Sartor Faqir (also known as "Mullah Mastan or Mullah Mastana"Lewanai Faqir or Saidullah in Pashto and by the British as "The Great Fakir" or "Mad Faqir", "Mad Faqir of Swat" or the "Mad Mullah",) or Sarthor Faqir "Capless/without Traditional cap" was a Pashtunfakir and religious mendicant whose Pashto name translated to "God-intoxicated" as a reference to his religious convictions and his belief that he was capable of miraculous powers. In response to the British occupation of the North West Frontier Province of modern-day Pakistan, and the division of Pashtun lands by the 1,519 mile long Durand Line, Saidullah declared a jihad against the occupying British Empire and led from 10,000 to 100,000 Pashtun tribesmen in an uprising which began with the siege of Malakand from July 26 to August 2, 1897 against British forces under Brigadier-General William Hope Meiklejohn, and Major-General Sir Bindon Blood.
Early Life
Sartor Fakir was born in the Buner region of Rega to Malik Hameedullah of Yousafzai tribe, then Swat. From his early life, he was a great wrestler and an athlete by nature. When he grew up, he started travelling to various areas in search of religious education and for a period stayed also in Ajmir (India). It is mentioned by some historians that he also traveled to Central Asia and eventually settled in Mazar-i-Sharif city of Afghanistan for a period of ten years and after that returned to his native village in 1895, where he had caused to stir up a Jihad against the British, that led to the Siege of malakand, in which he fought heroically.
A sunny day! I opened my eyes, a welcome break from bright grey skies. Today is a blank page, there is so much I could do. I remembered a sign that once rang true,
As Afghans flee the Taliban, the experiences of a fellow countryman, Saidullah Karimi, warn of tough times ahead, but also carry a message of hope ... .
