Dargai

Name	Dargai
Settlement type	Union council and town
Pushpin map	Pakistan
Pushpin map caption	Location in Pakistan
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates region	PK
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	Pakistan
Subdivision type1	Region
Subdivision name1	Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Subdivision type2	District
Subdivision name2	Charsadda District
Subdivision type3	Tehsil
Subdivision name3	Charsadda Tehsil
Timezone	PST
Utc offset	+5

Dargai is one of the tehsil of Malakand District. Malakand Agency was a Tribal Area till 1970. In 1970, following the abolition of the princely states (Chitral, Dir and Swat), the agency became the Malakand Division, which was divided into districts, one of which was the Malakand Protected Area, known as Malakand District. In 2000 the Malakand Division was abolished. Despite the constitutional changes since 1970, the expression Malakand Agency is still used, sometimes of the entire area of the former Agency, but more often of Malakand District.

Dargai is located on the main highway from Peshawar to Swat, Dir and Chitral. Most of the tourists going to these areas had to travel via Dargai so business flourished there. Due to the recent law and order situation, tourists going to Swat have considerably decreased adversely, affecting trade in Dargai. Dargai is famous for its timber market.

History Of Dargai

Dargai is famous for its battles during British rule. The British commenced their campaign against Malakand in 1853. First of all they conducted a campaign against the Utmankhel. A large battle took place at parng Ghar and owing to the defenders being a small band of mujahideen with nominal arms, the Utmankhel were subdued.

In the closing month of 1853, under the command of Lord Klaidy, a brigade was sent after them. At the first stage they raided Dargai and Kharkeay — small Ranizai villages at the bottom of Malakand pass. The enemy was well equipped with artillery, so the Ranizais accepted a ransom of Rs.5000. and that made the Ranizais to proclaim jihad in Buner, which was ruled by Syed Akhbar Shah Badshah, and the British felt a great risk from that side. The British tried to storm Buner but were unable to find a way of doing so.

In 1877 the Akhund Sahib (Saidu baba) of Swat died. In 1878 Lord Klaidy took a strong force and entered Ranizai territory via Palai and Sherkhana at the south boundary of Malakand agency. The Ranizais again resorted to arbitration.

In 1895 Sir Arlo, a major in the British army, and Colonel Kelly started a war against Umara Khan, a great sardar and politician whom Sir Winston Churchill called the Afghan Napoleon. The British camped at Dargai and Kharkay, a huge battle took place at the Malakand pass in which the Swat Ranizais displayed great valour. On September 12, 1895 an agreement was signed between them and Swat and Ranizais.

In the year 1897, when the second battle of Malakand took place the Swat Ranizais resisted. Even Pukhtoon women came out to fight. History velour of a woman belonging to a respectable family of Dehri Alladand. She fought day and night and provided food and water to the mujahideen and never put her sword till killed. She is buried on the outskirts of Dehri Alladand village; the people call her Shaheeda Abai (martyred grandmother).

Hazrat Sadullah Khan, alias Sar tor Faqir (bear-headed Faqir), also known as Mullah Mastan or the Mad Mullah by the British belonged to Buner Swat. When the British seized Amandara, while Sar tor Faqir marched from Landakay towards Thana and they proceeded to Dehri Alladand and the Batkhela. They by-passed the British troops at Amandara and decided to raid Malakand. They defeated the British. Later, the Sikhs joined the British, but still they were beaten. When the battle ended a large number of British and Sikhs were killed and captured, and a large quantity of arms and ammunition was seized. Nineteen mujahideen were killed, including Sar Tor Faqir. His tomb stands at the bottom of Elephant Pass (Hathi Darrah) to the south of the village Zulamkot in Dehri Alladand in Malakand.

Later, the British formed a new force known as the Malakand Field Force for dealing with tribes in Malakand. Winston Churchill was a second lieutenant in this force. He was also the editor of the daily Civil and Military Gazette. The Malakand Field Force raided many villages of Malakand, Swat, Dir and Chitral, and gradually British rule enveloped the whole division.

Dargai Heights

An attack on Dargai Heights in the Tirah campaign resulted in the award of four Victoria Crosses. The Heights were being held by Afridi tribesmen but were successfully stormed by the Gordon Highlanders and the Gurkhas on the 20th October 1897. Piper George Findlater and Private Edward Lawson of the Gordons, Henry Singleton Pennell of the Derbyshire Regiment and Samuel Vickery of the The Dorsetshire Regiment were the medal recipients. The action was commemorated in verse by William McGonagall, the pipe march The Heights of Dargai by J. Wallace and the fiddle tune Dargai by James Scott Skinner. Richard Thompson notably arranged and recorded a version of the Skinner tune for guitar.

Current Dargai

There are scenic places in Dargai like the Jabban and Malakand hydro-electric project. Water passes through a three-mile long tunnel, and has a natural fall of 350 feet. There are two power houses at Dargai and Malakand Khas. A third power plant of 81 MW was recently constructed in Dargai. The Punjab Regiment Centre is located near Dargai Railway Station. In November 2006 a suicide bomber strike killed 42 Pakistani Soldiers in Dargai. During the recent war in Swat Dargai Fort was used as a supply centre for the army stationed in Swat and Dir.

References

Category:Populated places in Charsadda District Category:Union councils of Charsadda District