Bangash

Bangash (Pashto: بنګخ, Urdu: بنگش) is the name of a Pashtun(pathan) tribe. The Bangash tribe inhabit Kurram Agency, FATA, Miranzai Valley(Hangu) bordering the Samana Range, Kohat and Peshawar of Sarhad province. Some Bangashes also inhabit India, most notable of whom were the Nawabs of Farrukhabad; where they established their own Afghan colony. Some Bangashes also inhabit Khorasan and Mazandaran in Iran.

History

Bangash, a pashtun tribe who inhabit the Miranzai valley (Hangu), the Kohat defile in British territory (now North West Pakistan), and also the valley of Kurram river in Afghanistan. They are said to be the descended from a person named Ismail, who was surnamed Bankash or Bangash (meaning "root-drawer"). Their subdivisions are the Gar, with the sections Amir Janshidi, and Miranzai; and the Samilzai, with the sections Tuzi, Namani and Alizai. The Bangash inhabited Kurram for a few hundred years. The emperor Babur (A.D. 1504) found them located in Kuram, which formerly divided into Bangash-i-Bala and Bangash Pain, Upper and Lower Bangash. The emperor Babur enumerates Bangash as one of the fourteen provinces then dependent on Kabul, so that the settlement of the Bangash tribe is of very ancient date. They had been estimated to number 5600 in Kurram. The three main divisons of the clan are the Miranzai, with three clans; Baizais and Samilzai, with five sections. The Miranzai; the Baizai inhabit the Kohat valley proper, and the Samilzai are in the wild jungle district of the same name. They are very hospitable and nice people.

The Kohat Gazetteer of 1883-84 records cquote|'The Orakzai tribes are said to have been converted by the Tirah Syeds about the beginning of the present century . The Bangashes of Samizai were probably converted a little earlier , [ Gazetteer of the Kohat Distrct 1883-84 published by Sang e meel publications Pakistan page 69 ]

Babur founder of the Mughal Dynasty, in his biography where he mentions the names of the local tribes (of Pashtuns). He wished to master them all, but Babur could not master the territory bounded on the north by the Koh-i-Sufaid down as far as Bannu, where Bangash, Turis, Wazirs live, as is clear from his comments:

cquote|The tribes of Bangash lie out of the way, and do not willingly pay taxes. Being occupied by many affairs of superior importance, such as the conquest of Kandahar, Balkh, Badakhshan and Hindustan, I never found leisure to apply myself to the settlement of Bangash. But if Almighty God prosper my wishes, my first moment of leisure shall be devoted to the settlement of that district, and of its plundering neighbours.He writes in a similar tone about Wazirs, but his hope of dominating them was never fulfilled.

The Bangash Tribe

Religion

Bangashes follow the religion of Islam. Although the majority of Bangashes follow the Shia school of thought, some Bangashes also follow the Sunni school of thought.Bangashes are found rushing to Masjid at the time of prayers. Bangashes observe many religious rituals such as Eid Milad-ul-Nabi (the Holy Prophet's birthday), Ashura (mourn the Holy Prophet's grandson's martyrdom) and other religious rituals.

Famous Bangashes

*Nawab Mohammad Khan Bangash, 1714, founded the city of Farrukhabad.
*Prof. MYH Bangash, is a professor of nuclear/aerospace structures. He has published over 75 research papers and 24 books. He is also a designer of nuclear power. He has been President of the Council of Muslim Education at the Islamic Cultural Centre at Regent's Park in London.
*Ali Haidar Bangash, the only pashtun to receive the Victoria Cross during WWII for his bravery.
*Hafiz Ali Khan Bangash an iconoclast figure in twentieth-century sarod music.

External links

* [http://www.loujohnson.co.uk/essays_011/essay011a.shtml Pictures of Hangu]

ee also

*Beliamen
*Pashtun tribes
*Pashtunistan

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