent operation in the Nazrar Valley opened the way to Kabul. In a citation for Meer Jaffir that was initiated 12 years later (for reasons that will be explained later), Ferris stated: Meer Jaffir ………. was present at the forcing of the Khyber pass under Lieutenant Colonel C. M. Wade, at the destruction of the forts in the Nazrar Valley under Brigadier H.R. Shelton. On this occasion he was in command of an advance piquet on the heights with two companies of H.M.’s 44th regiment and, although the 44th were driven in by the enemy, Meer Jaffir held his post until relieved by a party of the Kelat-i-Gilzie Regiment and a wing of the Jazailchees for which he received the thanks of Brigadier
THE THREE SWORDS OF SARDAR BAHADUR SUBEDAR MEER JAFFIR, OBI, IOM, COKE’S RIFLES PART 2
The Northwest Frontier The Three Swords of Meer Jaffir (Part 1 & Part 2) Gun Running to the Northwest Frontier A Tale of Subedar Major Mauladad (1822-1890) The Buddhist Road and The Storming of the Malakand Pass 1895 The Guides Saab Ka Risala 1846-1900 Safe Conduct – A tale about Syed Wazir Ali (Part 1 & Part 2) Under The Raj Revisiting the Great Arc of the Meridian Neither Freedom nor Salt The Lahore Cantonment of Mian Mir Vale Hunting in India and the Peshawar Vale Hunt Feeding the Armies of the Raj Eating Curries in London Signposts, Tablets & Way Markers of the Raj British Indian Army & State Forces Under Pelican Wings— Bahawalpur State Forces On the Departure of Gowhar-i-Taj’s Own Infantry Battalion to Burma. The Irregular Cavalry through the Lens of a Painting The Indian Mountain Artillery Soldiers of the Salt Range Subedar Major Mauladad The Anglo-Sikh Wars Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 1 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 2 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 3 The Anglo-Sikh Wars & The Battle of Chillianwala Finding Zamzama’s Twin The Death of Capt John Anderson, Bengal Artillery Roads, Railways & Bridges Bridging the Mighty Indus Crossing Rivers in Punjab On the Tracks of the Frontier Mail Pre Independence Personalities Who was Sahabzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan A Gnarled Oak with a Broken Heart Heritage Of Sahabzada Yaqub Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim – The Islamic Cultural Renaissance Philosopher 24 Marris Road, Aligarh – Dr Abdullah Butt Maj Gen Syed Shahid Hamid An Indian Lieutenant at the 1936 Berlin Olympics The Power of a Mother’s Prayers A Muslim Instructor at Staff College Entering the Hallowed Ranks of the Indian Political Service. Edit Template THE THREE SWORDS OF SARDAR BAHADUR SUBEDAR MEER JAFFIR, OBI, IOM, COKE’S RIFLES PART 2 September 19, 2025 hamzasyed Meer Jaffir’s ten years of service under Ferris came to an end in 1849 and on 24 May that year, he transferred to the 1st Regiment Punjab Infantry. Just a week before, i.e. on 18 May, the Governor General of India had issued orders for the raising of a new corps in the Punjab of five regiments of cavalry and five regiments of infantry and Capt. John Coke was appointed as commandant of 1st Regiment Punjab Infantry to be raised at Peshawar and would rival in fame the Corps of Guides. The orders were to enrol Eusufzais, Hindustanis and Sikhs in equal proportion but very few Hindustanis were enlisted and the regiment consisted of Afridis, Khattaks, Dogras, and Punjabi Muslims with Meer Jaffir appointed in an acting rank of the first subedar major. From 1849 until 1851, Subedar Meer Jaffir served in a number of small expeditions led by his commandant to bring to order lawless villages on the Frontier. The most significant was a five days’ campaign in February 1850 to force the Kohat Pass. The Adam Khel Afridis of the Kohat Pass were up in arms because the British wanted assert their authority over the pass and impose duty on the Kohat salt mines. During this operation, Capt. Coke earned a medal and the gratitude of the C-in-C. ‘I shall not easily forget you or your regiment on those five days. I never saw such hard work better or more spiritedly done, for it was hard work while it lasted.’ Henry Lawrence, the Chief Commissioner of the Punjab also thanked Coke for the honour he brought on the nascent Punjab Irregular Force. For this recognition and honour, Meer Jaffir’s contribution was significant. He had enrolled in the Corps of Jazailchee only ten years earlier and now as a senior Subedar was entrusted with the command of two companies. When Sir Charles Napier inspected the regiment he found that the men of the regiment were ‘……. in beautiful order….. ; but their arms and clothing were shameful. The regiment had old Sikh muskets of different calibres and luckily very few would go off, or they would have burst and wounded half the regiment.’ He had the regiment reequipped with spare arms taken from other regiments. Coke’s regiment covered the advance of the force when it entered the pass on 10 February. Two companies under Major Coke took the hills on the right while two companies under Lieutenant Keys took the hills on the left. Meer Jaffir’s two companies advanced through the nalluh in the valley. On nearing the village of Akbur (Akhor), Meer Jaffir’s two companies were ordered to clear the heights to the left of the village. Lieutenant Lumsdden of the Guides accompanied this party and they carried the hills, which were strongly held and sangared, in gallant style. Meer Jaffir was stated to have done extremely well in this attack. Akbur (Akhor) village was then destroyed, and Meer Jaffir’s four companies acted as rear guard to the force up to Zarghun Khel where the force encamped for the night. On the 13th the regiment formed the rear guard, and covered the force a short way down the pass; after which it returned, moved over the Kohat Pass, and dropped down into Kohat. The gallantry of Meer Jaffir and Hubeeb Khan was most conspicuous throughout these operations. The Board of Administrators subsequently ordered each of them to be presented with a shawl, value Rupees 150, as recognition of their services. During the entire operation, “….. the Native regiments, especially the 1st Punjab Infantry bore the brunt of the work ….. and the natives had to fight on empty stomachs; few having had a regular meal for three successive days”. In 1852 Meer Jaffir served with Sir Colin Campbell’s Field Force in operations against the Utman Khels and in 1853 his battalion was again involved in relatively minor operations on the North West Frontier. It included two very fine marches led by Meer Jaffir and in the first march to intercept and capture some raiders, his detachment was continuously on the march for 40 hours in which it covered 112 kms. Meer Jaffir was recommended for
SAFE CONDUCT – A TALE ABOUT SYED WAZIR ALI PART 1
The Northwest Frontier The Three Swords of Meer Jaffir (Part 1 & Part 2) Gun Running to the Northwest Frontier A Tale of Subedar Major Mauladad (1822-1890) The Buddhist Road and The Storming of the Malakand Pass 1895 The Guides Saab Ka Risala 1846-1900 Safe Conduct – A tale about Syed Wazir Ali (Part 1 & Part 2) Under The Raj Revisiting the Great Arc of the Meridian Neither Freedom nor Salt The Lahore Cantonment of Mian Mir Vale Hunting in India and the Peshawar Vale Hunt Feeding the Armies of the Raj Eating Curries in London Signposts, Tablets & Way Markers of the Raj British Indian Army & State Forces Under Pelican Wings— Bahawalpur State Forces On the Departure of Gowhar-i-Taj’s Own Infantry Battalion to Burma. The Irregular Cavalry through the Lens of a Painting The Indian Mountain Artillery Soldiers of the Salt Range Subedar Major Mauladad The Anglo-Sikh Wars Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 1 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 2 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 3 The Anglo-Sikh Wars & The Battle of Chillianwala Finding Zamzama’s Twin The Death of Capt John Anderson, Bengal Artillery Roads, Railways & Bridges Bridging the Mighty Indus Crossing Rivers in Punjab On the Tracks of the Frontier Mail Pre Independence Personalities Who was Sahabzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan A Gnarled Oak with a Broken Heart Heritage Of Sahabzada Yaqub Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim – The Islamic Cultural Renaissance Philosopher 24 Marris Road, Aligarh – Dr Abdullah Butt Maj Gen Syed Shahid Hamid An Indian Lieutenant at the 1936 Berlin Olympics The Power of a Mother’s Prayers A Muslim Instructor at Staff College Entering the Hallowed Ranks of the Indian Political Service. Edit Template SAFE CONDUCT – A TALE ABOUT SYED WAZIR ALI PART 1 September 19, 2025 hamzasyed A few years ago I was presented a book by Syed Shahid Ali containing over 230 pages of testimonials from British officers for the excellent services provided by his great grandfather and the firm of Messer’s Wazir Ali & Sons that he established. It was during the Tirah Campaign of 1878-79 that Wazir Ali made a name for himself when he accompanied the Oxfordshire Light Infantry as their Coffee Shop Contractor. In a testimonial Major C. T. Becker, the supply and transport officer of the Peshawar Column states that, “His shop was not only a boon to the regiment who brought him but to the whole column.” He survived an ambush by a sniper and the manner in which he repaid his rescuers is narrated in a story titled ‘Safe Conduct’. Written by E. A. Murphy it was published in the March 1915 edition of the ‘Royal Magazine’ and is reminiscent of the tales of Rudyard Kipling. The story is published in two parts with the first part related to Wazir Ali being rescued from an ambush. “GIVE HIM A LETTER- CAN’T DO NO BETTER” WAZIR ALI dozed in his saddle while his mule picked its way along the perilous track through the Pass. Suddenly the dreamer was aroused from his reverie by the faintest ghost of a click against the wall of rock beside him. A tiny whitish splash dented the grey granite at his knee. His mule shot clean through the brain bounded from the ledge in its convulsion and plunged headlong into space. Wazir Ali was a Syed (descended from the Prophet) and a pious man. Therefore, commending his soul to that ALLAH whom he had long striven –according to his own lights – to serve, he flung himself from the saddle, and by some miracle of chance fell, a huddled heap, on the top of a boulder that projected from the side of the precipices about twenty feet below the pathway. For miles above and below the spot whence Wazir Ali had been hurled by his stricken mule, the interminable line of the column – horses, mules, camels, asses and men – crawled slowly upwards towards the saddle of the hill. An almost invisible wisp of bluish smoke whiffed out of a cranny among the rocks of the spur opposite to the spot whence the mule had jumped. An Afridi sniper, who possessed the treasure of a Martini Henry rife, had got the range of the rock against which had clicked the bullet that had disturbed the Syed’s reveries. Two astounded mule-drivers halted and peered over the precipice at the huddle form of Wazir Ali. One of them shrieked in agony. The sniper’s second bullet had ploughed through his shoulder. Oaths and orders rang along the narrow defile as the luckless mule drivers held up the following half of the column. A red-tabbed captain of transport shoved his way up through the ruckus. “Push on!” he ordered and the column gradually picked up pace but every so often, a man or an animal got nicked – at the precise spot whence Wazir Ali’s mule had plunged to its death. A messenger, sprinting back through the crawling train of transport, took a request for a mountain gun to dislodge the snipers. Meanwhile, a score of soldiers did their best as they shot at the crannies and the whiffs or smoke. All this time Wazir Ali lay senseless and motionless on the projecting boulder. The Captain took a couple of steps forward and peered down over the ledge at Wazir Ali. “Who is that man?” he asked. “Is he dead?” Burke, the staff sergeant looked over the precipice, shook his head and turned to the men who lay firing at the smoke wreaths. “Any of you men know who that native is?” he called to them. Barney Corcoran pushed his huge shoulders over the ledge, and peered down at the huddled wisp of white and khaki. Then he sprang to his feet. “Why, sergeant!” said he. “It’s Wazir Ali-the coffee shop wallah.” Sergeant Burke turned to the captain. “Wazir Ali of Peshawar, sir. Good
SAFE CONDUCT – A TALE ABOUT SYED WAZIR ALI PART 2
The Northwest Frontier The Three Swords of Meer Jaffir (Part 1 & Part 2) Gun Running to the Northwest Frontier A Tale of Subedar Major Mauladad (1822-1890) The Buddhist Road and The Storming of the Malakand Pass 1895 The Guides Saab Ka Risala 1846-1900 Safe Conduct – A tale about Syed Wazir Ali (Part 1 & Part 2) Under The Raj Revisiting the Great Arc of the Meridian Neither Freedom nor Salt The Lahore Cantonment of Mian Mir Vale Hunting in India and the Peshawar Vale Hunt Feeding the Armies of the Raj Eating Curries in London Signposts, Tablets & Way Markers of the Raj British Indian Army & State Forces Under Pelican Wings— Bahawalpur State Forces On the Departure of Gowhar-i-Taj’s Own Infantry Battalion to Burma. The Irregular Cavalry through the Lens of a Painting The Indian Mountain Artillery Soldiers of the Salt Range Subedar Major Mauladad The Anglo-Sikh Wars Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 1 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 2 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 3 The Anglo-Sikh Wars & The Battle of Chillianwala Finding Zamzama’s Twin The Death of Capt John Anderson, Bengal Artillery Roads, Railways & Bridges Bridging the Mighty Indus Crossing Rivers in Punjab On the Tracks of the Frontier Mail Pre Independence Personalities Who was Sahabzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan A Gnarled Oak with a Broken Heart Heritage Of Sahabzada Yaqub Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim – The Islamic Cultural Renaissance Philosopher 24 Marris Road, Aligarh – Dr Abdullah Butt Maj Gen Syed Shahid Hamid An Indian Lieutenant at the 1936 Berlin Olympics The Power of a Mother’s Prayers A Muslim Instructor at Staff College Entering the Hallowed Ranks of the Indian Political Service. Edit Template SAFE CONDUCT – A TALE ABOUT SYED WAZIR ALI PART 2 September 19, 2025 hamzasyed During the Tirah Campaign 0f 1878-79, Wazir Ali the Coffee shop wallah, survived an ambush and the manner in which he repaid his rescuers is narrated in a story titled ‘Safe Conduct’. It was published in a 1915 edition of the ‘Royal Magazine’ and is reminiscent of the tales of Rudyard Kipling. The story is now published in two parts with the first part related to Wazir Ali being rescued from an ambush. This is the second part in which Wazir Ali succeeds in repaying his rescuers. “GIVE HIM A LETTER- CAN’T DO NO BETTER” Captain Blake, the supply and transport officer of the Peshawar Colom was badly trapped along with four others. A big Lashkar of tribals had swooped down on his wretched transport line tearing the heart out of it. With less than a score of his men he had fought through the horde to a watch tower on the adjacent hill. Every one of the five survivors was injured. Blake guessed he would never use his left hand again. Corcoran had dropped not a dozen yards from the door of the tower, and Sergeant Burke had carried him the rest of the way on his shoulders, swearing and fighting like a devil possessed. They were now barricaded inside the tower while the hill men shouted joyous taunts from the ridges all around them. Darkness was falling. It would be upon them before help could come and there was no hoping for succor through the darkness. Corporal Dunne, bleeding from the head, was coaxing the other Donegal to “kill two min wid aich bullet.” Corporal Dunne and his comrade had but three clips of cartridges a piece left, counting those they took from Corcoran. Even if they killed ten “min wid aich bullet” there would still remain a hundred enemies to every one of them. Sergeant Burke came over to the captain. “D’ye hear’em sor?” he asked. Blake craned forward his head to listen. Steady and regular, like trained sappers, the click and cough of picks in the hands of the besiegers echoed softly from beneath the main door – Chick-chuck! Chick-chuck! “They do be just playing wid us, sor!” volunteered Burke. “The door will fall out in half an hour, or less, at utmost.” As Blake searched his pockets for the makings of a cigarette, for some unknown reason he took out his notebook. From it fell the doubled up envelope that held the letter of Wazir Ali. “Gad Sergeant!” said he cheerfully. “Here’s our clean pass to Paradise. They won’t chop us up into nasty pieces if we manage to get this letter to one of their mullahs or anyone else that can read it, first.” Sergeant Burke said “Yes, sir,” respectfully but with no emphasis of conviction. “Is that wan o’ Wazir Ali’s letters sor?” He asked deferentially. “Sure he’s been given ‘em to me an Corpril Dunne, an’ Corcoran an’ Mooney an’ the other two. What good d’ye think the likes of’ them would be in softening’ a lot of slavering’ savages the likes of them outside, sor?” Night was galloping on them with its shadows. When the full darkness fell the door would drop out, and they would be overwhelmed. “As soon as the door frame collapses, the whole side of the tower will crumble,” commented Blake. “It will that same, sor!” agreed the sergeant. Among tribesmen the act of surrender is regarded as a mere ruse. When the captors are through with a man who surrenders, his remains are horrid things to see. “Well, Burke,” said the Captain, “We are all pretty wall hooked anyhow and Wazir Ali’s letter cannot put us in any worse bix than we are whatever else they may do. Can you read them?” Burke smiled derisively. “Not a word sor! The wan he gave me looks like wan o’them prayer charms they give their child her to tie round their necks in lockets. I only kep’ it for a curio!” Blake stood up. “Never mind,” said he. “We can lose nothing. We may as well see what effect one of them
THE BUDDHIST ROAD AND THE STORMING OF THE MALAKAND PASS 1895
The Northwest Frontier The Three Swords of Meer Jaffir (Part 1 & Part 2) Gun Running to the Northwest Frontier A Tale of Subedar Major Mauladad (1822-1890) The Buddhist Road and The Storming of the Malakand Pass 1895 The Guides Saab Ka Risala 1846-1900 Safe Conduct – A tale about Syed Wazir Ali (Part 1 & Part 2) Under The Raj Revisiting the Great Arc of the Meridian Neither Freedom nor Salt The Lahore Cantonment of Mian Mir Vale Hunting in India and the Peshawar Vale Hunt Feeding the Armies of the Raj Eating Curries in London Signposts, Tablets & Way Markers of the Raj British Indian Army & State Forces Under Pelican Wings— Bahawalpur State Forces On the Departure of Gowhar-i-Taj’s Own Infantry Battalion to Burma. The Irregular Cavalry through the Lens of a Painting The Indian Mountain Artillery Soldiers of the Salt Range Subedar Major Mauladad The Anglo-Sikh Wars Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 1 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 2 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 3 The Anglo-Sikh Wars & The Battle of Chillianwala Finding Zamzama’s Twin The Death of Capt John Anderson, Bengal Artillery Roads, Railways & Bridges Bridging the Mighty Indus Crossing Rivers in Punjab On the Tracks of the Frontier Mail Pre Independence Personalities Who was Sahabzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan A Gnarled Oak with a Broken Heart Heritage Of Sahabzada Yaqub Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim – The Islamic Cultural Renaissance Philosopher 24 Marris Road, Aligarh – Dr Abdullah Butt Maj Gen Syed Shahid Hamid An Indian Lieutenant at the 1936 Berlin Olympics The Power of a Mother’s Prayers A Muslim Instructor at Staff College Entering the Hallowed Ranks of the Indian Political Service. Edit Template THE BUDDHIST ROAD AND THE STORMING OF THE MALAKAND PASS 1895 September 19, 2025 hamzasyed One thing that fascinates me about history is how it links the past and present. If you stop past the tunnel on the road from Mardan to Malakand and look down a reentrant, you may see the remains of a track that is called the Buddhist Road. I first heard of it from my father Maj Gen Shahid Hamid on one of our many visits to Swat during the 1960s, where we were hosted by the Wali Ahad Miangul Aurangzeb and his charming wife Naseem. My father was well acquainted with the subcontinent’s history and would always tell us about the historical significance sites and places we traveled through. With funds from a UK-based charity, I am restoring a cemetery at the top of the Malakand Pass. It contains graves of officers and soldiers who died during the Great Frontier Uprising of 1897. During my research, I consulted the history of the Malakand Field Force written by Sir Winston Churchill who accompanied this army as a journalist, and found a map of the British encampment ahead of the pass. East of the camp are marked two tracks leading down to Dargai with the following short description – “Two roads give access to the Malakand camp, from the plain of Khar. At one point the Buddhist Road, the higher of the two, passes through a narrow defile then turns a sharp corner.” At this narrow defile a small force of twenty Sikh soldiers led by a British officer held over 1000 tribesmen as they tried to attack the British encampment located on an area named the Buddhist Ridge.While I was serving in the Joint Staff Headquarters in 1999, I was fortunate that its library had a large collection of books of the late Syed Akhtar Ahsan, the brother-in-law of Syed Babar Ali which had been presented by his family. Akhtar Ahsan was a writer as well as a voracious reader and his collection included books on history and military campaigns. One of them authored by Ganda Singh in 1959, was on Ahmed Shah Durrani. In the latter part of the 18 century this Afghan Sadozai king conquered the lands of the River Indus and its tributaries and defeated the Marathas in the Third Battle of Panipat. Ahmed Shah is also remembered as the king who cast a great gun named the Zamzama and while reading the book I became aware of an interesting fact – according to the author, not one but two guns were cast. Churchill was not the first to mention the Buddhist Road. Surgeon-Major L. A. Waddell who was with the Chitral Relief Force in 1895, re-visited the area of lower Swat two years later “………for the archaeological exploration of this ancient Buddhist land, formally called Udyana, and to secure sculptures for Government.” In a report published in The Academy on 19th Oct, 1895, he writes, “On the following day I ascended the Malakand Pass by the so-called ‘Buddhist road,’ as it has been lately named. It is an excellent ancient road, comparing favorably with the best mountain roads of the present day. It rises by an easy gradient, and several of its sections are cut deeply through the hard rock. This may have been on the line of march of Alexander the Great in his invasion of India, as Major Deane suggests. Be this as it may, it is very probable that Asoka, Kanishka, and the powerful kings who held this country, used this road and gave it its present shape.” There is no evidence that Alexander or elements of his army used the Malakand Pass to descend into the valley of the River Kabul. It is likely that the Buddhist Road it did not exist then because mountain tribes avoided constructing throughfares that invited invaders. Most probably it developed during the large empires of the Mauryas and the Kushans that blossomed after Alexander’s invasion and encompassed this region. Buddhism was introduced into Swat in the reign of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (ruled 286-232 BC) and some of the earliest stupas were built within the valley. Under the greatest Kushan king, Kanishka (ruled 127-150 CE), Swat became an important region for Buddhist art. Between these two great empires, an
THE GUIDES SAAB KA RISALA – 1846-1900
The Northwest Frontier The Three Swords of Meer Jaffir (Part 1 & Part 2) Gun Running to the Northwest Frontier A Tale of Subedar Major Mauladad (1822-1890) The Buddhist Road and The Storming of the Malakand Pass 1895 The Guides Saab Ka Risala 1846-1900 Safe Conduct – A tale about Syed Wazir Ali (Part 1 & Part 2) Under The Raj Revisiting the Great Arc of the Meridian Neither Freedom nor Salt The Lahore Cantonment of Mian Mir Vale Hunting in India and the Peshawar Vale Hunt Feeding the Armies of the Raj Eating Curries in London Signposts, Tablets & Way Markers of the Raj British Indian Army & State Forces Under Pelican Wings— Bahawalpur State Forces On the Departure of Gowhar-i-Taj’s Own Infantry Battalion to Burma. The Irregular Cavalry through the Lens of a Painting The Indian Mountain Artillery Soldiers of the Salt Range Subedar Major Mauladad The Anglo-Sikh Wars Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 1 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 2 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 3 The Anglo-Sikh Wars & The Battle of Chillianwala Finding Zamzama’s Twin The Death of Capt John Anderson, Bengal Artillery Roads, Railways & Bridges Bridging the Mighty Indus Crossing Rivers in Punjab On the Tracks of the Frontier Mail Pre Independence Personalities Who was Sahabzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan A Gnarled Oak with a Broken Heart Heritage Of Sahabzada Yaqub Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim – The Islamic Cultural Renaissance Philosopher 24 Marris Road, Aligarh – Dr Abdullah Butt Maj Gen Syed Shahid Hamid An Indian Lieutenant at the 1936 Berlin Olympics The Power of a Mother’s Prayers A Muslim Instructor at Staff College Entering the Hallowed Ranks of the Indian Political Service. Edit Template THE GUIDES SAAB KA RISALA – 1846-1900 September 19, 2025 hamzasyed It was one of, if not the most famous corps in the British India Army. Col. G.J. Younghusband (a prolific writer and brother of the great explorer Francis Younghusband), wrote The Story of the Guides and M.M. Kay’s wrote her epic bestseller novel, The Far Pavilions whose hero served in the Guides. Her husband Major General Godfrey John Hamilton, DSO, served in the Guides and some of the episodes are from the history of the corps. The Guides is also recognized for introducing the khaki uniform to many of the world armies. On the orders of Sir Henry Lawrence, the British Resident at Lahore, the Guides was raised in 1846 by Lt. Lumsden, an assistant political agents. The genesis of the corps was in Napoleon’s Corps des Guides raised for conducting special reconnaissance. It was replicated by Wellington who witnessed it in operation during the Peninsula War (1812-14). Napoleon’s Corps des Guides ultimately transformed into the world-famed ten thousand strong Imperial Guard and though the Guides could never muster that large a number, like the Guards, it built up a ‘reputation for bravery and efficiency that was the envy of all other units,’ and its fame spread throughout the British Empire. It was an irregular corps of cavalry and infantry of trustworthy Afridis, Khattaks, Yusufzais, Sikhs, Punjabi Mussalmans, Punjabi Hindus, Farsiwans (Persians), Dogras, Gurkhas, Kabulis, Turkomans and others who were paid a special rate; capable of acting as guides and collecting cis and trans frontier intelligence. The corps could also take to the field at very short notice. On the morning of 13 May 1857, the Guides was relieved by a Native Regiment at 11 a.m. and within seven hours it marched out of Mardan with five officers, 153 sabers and 349 rifles. Fasting during the day (they left on the 18th day of Ramzan) and marching at night because of the heat, they covered the 934 kms to Delhi in 22 days. They would have arrived sooner if they hadn’t stopped on the way for five days to subdue rebels. Within three hours of arriving, they went into action. The corps was raised in Peshawar and Lumsden chose the tomb of a governor as his headquarter and residence. The dome shaped structure which still stands within the premises of the Mission Hospital has some relics of the Guides including its crest with the motto ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’ which translated from French means ‘May he be shamed who thinks badly of it.’ This maxim also appears on the royal coat of arms of Great Britain. In its early years, the corps was constantly on the move and the inscription under its crest embedded in the tomb reads ‘Astra Castra’ meaning ‘The stars my camp’. However, after three years, it was decided to construct a permanent home “to give shelter to 876 wild men and 300 wild horses.” In 1854, Colonel Hodson (of Hodson Horse fame), constructed the ‘Hoti-Mardan Fort [that] became not only the home of the Guides, but also the symbol of British power on the wild borders of Yaghistan, the land of everlasting conflict and of unending vendettas.’ It was from here that the Guides would march to Delhi in 1857 and also take part in numerous operations on the Frontier. At its inception the corps had only one troop of cavalry and two companies of infantry, about 300 men in all. In its first five years it participated in over 16 operations including the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848-49 and its legend started to grow with acts of bravery mixed with guile. Subedar Rasul Khan managed to bluff his way into Govindgarh Fort held by a Sikh regiment by tying up three of his soldiers and pretending that he had brought prisoners. In the early hours of the morning, his small band overpowered the Sikh guards and let the rest of the Guides in thus forcing a surrender. Fighting on the Frontier often required a bold and instant response. When a punitive force led by Sir Colin Campbell besieged Nawadand in 1852, the Uthman Khels caught the besiegers unaware with a stealthy attack. However, a young subaltern in an outlying picket led his 20 men in a desperate but successful
GUN RUNNING TO THE NORTHWEST FRONTIER
The Northwest Frontier The Three Swords of Meer Jaffir (Part 1 & Part 2) Gun Running to the Northwest Frontier A Tale of Subedar Major Mauladad (1822-1890) The Buddhist Road and The Storming of the Malakand Pass 1895 The Guides Saab Ka Risala 1846-1900 Safe Conduct – A tale about Syed Wazir Ali (Part 1 & Part 2) Under The Raj Revisiting the Great Arc of the Meridian Neither Freedom nor Salt The Lahore Cantonment of Mian Mir Vale Hunting in India and the Peshawar Vale Hunt Feeding the Armies of the Raj Eating Curries in London Signposts, Tablets & Way Markers of the Raj British Indian Army & State Forces Under Pelican Wings— Bahawalpur State Forces On the Departure of Gowhar-i-Taj’s Own Infantry Battalion to Burma. The Irregular Cavalry through the Lens of a Painting The Indian Mountain Artillery Soldiers of the Salt Range Subedar Major Mauladad The Anglo-Sikh Wars Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 1 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 2 Ranjit Singh Ka Topkhana Part 3 The Anglo-Sikh Wars & The Battle of Chillianwala Finding Zamzama’s Twin The Death of Capt John Anderson, Bengal Artillery Roads, Railways & Bridges Bridging the Mighty Indus Crossing Rivers in Punjab On the Tracks of the Frontier Mail Pre Independence Personalities Who was Sahabzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan A Gnarled Oak with a Broken Heart Heritage Of Sahabzada Yaqub Dr Khalifa Abdul Hakim – The Islamic Cultural Renaissance Philosopher 24 Marris Road, Aligarh – Dr Abdullah Butt Maj Gen Syed Shahid Hamid An Indian Lieutenant at the 1936 Berlin Olympics The Power of a Mother’s Prayers A Muslim Instructor at Staff College Entering the Hallowed Ranks of the Indian Political Service. Edit Template GUN RUNNING TO THE NORTHWEST FRONTIER September 19, 2025 hamzasyed When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and its satellites broke away, thousands of surplus small arms appeared on the black market. Russians and other nationalities from the Eastern Block based in the Gulf with strong links to source these weapons, delivered them anywhere in the world by aircraft of dubious charter companies. Arms smuggling through the Arabian or Persian Gulf as it is called (depending which side of the water you are sitting on), is not a recent phenomenon. 130 years ago European arms traders based primarily in Oman but also in Bahrain with depots in Dubai and elsewhere along the coast, were gunrunning into Arabia, Mesopotamia and Persia. However the most lucrative market that emerged at the turn of the 20 Century was the lands bordering the Northwest Frontier Province of British India. Till the 1890s, the Frontier Tribes relied on jezails (matchlocks) and for close quarter combat, knives, swords and shields. The muzzle-loading Enfield rifles that were supplied to the troops of the Punjab Frontier Force did not provide them any significant advantage over the jezails in mountain warfare. However, during the Jowaki Afridi Expedition of 1877-78, for the first time the Frontier Tribes faced troops armed with breech-loading Sniders which were accurate to 900 meters. By I891 the primary rifle being supplied to Indian troops was even more effective. The Martini-Henry breech-loading falling block rifle not only had an effective range of up to 1100 meters it was also capable of a rapid rate of fire. The British battalions who after the revolt of 1857 were always equipped with superior rifles than the Native regiments, were by the early 1890s armed with the .303 Lee-Metford rifle. It had a maximum range of 1600 meters, used smokeless ammunition (improving accuracy) and was capable of a vastly improved rate of fire due to the addition of an internal magazine. The Frontier Tribes realized to their chagrin that the nature of combat had changed and they eagerly sought the new generations of rifles. This was evident in the Hunza-Nagar Expedition of 1891. During the attack on Nilt Fort, the Imperial Service Troops were opposed by an assortment of rifles – Berdan (Russian), Winchester (American) and Snider (British). It was also evident in the Chitral Campaign of 1895, when the tribesmen were qualitatively better armed than some of the Indian troops under siege as well as the Imperial Service Troops coming to their relief. There were indications that arms were being smuggled from abroad but the issue was not investigated and the Frontier Tribes continued to acquire more breach loaders. During the hard fought Malakand and Tirah Expeditions of 1897/1898, the British troops were engaged accurately at long ranges and suffered unprecedented casualties with 287 killed and 853 wounded. This was dramatic confirmation that the Frontier Tribes had acquired modern rifles in number which compelled the Government of India to carry out a serious appraisal of the source of these weapons. An exhaustive enquiry revealed that the Frontier Tribes possessed approximately 48,000 firearms of which 7,700 were ‘arms of precision’ including .303 Lee-Metford, .450 Martini-Henry and the older muzzle loading .577 Sniders. 2,500 had been gifted to allies and frontier villages and landed up with the tribes, 1,400 were lost or stolen from the Army (either from stores, sentries, guardrooms or in action), and a surprising 3,000 were constructed from materials obtained illicitly. Between 1893 and 1898, 84,900 rifles had been destroyed by arsenals in India and their scrap was purchased by Indian and Pathan merchants. Useful components were then smuggled ‘lock, stock and barrel’ to rifle factories established in the Kohat Pass by enterprising Adam Khel Afridis and later in Dir and Tirah who hired the services of armorers who had served in the Punjab Frontier Force and other Indian units. Equally alarming were the three million rounds of ammunition pilfered each year. Most of it disappeared in transport from the ammunition depots to the Frontier. There was also a big trade in lead collected from rifle butts and artillery ranges, as well as fired cases picked up from the firing ranges and battlefields. The estimate was that over two and a half million empty cases had been left on the battlefields during the various campaigns