Mian Ali, who founded Mianwali in Ghakar times, is said to have been a holy man from Baghdad. He gained ascendancy over the Pathan settlers in the country by encouraging them to throw off the yoke of the Ghakars. His promises of success were fulfilled, and the Ghakars were driven out of the country about the middle of the last century. His son Sultan Zakaria was spiritual guide of the peasantry for many years, and is credited with having possessed miraculous gifts. To him succeeded his son Muhammad Ali, a less known man. In 1847 Muhammad Ali’s three sons, Chirigh Ali, Murad Wand (or Ali), and Ghaus Ali were in power, and rendered Lieutenant H. Edwardes valuable assistance in settling a blood feud which had until then cost many lives annually. From that time the family exerted all its influence on our side. After annexation an investigation into its revenue-free holdings was made, and continued until, in 1864, revenue to the amount of Rs. 1,200 a year was released in equal shares to the three heads of the house, with the condition attached that each grant was “to be reconsidered on the death of the representative of that branch.” By mistake the sanction has hitherto been taken as equivalent to a perpetuity grant. The genealogical tree is as follows:

1. Sultan Zakaria
   1. Ali Muhammad
      1. Chiragh Ali
         1. Mohsin Ali
            1. Sultan Ali
         2. Mahar Ali
            1. Sher Ali
      2. Murad Ali
         1. Bahadur Ali
            1. Ali Sher
            2. Ali Ahmad
            3. Ali Haider
         2. Eid Ali
         3. Ali Nur
      3. Ghaus Ali
         1. Sharaf Ali
         2. Maksud Ali
         3. Hasan Ali
         4. Karam Ali
         5. Dost Ali
         6. Sahib Ali

The present heads of the family are the three men whose names appear in italics. They alone are on the provincial darbar list. All the members of the family have hitherto shared in the maafi as though it were an ancestral estate. Sultan Ali who represents the eldest branch, received Rs. 100 inam in the recent Settlement. His ancestor Sultan Zakaria’s shrine also received a small endowment of Rs. 15, and his handsome new mosque one of Rs. 10 a year. He is the only thriving man in the family. Ali Niur is fairly well off, and enhances his income by selling amulets and by breathing on the sick (dam durud). Most of the other Mians, though desperately poor, are yet so impressed with their own dignity as to be above honest work This is unfortunate, as the family is prolific, and the physique of its numbers is good.

MIANWALI BRIEF HISTORY

Syed Mian Ali Sahib Migrated From Bhagdad[Iraq],Who Was A Great Spiritual Saint Laid The Foundations Of Mianwali. In Those Days It Was Called “Mian Ali Wali”, Which Later Was Converted To Mianwali.After Him,His Son Hazrat Syed Sultan Muhammad Zikria Remained The Holly Leader And Saint Of The Pathan Tribes And Other Tribes Of The Area For A Long Period And Settled All The Disputes Among The Tribes Successfully.He Is Known As Sahib E Karamat Wallee.His Descendants Are Still Respectable And Have Political Influence In The Area Too.

Historically, All Major Rulers Of South Asia Governed This Area In Their Turn. Mughal Emperor Babur Mentioned Isa Khel While He Was Fighting Against The Pakhtuns As Part Of His Campaign To Conquer The Punjab During The 1520s (Ref. Baburnama). Prior To The Invasion Of Nadir Shah In 1738, There Is Little To Relate Concerning The History Of The Northern Part Of The District. The Upper Half Of The District Was Ruled By The Ghakkars, Who Became Feudatories Of The Mughal Empire, Of Which The District Continued To Form A Part Until The Invasion Of Nadir Shah. In 1738 A Portion Of His Army Entered Bannu, And By Its Atrocities So Cowed The Bannuchis And Marwats That A Heavy Tribute Was Raised From Them. Another Portion Of The Army Crossed The Darra Pezu And Worked Its Way Down To Dera Ismail Khan. Contingents Raised From The Neighbourhoods Of Bannu And Dera Ismail Khan Marched Under Nadir Shah’s Banner To The Sack Of Delhi. In 1739 The Area West Of The Indus Was Surrendered By The Emperor Of Delhi To Nadir Shah, And Passed After His Death To Ahmad Shah Abdali.

Of The Early History Of The District, Nothing Can Be Stated With Any Certainty, Beyond The Fact That Its Inhabitants Were Hindus And That Before The Christian Era The Country Formed An Integral Portion Of The Graeco-Bactrian Empire Of Kabul And The Punjab.The District Has Been Settled By A Triple Immigration From Opposite Directions, Of Awan From The North-East, Of Jats And Baloches Up The Valley Of The Indus From The South, And Of Pathans From The North-Westprevious To The Decline And Extinction Of Ghakkar Authority In Mianwali, The Awan Possessions Extended Westward Of The Salt Range

But The Advancing Niazi Tide Compelled Them To Retire Before It, And For Upwards Of One Hundred Years Past The Mountain Barrier, Which Runs From Sakesar To Kalabagh, Has Here Abruptly Marked The Limits Of Pathan Expansion To The East And Awans Contracted To The West Before The Fifteenth Century The Lower Portion Of The District Was Probably Occupied B A Few Scattered Tribes Of Jat, Depending On Their Cattle For Subsistence The Valley Of The Indus Was A Dense Jungle, Swarming With Pig And Hog-Dear And Frequented By Numerous Tigers .

All The Traditions Of The Peoples Go To Show That An Immigration Of Mixed Tribes Of Jats (Siyars, Chhinas, Khokhars) Set In About The Beginning Of The 15th Century From The Multan And Bahawalpur Direction They Gradually Passed Up The Valley Of The Indus To The Mianwali Tehsil, Occupying The Intervening Country After These Came The Baloches They Also Came From The South, But In Large Bands Under Recognized Leaders, And They Appear To Have Taken Military Rather Than Proprietary Possession Of The Country They Were The Ruling Casts, And Served Under Their Chiefs In The Perpetual Little Wars That Were Then Going On In Every Direction. Mahmud Of Ghazni Is Said To Have Ravaged The Upper Half Of The District Together With Bannu, Expelling Its Hindu Inhabitants And Reducing The Country To A Desert The Series Of Afghan Immigrations Into Bannu Took Place And The Bannuchis, The Marwat And The Niazis Settled In The Fertile Portion Of The Country On Either Bank Of The Kurram.

Towards The Close Of The Fifteenth Century They Spread North Into The Plain Now Known As Marwat, And Squatted There As Graziers, And Perhaps Too As Cultivators, On The Banks Of The Kurram And Gambila There They Lived In Peace For About Fifty Years, When The Marwat Lohanis A Younger Branch Of The Lodhi Group, Swarmed Into The Country After Them, Defeated Them In Battle, And Drove Them Across The Kurram At Tang Darra, In The Valley Beyond Which They Found A Final Home At The Time Of The Niazi Irruption Marwat Seems To Have Been Almost Uninhabited, Except By A Sprinkling Of Pastoral Jats; But The Bank Of The Indus Apparently Supported A Considerable Jat And Awan Population The Most Important Sections Of The Expelled Niazis Were The Isakhel Mushanis And A Portion Of The Sarhangs The First Named Took Root In The South Of Their New Country And Shortly Developed Into Agriculturists, The Second Settled Farther To The North Round About Kamar Mushani, And Seem For A Time To Have Led A Pastoral Life; Of The Sarhangs, Some Took Up Their Abode At Sultan Khel While Others, After Drifting About For Several Generations, Permently Established Themselves Cis-Indus On The Destruction Of The Ghakkar Stronghold On Muazzam Nagar By One Of Ahmad Shah’s Lieutenants That Event Occurred About 1748, And With It Terminated The Long Connection Of The Ghakkar With Mianwali They Seem To Have Been Dominant In The Northern Parts Of The Country Even Before The Emperor Akbar Presented It In Jagir To Two Of Their Chiefs During The Civil Commotions Of The Jehangir’s Reign, The Niazis Are Said To Have Driven The Ghakkars Across The Salt Range, And Though In The Following Reign, The Latter Recovered Their Position, Still Their Hold On The Country Was Precarious, And Came To An End About The Middle Of The 18th Century As Stated Above Prior To The Invasion Of Nadir Shah In 1738 Ther Is Little To Relate Concerning The History Of The Northern Portion Of The District The Upper Half Of The District Was Ruled By The Ghakkars, Who Became Feudatories Of The Mughal Empire, Of Which The District, Continued To Form A Part Until The Invasion Of Nadir Shah In 1738 A Portion Of His Army Entered Bannu, And By Its Atrocities So Cowed The Bannu His And Marwats That A Heavy Tribute Was Raised From Them Another Portion Of The Army Crossed The Pezu Pass And Worked Its Way Down To Dera Ismail Khan The Country Was Generally Plundered And Contingents Raised From The Neighbour Hoods Of Bannu And Dera Ismail Khan Marched Under Nadir Shah’s Banner To The Sack Of Delhi In 1739 The Country West Of The Indus Was Surrendered By The Emperor Of Delhi To Nadir Shah, And Passed After His Death To Ahmed Shah Abdali.

In 1748 A Durrani Army Under One Of Ahmad Shah’s Generals Crossed The Indus At Kalabagh, And Drove Out The Ghakkars, Who Still Ruled In The Cis-Indus Tracts Of The District, Owing Nominal Allegiance To The Emperor At Delhi Their Stronghold, Muazzam Nagar, Was Raised To The Ground And With Their Expulsion Was Swept Away The Last Vestige Of Authority Of The Mughal Emperor In These Parts.The Armies Of Ahmad Shah Marched Repeatedly Through The District, The Cis-Indus Portion Of Which Was, With The Rest Of The Punjab, Incorporated In The Durrani Kingdom In 1756, And For The Next Sixty Years A Precarious Hold Was Maintained On Their Eastern Provinces, Including The District, By Ahmad Shah And His Successors To The Throne Of The Newly Created Kingdom Of Kabul .During The Greater Portion Of The Reign Of Ahmad Shah, Nor Regular Governors Were Appointed By The Kabul Government The Country Was Divided Between The Hot And Jaskani Chiefs, Whose Predecessors Had Been The First Baloch Chief’s To Form Settlements Along The Indus

At The Beginning Of The 17th Century The Jaskanis Ruled Over Bhakkar And Leiah And Across The Thal To The Chenab Side They Came Occasionally In Contact With Sikhs Who Were Then Becoming A Power In The Punjab Biluh Khan, The Blind, One Of The Most Famous Of These Jaskanis, Is Said To Have Been Killed (A D 1746) In A Fight With Jhanda Singh And Ganda Singh, The Sikh Leaders It Is Probable That The Real Date Of This Event Was Somewhat Later, And That This Is The Same Jhanda Singh Who Took Multan In A D 1772 In Cunninghan’s History Of The Sikhs It Is Mentioned That From 1772 A D To The Retaking Of Multan By The Kabul Kin, The Bhangi Sikhs Were Predominant In All The Southern Punjab, And That “They Seem To Have Possessed Mankera As Well As Multan, And To Have Levied Exactions From Kalabagh Downward” Local Tradition Is Against Mankera Having Been Occupied By The Sikhs Before Its Final Capture By Ranjit Singh, And Any Expedition Made By Them In This Direction Can Have Been Little More Than A Transitory Raid . Fateh Khan Succeeded His Father, Biluch Khan, The Blind Towards The End Of This Rule, Nusrat Khan, Hot, Of Dera Ismail Khan, Crossed Over To Bhakkar, And Defeated Fateh Khan’s Son, Nusrat, Whom He Took Prisoner With Him To Dera Hasan Khan Laskrani, Who Was Wazir To Fateh Khan, Was Ordered To Attack Dera, But He Made Excuses; And An Attempt Of Nusrat Jaskani’s Mother To Obtain His Release Led To Her Attempted Violation By Nusrat Khan Hot After This Nusrat, Jaskani, Was Released, But Bothe He An His Fater Fateh Khan Poisoned Themselves Through Shame At The Disgrace The Whole Affair Was A Great Scandal And As Nusrat Khan, Hot Bore A Bad Character, Ahmed Shah, Who Was Desirous Of Tightening His Hold Over These Semi-Independent Provinces, Took Advantage Of The Exuse To Deprive Him Of His Government, And To Remove Him As A Prisoner To Kabul Meanwhile Hasan Khan Laskrani Ruled The Cis-Indus Country In The Name Of Hayat Khan, The Grandson Of The Former Chief, Fateh Khan Being Desirous, However To Keep The Government In His Own Hands, He Continued To Keep Hayat Khan Under Close Surveillance In The Fort Of Mankera, Even After The Latter Had Attained His Majority Hayat Khan Eventually Managed To Escape And Getting Together A Party, He Defeated Hasan Khan And Took Him Prisoner Hasan Khan Was Soon After Wards Murdered The Government Of The Jaskanis, However, Was Now Fast Breaking Up The Saranis, Who Were Then A Strong Tribe And Had Been Much Pampered By Hayat Khan, Took Offence At An Expedition Fitted Out By Hayat Khan Against One Gul Muhammad Of Uch, A Holy Individual, Who Had Been Trying To Establish His Independence In The Chenab Country The Accordingly Attacked Him Treacherously And Murdered Him In His Fort Of Mankera This Took Place In A D 1787,The Overthrow Of The Jaskanis Was Eventually Compassed In 1789 By The Serais Under Abdul Nabbi,These Serais Were The Same As The Kalhoras, Who Had Been Ousted From Sindh In 1782 They Had Waged A Long Conflict With The Kabul Kings For The Overlordship Of The Dera Ghazi Khan Country, Where The Mirranis Under Wazir Muhammad Khan Had Played A Double Game, Sometimes On One Side, Sometimes On The Other .

Abdul Nabbi, Serai, Held The Leiah Government Only For Three Years Complaints Were Made To The King Of His Tyrannical Rule, While An Appointment Was Wanted For Muhammad Khan, Saddozai This Man Was Cousin To Muzaffar Khan, Nawab Of Multan For Whom He Had For Some Time Acted As Governor Of Multan, To The Satisfaction The King A Sanad, Therefore, Was Soon Drawn Out Appointing Muhammad Khan Nawab And Governor Of The Sindh Sagar Doab From Kallur Kot To Mahmud Kot And From The Indus To Chenab Muhammad Khan Had Still To Take Possession, Which Was Not To Be Done Without Fighting He Was Met By Abdul Nabbi Near Leiah, And In The Battle They Ensued, The Serais Has At First The Advantage And The Nawab’s People Fled Nawab Muhammad Khan Himself Was Ready To Fly, Sayin “What Can A King Do Without An Army”? But Was Stopped By His Jmedar Who Said “Better Die Than Fly” Eventually, He Rallied A Part Of His Forces, And Meanwhile Some Labanas Crept Up Through A Bhang Field And Attaked The Serais From Behind, And Killed Muhammad Arif, The Son Of Abdul Nabbi, Wo Had Been The Soul Of The Fight, And The Serais Being Disheartened Gave In The Serais Were Allowed A Day To Remove Their Property, And Departed By Boat To Their Own Country To The Southin The Troubled Times Befor The Arrival Of Nawab Muhammad Khan The Leading Men All Over The Country Were Setting Up As Independent Chiefs These Were Gradually Brough Into Subjection By The Nawab, A Work Which In Some Cases Was Not Accomplished With Considerable Difficulty The Nawab Also Reduced The People Of Wan Bhachran And Afterwards Attacked The Tiwanas Under Malik Khan Muhammad, And Defeated Them, And Looted Nurpur The Nawab Did Not, However, Retain Possession Of The Tiwana Country This Was The Origin Of The Feud Between The Multani Pathans And The Tiwanas The Celebrated Malik Fateh Tiwana, Who Took A Prominent Part In The History Of Dera Ismail Khan During The Years Immediately Preceding Annexation, Was Grandson Of This Malik Khan Muhammadthe Nawab Also Sent Diwan Manak Rai Across The Indus Against The Khasors, Who Had Killed A Holy Sayyid Of Bilot The Khasors Were Eventually Defeated, And The Nawab Took Their Country And Built A Fort Theremeanwhile Taimur Shah Had Died In 1793 He Was Succeeded By Zaman Shah, Whose Title Was However, Disputed By Prince Humayun In 1794, Humayun Made His Second Attempt To Recover The Kingdom From Shah Zaman, But Was Defeated, And Fled To Sagar Where Masu Khan Nutkani, A Chief Of Sagar, Assisted Him And Managed To Smuggle Him Across The Dera Fateh Khan Ferry The News Of The Escape Of Humayun Reached Nawab Some How Or Other For Whose Capture Strict Order, With Promises Of Untold Rewards, Had Been Issued By Zaman Shah He Accordingly Collected Some Horsemen And Pursued Humayun, When He Caught Up At A Well In The Thal, Some Fifteen Miles From Leiah Humayun Had Some 20 Or 30 Horsemen With Him Who In Desperation Made A Good Fight The Young Prince, The Son Of Humayun, Was Killed, And Humayun Was Taken Prisoner And Borugh Into Leiah The Nawab At Once Reported The Capture Of Humayun To The King Zaman Shah, Who Sent Orders That Humayun’s Eyes Should Be Put Out, And His Companions Disemboweled He Also Conferred On The Nawab The Name Of Sarbiland Khan, And The Government Of Dera Ismail Khan, In Addition To That Which He Already Held The Orders Of The King Were Carried Out At Leiah Among Humayun’s Attendants, Who Suffered, Was A Brother Of Fateh Khan, Barakzai Humayun’s Attendants, Who Suffered, Was A Brother Of Fateh Khan, Barakzai Humayun Himself Passed The Rest Of His Life In Confinement .

The Province Of Dera, Of Which Muhammad Khan Now Became Governor, Extended From The Khasor Range To The Sagar Country, Ruled Over By The Nutkani Chief The Whole Of The Makkalwad Submitted At Once To The New Nawabnawab Muhammad Khan Had His Headquarter At Mankaera And Bhakkar, And Governed Dera By Deputy In 1815 He Died He Left No Son, And Was Succeeded By His Son-In-Law, Hafiz Ahmed Khanmuhammad Khan Was Undoubtedly A Man Of Great Character And During His Lifetime The Sikhs Abstained From Attacking The Leiah Territories Immediately On His Death A Demand For Tribute Was Made On His Successor, Hafiz Ahmed Khan On His Refusal His Forts On Khangarh And Mahmud Kot Were Occupied By The Sikhs And Great Atrocities Re-Perpetrated On The Muhammadan Population Of The Neighbourhood, Till Hafiz Ahmed Khan Procured The Withdrawal Of The Sikh Garrison By The Payment Of A Large Sum Of Money And Thus Recovered His Forts, With Part Also Of The Plunder Extorted After This, The Sikh Government Continued To Press The Nawab With All Kinds Of Extoritonate Demands Among Other Things Ranjit Singh Was Especially Fond Of Seizing Any Valuable Horses That He Might Hear Of, And Made The Nawab Yield Up Some Of His Special Favourities In 1888, Multan Inspite Of The Gallant Resistance Offered By Nawab Muzaffar Khan, Had Been Taken By The Sikhs Nawab Hafiz Ahmad Khan Had Not Dared To Assist His Brother Nawab And Kinsman In The Struggle Nawab Hafiz Ahmed Khan, However, Managed To Annex In 1818 Isa Khel, As Well As Part Of The Cis-Indus Tract Of Mianwali And His Troops Accompanied By A Revenue Collector, Diwan Manak Rai, Over-Ran Marwat But He Was Not Left Long To Enjoy The Fruits Of His Conquest In The Autumn Of 1821 Ranjit Singh, Disengaged From More Serious Matters, Determined To Reduce Him He Accordingly Marched With An Army Through Shahpur To A Point On The Indus Opposite Dera Ismail Khan He Sent A Force Of 8,000 Men Across The River And On This The Town Was Surrendered By The Governor Diwan Manak Rai Bhakkar, Leiah, Khangarh And Maujgarh Were All Successively Reduced Without Resistance Mankera Was Also Conquered By The Sikhs In November And The Nawab Laid Arms Before The Sikh Army The Nawab Was, However, Treated With Great Civility, And Was Sent With An Escort To Dera Ranjit Singh Now Annexed The Cis-Indus Tehsils And The Dera Fateh Khan Ilaqa At The Same Time He Enforced Engagements For Tribute On The Chiefs Of Tank And Sagar The Fort Of Mankera Was Put In Charge Of A Governor, Who Held Directly Under The Sikh Government, And Was Never Entrusted To The Local Kardars . No Sooner Had The Insatiable Ranjit Singh Gained The Indus For A Frontier, Than Her Determined To Advance It To The Sulieman Range Itself In 1823 He Crossed The Indus At The Head Of A Large Force, Marchd Through Isa Khel And Marwat Without Opposition, And Pushed On To The Outskirts Of Bannu But After Staying A Month Or Two, He Retired Without Attempting To Plant A Garrison In The Trans-Indus Country

In A D 1831, Rajkaur Was Appointed Ijaradar, And After Him Khalsa Khazan Singh Eventually In 1837, The Whole Of The Cis-Indus Country As Far As Mianwali Was Made Over To Sawan Mal, The Sikh Governor Of Multan, In Whose Name It Was Successively Governed By His Son, Karm Narayan, And His Grandson Wazir Chand Sawan Mal Was A Wise And Able Governor, And Was Famous For The Excellence Of His Revnue Administration And For His General Encouragement Of Agriculture He Died In 1845, And Was Succeeded By His Son Mul Raj Shortly After This The Second Sikh War Broke Out, And Was Followed By The Annexation Of The Whole Country By The British Governmenton 29th March 1849 The Punjab Was Annexed, And The Territories, Now Comprised In The Mianwali District, Became Formally A Portion Of British India In The Organization Of The Province That Immediately Followed, There Were Fourmed The Districts Of Leiah And Dera Ismail Khanthe Isa Khel Tehsil, Together With Marwat Was Thrown Into The Dera Ismail Khan Ddistict, While The Cis-Indus Tehsils (Except A Portion The Mianwali District East Of The Salt Range, Which Then Was A Part Of The Jhelum District) Were Incorporated In The District Of Leiah From The Time Of Annexation Until The Was Of 1857 The History Of The Tract Was Uneventful

The Bhakkar Tehsil Until 1860 Was Known By The Name Of Darya Khan, Its Former Headquarters Station At Annexation The Tract Now Comprised In It Was Divided Between The Old Mankera And Darya Khan Tehsil In 1853-54 The Mankera Tehsil Was Abolished The Khushab Taluqa Being Transferred To Shahpur; The Chaubara, Nawankot And Maujgarh Talukas To Leiah; And The Remainder Of The Tehsil Being Incorporated In Darya Khan The Taluka Of Piplan And Harnauli Belonging To The Old Darya Khan Tehsil Were At The Same Time Transferred To Mianwali Then Known As The Kachchi Tehsil The Mitha Tiwana And Nurpur Taluqas, Which Were Afterwards Transferred To Shahpur, Belonged To The Mianwali, And Not To The Bhakkar Tehsil A Few Villages Of The Dera Tehsil Lying On The Left Bank Of The Indus, Were Transferred To Bhakkar In 1857 These Villages Were 19 In Number And Form A Fringe Along The Indus From Gishkori To Bet Bogha On 1st January, 1861, Leiah District Was Abolished, And The Derajat Division Was Fromed With Bannu For Its Most Northern District The Trans-Indus Tehsils Of Bannu, Marwat And Isa Khel, Which Had Previously Belonged To The Dera Ismail Khan District With Its Headquarters At Edwardesabad; Together With The Cis-Indus Tehsil Of Mianwali, Which Had Formed A Sub-Division Of The Leiah District, Were Now Constituted Into The New Bannu District The Tract Called Pakkar Or Khaudri, While Eighteen Villages Of The Nurpur Ilaqa Were Transferred From Mianwali To Shahpur The Mianwalia And Isa Khel Tehsils Were Formed Into A Sub-Division With Its Headquarters At Mianwali The Leiah And Bhakkar Tehsils Were On The Other Hand Thrown Into The New Dera Ismail Khan District Of Which They Formed A Sub-Division

On The Separation The North-West Frontier Province From The Punjab A Further Reconstitution Took Place, And On 9th November 1901 The Mianwali District Formed Out Of The Four Tehsils Of Isa Khel, Mianwali, Bhakkar And Leiah, The Two Former Being Taken From Bannu, And The Two Latter From Dera Ismail Khan Districtthe Headquarters Were Fixed At Mianwali, The Bhakkar Sub-Division Was Maintained, And The District Was Included In The Multan Divisionfrom 1st April, 1909 The Leiah Tehsil Was Transferred To The Muzaffargarh District And The District Of Mianwali, Consisting Now Of Three Tehsils Only Was Attached To The Rawalpindi Divisionthere Has Been No Further Major Territorial Change Except That Mianwali District Became A Part Of The New Division Of Sargodha In December, 1960 .

THE RULE OF THE GHAKKARS IN THE NORTH

INVASION OF NADIR SHAH 1738

Prior To The Invasion Of Nadir Shah In 1738, There Is Little To Relate Concerning .The History Of The Northern Portion Of The District. The Upper Half Of The District Was Ruled By The Ghakkars, Who Became Feudatories Of The Mughal Empire, Of Which The District Continued To Form A Part Until The Invasion Of Nadir Shah. In 1738 A Portion Of His Army Entered Bannu, And By Its Atrocities So Cowed The Bannuchis And Marwats That A Heavy Tribute Was Raised From Them. Another Portion Of The Army Crossed The Pezu Pass And Worked Its Way .Down To Dera Ismail Khan. The Country Was Generally Plundered And Contingents Raised From The Neighbourhoods Of Bannu And Dera Ismail Khan Marched Under Nadir Shah’s Banner To The Sack Of Delhi. In 1739 The Country West Of The Indus Was Surrendered By The Emperor Of Delhi To Nadir Shah, And Passed After His Death To Ahmad Shah Abdali.

EXPULSION OF THE GHAKKARS IN 1748

In 1748 A Durrani Army Under One Of Ahmad Shah’s Generals Crossedthe Indus At Kalabagh, And Drove Out The Ghakkars, Who Still Ruled In The Cis-Indus Tracts Of The District, Owing Nominal Allegiance To The Emperor At Delhi. Their Stronghold, Muazzam Nagar, Was Razed To The Ground, And With Their Expulsion Was Swept Away The Last Vestige Of Authority Of The Mughal Emperor, In These Parts.The Armies Of Ahmad Shah Marched Repeatedly Through The District, The Cis-Indus Portion Of Which Was, With The Rest Of The Punjab, Incorporated In The Durrani Kingdom In 1756, And For The Next Sixty Years A Precarious Hold Was Maintained On Their Eastern Provinces, Including This District, By Ahmad Shah And His Successors To The Throne Of The Newly Created Kingdom Of Kabul.The History Of The Bhakkar Tahsil Comprising The Southern Portion Of The District Both In The Period Which Preceded And That Which Followed The Incorporation Of The District In The Durrani Kingdom, Requires Separate Recording. Its History Is Bound Up With That Of Dera Ismail Khan And Of Leiah, And To Some Extent With That Of Dera Ghazi Khan.During The Greater Portion Of The Reign Of Ahmad Shah, No Regular Governors Were Appointed By The Kabul Government. The Country Was Divided Between The Hot And Jaskani Chiefs, Whose Predecessors Had Been The First Biluch Chiefs To Form Settlements Along The Indus.References To The Original Settlements Of The First Biluch Chiefs Are Found In Ferishta And In A Persian Manuscript, Quoted In Mr. Tucker’s Settlement Report Of The Dera Ismail Khan District. The Account Given By The Latter Is, That In 874 Hijri (A. D.1469) Sultan Husain, Son Of Kutubudin, Obtained The Government Of Multan. He Held The Forts Of Shor And Chiniot In Lyallpur District And Of Kot Karor (Karor Lal Isan) And Din Kot (Near Kalabagh). Soon After Malik Suhrab, A Dodai Biluch, Along With His Son, Ismail Khan, And Fatih Khan And Others Of His Tribe Arrived From Kech Mekran, And Entered The Service Of Sultan Husain. As The Hill Robbers Were Then Becoming Very Troublesome In The Province Of Multan, Sultan Husain Rejoiced In The Opportune Arrival Of Malik Suhrab, And Assigned To Him The Country From The Fort Of Karor To Dinkot.” On This Becoming Known, Many Biluches Came From Kech Mekran To The Service Of The Sultan. The Lands, Cultivated And Waste, Along The Banks Of The Indus Were Assigned To The Biluches, And The Royal Revenue Began To Increase, The Old Inhabitants Of Dera Ghazi Khan And Multan Relate That After Suhrab’s Arrival, Haji Khan, With His Son Ghazi Khan And Many Of Their Kindred And Tribe, Came From Kech Mekran To Enter The Service Of The Sultan. When The Tracts Along The Indus Were In The Hands Of Malik Suhrab And Haji Khan, Malik Suhrab Founded A Dera Named After Ismail Khan, And Haji Khan Another, With The Name Of Ghazi Khan “. This Account Is Confirmed, Though In Less Detail, By The Historian Ferishta.

 SIKH ERA AND BRITISH RAJ

Sikhs Ruled Until The Annexation Of Punjab In 1849 By The British. During British Rule, The Indian Empire Was Subdivided Into Province, Divisions And Districts (After The Independence Of Pakistan, Divisions Remained The Third Tier Of Government Until 2000). The British Had Made The Towns Of Mianwali And Isa Khel Tehsil Headquarters Of Bannu District Then Part Of Dera Ismail Khan Division Of Punjab Province.

ADMINISTRATIVE

HISTORY OF MIANWALI

The District Was Under The General Charge Of A Deputy Commissioner, Who Combines The Functions Of District Magistrate As Well As Collector He Was Also Responsible For The Coordination Of The Functions Of All Nation Building Departments In The District On The Judicial Side He Was Assisted By An Additional District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Bhakkar, Four Magistrates At Mianwali While On The Revenue Side He Was Assisted By A Revenue Assistant With A Tehsildar, Two Naib-Tehsildars Each At Bhakkar And Mianwali And One Naib-Tehsildar In Isa Khel Tehsil For Revenue Administration The District Was Divided Into Three Tehsils, Which Have Their Tehsil Headquarters At Mianwali, Isakhel And Bhakkar The Work Of Consolidation Of Holdings Under The General Scheme Was Entrusted To The Additional Deputy Commissioner Who Was Assisted By One Consolidation Officer, Five Assistant Consolidation Officers, Twenty-Five Kanungos And 200 Patwaris This Staff Was Under The General Supervision Of The Deputy Commissioner The Colonization Operations In Mianwali And Bhakkar Tehsils Have Been Carried Out On A Large Scale Since Partition Due To Development Of Thal Area A Colonizatin Officer Was Functioning At Jauharabad Who Was Also Collector Of The Colony Thal Area And Was Assisted By Three Extra Assistant Colonization Officers At Jauhrabad, Bhakkar And Leiah Every Extra Assistant Colonization Officer Has A Tehsildar, Colonization Naib-Tehsildars, Kanungos And Patwaris Etc.

Deputy Commissioner Used To Be The Head Of The District Until 2004.The First Deputy Commissioner Was Captain A.J.O’brian.The First District Judge Was Sardar Balwant Singh.Lieutenant-Colonel Aubrey John “A.J.” O’brien Cbe, Cie (5 December 1870 – 31 August 1930) Was An Officer In The British Indian Army  And A Writer On India .He Father Was Edward O’brien Of The Bengal Civil Service. Aubrey O’brien Was Educated At Dover College And At The Sandhurst.He Served Three And A Half Years In The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, And One And A Half Years In The 110th Maratha Light Infantry Before Spending 29 Years In The Punjab Commissionhe Also Remained The District Judge As A Lieutenant At Bannu (Then Part Of British India, Now In Pakistan). On 9 November 1901 He Was Promoted To The Rank Of Captain And Appointed As The 1st Deputy Commissioner Of The Newly Formed Mianwali District (Then Part Of British India, Now In Pakistan).He Served Mianwali Not Once But Three Times, The Second Time In 1906 And The Third Time In 1914.However He Was Promoted To The Rank Of Major During His Third Tenure At Mianwali. O’brien Was Made Cie In 1906 And Cbe In 1919.He Died In Kensington, Aged 59, From Undisclosed Causes And  Was Interred At Brompton Cemetery, London.

The Police Administration Was Vested In The District Superintendent Of Police, Who Was Assisted By One Deputy Superintendent Of Police On The Executive Side .For The Police Administration By The District Was Divided Into Thirteen Police Station Each Police Station Is Under The Charge Of A Sub-Inspector With One Or Two Assistant Sub-Inspectors Of Police

The Judicial Administration Of The District Was Under The Charge Of A District And Sessions Judge, Who Is Assisted By One Senior Civil Judge At Mianwali And One Civil Sub-Judge At Bhakkar The Set-Up Of Other Departments In The District Was As Follows:-

Agriculture Extra Assistant Director Of Agricultural Assisted By Four Agriculture Assistants A Plant Protection Officer Was Also Stationed At Mianwali .

Animal Assistant Director Animal Husbandry Was Assisted By Three Veterinary Assistant Surgeons .

Cooperative  Assistant Registrar Co-Operative Societies Was Assisted By Three Inspectors .

Pwd Executive Engineer (B& R)    Pwd Executive Engineer (B& R) Provincial Division Was Assisted By Three Sub Divisional Officers, Two At Mianwali And One At Bhakkar .

Pwd   One Superintending (Irrigation) Engineer, Thal Circle Mianwali Was Assisted By Three Executive Engineers At Mianwali, Daudkhel And Bhakkar .

Public Health,   Mianwali District Health Officer Was Assisted Tby Sanitation And Vaccination Staff .

Medical ,Medical Superintendent District Headquarter Hospital Was Assisted By Medical Officers And Assistant Medical Officers .

Forests , Divisional Forest Officer Was Posted In Mianwali .

Education,District Inspector Of Schools Was Also Present And Assisted By District Inspectress Of Schools .

Food,District Food Controller Was Also Posted /Present In Mianwali

HISTORICAL  BACK GROUND

OF BASIC DEMOCRACIES

One Of The Most Far-Reaching And Momentous Reforms Of The Revolutionary Regime Was The Introduction Of Basic Democracies The Election To The Basic Democracies Were Held In Early 1960 These Institutions Have Created Unprecedented Social And Political Awakening Among The Masses, Who Are Now Eager To Come To Grip With The Problem Of Poverty, Illiteracy And Disease In The Rural Areas One Of The Principal Aims Of The Basic Democracies Was The Association Of The People With The Administration At Each Level And Making The Functionaries Of Government Accountable To The Elected Representative Of The People The Tiers Of The Basic Democracies With Their Structure And Composition Is Indicated In The Table Below:-

THE NAME AND THE NUMBER OF THE MUNICIPAL COMMITTEE WITH ITS STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION IS GIVEN BELOW:-

The District Council Was Consisted Of 45 Members Of Whom 24 Are Appointed And 21 Are Official Members The Representatives Of All The Departments In The District Were Members Of The District Council The Income Of The District Council Was Rs 34,88,661 And Expenditure Rs 34,06,869 The Principal Sources Of Revenue Being Local Rates, Profession Tax, Toll Tax Etcthe Annual Income And Expenditure With Main Sources Of Income Were:

–

YEAR	INCOME	EXPENDITURE
1960-61	33,52,919	32,31,922
1961-62	34,88,661	34,06,869

ضلع میانوالی کی تاریخ

1901 میں ضلع کا درجہ پانے والا میانوالی کئی حوالوں سے تاریخی اہمیت کا حامل شہر ہے، میانوالی کے اب تک 8 نام تبدیل ہو چکے ہیں اور یہ سلسلہ ہزاروں سال پہ مشتمل ہے۔
تاریخ کے مطابق میانوالی کو دھنوران، کرشنوران، رام نگر، ستھ رام اور دریائے سندھ کی وجہ سے کچی بھی پکارا جاتا رہا۔
دور اکبری میں جلال الدین اکبری بغداد سے ہجرت کر کے اپنے بیٹے :میاں علی” کے ساتھ ہجرت کر کے آئے جن کی دین کے لیئے گراں قدر خدمات کی بدولت شہر کا نام میاں علی اور بعد میں میانوالی پڑ گیا۔
یہ ضلع تین تحصیلوں پپلاں ، عیسی خیل اور میانوالی پر مشتمل ہے، یہاں پنجاب کا منفرد شہر عیسی خیل بھی ہے جہاں پر پشتو کو مادری زبان کا درجہ حاصل ہے۔
صوبہ پنجاب کے شمال مغربی سِرّے پر واقع ضلع میانوالی
کو اگر ”پنجاب کا پختونخواہ” کہا جائے تو یہ غلط نہ ہوگا۔
وہ اس لیئے کہ ضلع کے شمال میں بڑی تعداد میں پختون آباد ہیں اور
یہ تعداد پنجاب کے کسی بھی ضلع میں سب سے زیادہ ہے۔ پنجاب اور خیبر پختونخواہ میں گِھرے میاںوالی کے جنوب میں ضلع بھکر
، مشرق میں ضلع خوشاب اور چکوال، شمال میں اٹک، کوہاٹ اور کرک کے اضلاع جبکہ مغرب میں خیبر پختونخواہ کے اضلاع لکی مروت اور ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان واقع ہیں۔
اپنے اِسی محلِ وقوع کی بدولت یہ ضلع پنجابی، سرائیکی اور پختون ثقافت کا ایک حسین امتزاج ہے ۔
میانوالی شہر”میاں سلطان زکریاؒ” کے نام پر میانوالی کہلاتا ہے۔ جنوبی ایشیا کے تمام حکمرانوں نے اپنے اپنے وقت میں یہاں حکومت کی۔
سلطان محمود غزنوی نے راجہ جے پال کو شکست دے کر یہاں پہلی اسلامی حکومت قائم کی۔ جبکہ مُغلیہ خاندان نے تین سو سال اس علاقے میں حکومت کی۔ مغلوں کے زوال کے بعد
یہ علاقہ رنجیت سنگھ کے تسلط میں آیا اور اس کے بعد انگریز یہاں قیامِ پاکستان تک حکومت کرتے رہے۔ قیامِ پاکستان کے وقت میانوالی صوبہ سرحد کا حِصہ تھا
جسے بعد میں پنجاب میں شامل کر کے سرگودھا ڈویژن کا حِصہ بنا دیا گیا۔

5،840 مربع کلومیٹر رقبے پر محیط اس ضلع کی آبادی لگ بھگ 16 لاکھ کے قریب ہے۔ میانوالی کی تین تحصیلوں میں، عیسیٰ خیل، پِپلاں اور میانوالی شامل ہیں۔ طبعی خدوخال کے لحاظ سے ضلع کو تین حصوں میں تقسیم کیا جا سکتا ہے۔

شمال اور مشرق کا کچھ حِصہ، سطح مرتفع پوٹھوار اور کوہِ نمک کا تسلسل ہے

، جہاں کے پہاڑوں میں بھرپورمعدنی دولت کے ساتھ ساتھ ”نمل جھیل” جیسا پُر فضا مقام آباد ہے۔ نمل جھیل میانوالی کے مشرقی کونے میں وادئ نمل کے قصبے
”رِکّھی” کے قریب واقع ہے۔ یہ جھیل جسکے دو طرف پوٹھوہار کی پہاڑیاں اور بقیہ دو جانب زرعی اراضی ہے، 1913 میں بنائے گئے نمل ڈیم کے بعد وجود میں آئی
۔ نمل ڈیم کو انگریز حکومت نے علاقے میں آبپاشی اور پینے کے پانی کی کمی کو پورا کرنے کے لیئے بنایا تھا۔

ضلع کا جنوبی حِصہ ”صحرائے تھل” پر مشتمل ہے۔
دریائے جہلم اور سندھ کے بیچ پنجاب کے 6 ضلعوں تک پھیلا صحرائے تھل، شمالاً جنوباً 190 میل لمبا اور شرقاً غرباً 70 میل تک چوڑا ہے۔ یہ چولستان کے بعد پنجاب کا دوسرا بڑا صحرا ہے۔پِپلاں تھل کے قریب واقع ہے۔

ضلع کا مغربی اور وسطی حصہ ”سندھ ساگر دوآب” کا زرخیز علاقہ ہے
جہاں دریائے سندھ شمال سے جنوب کی سمت بہتا ہے۔ شمال میں ماڑی انڈس اور کالا باغ کے بیچ دریائے سندھ پر ”جناح بیراج” بنایا گیا ہے۔ ”تھل پراجیکٹ” کے تحت اس بیراج کو 1939 سے 1946 کے بیچ تعمیر کیا گیا۔
اس بیراج سے نکالی جانے والی52 کلومیٹر لمبی ” گریٹر تھل کینال”، اپنی 3،362 کلومیٹر لمبی اضافی نہروں اور معاون شاخوں کے ذریعے میانوالی سمیت بھکر، لیہ
، خوشاب اور مظفرگڑھ تک کےعلاقوں کو سیراب کرتی ہے۔ یہ منصوبہ صحرائے تھل کو آباد اور کاشت کرنے کا سب سے بڑا منصوبہ ہے۔

جناح بیراج سے 56 کلومیٹر جنوب میں کندیاں کے قریب چشمہ کے مقام پر
1971 میں ”چشمہ بیراج” بنایا گیا جہاں پاکستان میں پہلی بار ”بلب ٹربائن” سے بجلی پیدا کرنے کا کامیاب تجربہ کیا گیا۔ اسکے ساتھ ہی چشمہ کے مقام پر پاکستان کا دوسرا ”ایٹمی بجلی گھر” بھی لگایا گیا جہاں یورینیئم کی افزودگی سے بجلی پیدا کی جاتی ہے۔ دریائے سندھ کا پانی
جہلم میں پہنچانے کے لیئے چشمہ بیراج سے ”چشمہ- جہلم لنک کینال” نکالی گئی ہے جو صحرائے تھل سے گزرتی ہے۔ میانوالی کے مغرب میں عیسیٰ خیل کے قریب ”دریائے کُرّم” دریائے سندھ میں شامل ہوجاتا ہے۔

ضلع میانوالی کی آب و ہوا شدید قسم کی ہے۔ گرمیوں میں درجہ حرارت 32 سے 51 تک چلا جاتا ہے
جبکہ سردیوں میں پارہ 2 تک گِر جاتا ہے۔ اوسطاً سالانہ بارش 200 سے 250 ملی میٹر تک ہوتی ہے۔ تھل پراجیکٹ کی بدولت ضلع کا بیشتر رقبہ قابلِ کاشت ہے جہاں گندم، گنا، مکئی، چنا، مونگ پھلی، جوار اور باجوہ اگایا جاتا ہے۔ یہاں آٹے کی 7 ملیں موجود ہیں۔
ضلع کے40،019 ایکڑ رقبے پرمختلف جنگلات لگائے گئے ہیں۔ جبکہ علاقے میں سفیدے، سنبل، بکائن اور پاپولر کے درختوں کی بڑی تعداد موجود ہے۔ صںعتی لحاظ سے میانوالی زیادہ مشہور تو نہیں ہے لیکن
یہاں کھاد اور سیمنٹ بنانے، کپاس بیلنے، کھیس دریاں بنانے اور مٹی کے برتن بنانے کے کارخانے موجود ہیں۔

اللہ تعالیٰ نے ضلع میانوالی کو بے شمار معدنی دولت سے نوازا ہے۔ مکڑوال کی کوئلے کی کانیں ضلع کے شمال مغرب میں واقع ہیں
۔ کوئلے کے علاوہ یہاں جپسم، آتشی مٹی، ڈولومائیٹ، معدنی نمک، چکنی مٹی، سیلیکا اور چونے کا پتھر بھی بڑی تعداد میں پائے جاتے ہیں۔ ضلع میں سیمنٹ بنانے کی
ایک فیکٹری بھی کام کر رہی ہےجبکہ کوئلے سے چلنے والے ایک بجلی گھرکا منصوبہ ابھی زیرِ غور ہے۔

اب آتے ہیں اس ضلع کی ثقافت اور بود و باش کی طرف۔ میانوالی کا سب سے بڑا قبیلہ ”نیازی” ہے۔
اس قبیلے نے پاکستان کو نہ صرف سیاستدان بلکہ کرکٹر، شاعر اور گلوکار بھی دیئے ہیں جن میں مولانا کوثر نیازی، عمران خان نیازی، مصباح الحق، عطا اللہ خان نیازی اورعبدالستار خان نیازی شامل ہیں
۔ اسکے علاوہ بلوچ، خٹک ، عیسیٰ خیل اور اعوان قبیلوں سے تعلق رکھنے والوں کی بھی ایک بڑی تعداد یہاں آباد ہے۔

سرائیکی ضلع کی سب سے زیادہ بولی جانے والی زبان ہے جسکے بعد پنجابی، پشتو اور اردو کا نمبرآتا ہے۔ میانوالی کے لوگوں میں جہاں پنجابی ثقافت کی خوبیاں محنت، فنونِ لطیفہ سے محبت اور جِدت پائی
جاتی ہیں وہیں انکی آزاد طبیعت، قبائلی نظام، مہمان نوازی اور بہادری و شجاعت میں پختون ثقافت کا عکس جھلکتا ہے۔ چنانچہ یہ کہنے میں کوئی عار نہیں کہ میانوالی کی ثقافت پاکستان کے دو صوبوں کی الگ الگ ثقافتوں کا ایک ”کامل اور خوبصورت مرکب” ہے
۔ ضلع کے مشہور علاقوں میں کندیاں، چشمہ، داؤدخیل، ماڑی انڈس، کالا باغ، موسیٰ خیل، روکھڑی، پائی خیل، مکڑوال اور منڈا خیل شامل ہیں۔

ضلع میانوالی کی مشہور ادبی،سماجی و سیاسی شخصیات میں تلوک چند (شاعر)،
جگّن ناتھ آزاد (شاعر)، مولانا کوثر نیازی (سابق وفاقی وزیر)، خواجہ خورشید انور( فلمسار، رائٹر)، ملک امیر محمد خان نواب آف کالا باغ(سابقہ گورنرمغربی پاکستان)،
عطا اللہ خان عیسیٰ خیلوی(صدارتی ایوارڈ یافتہ موسیقار و گلوکار)، مصباح الحق( کرکٹر)، شاداب خان (کرکٹر)،
شیرافگن نیازی(سابقہ وزیرِ قانون)، طارق نیازی (اولمپک گولڈ میڈلسٹ) اور عمران خان نیازی (کرکٹر، چیئرمین پاکستان تحریکِ انصاف) شامل ہیں۔
ضلع میانوالی کا کل رقبہ پانچ ہزار آٹھ سو چالیس مربع کلو میٹر تک دو ہزار انیس کے سروے میں اسکی آبادی سولا لاکھ اٹھاون ہزار بتائی گئی ہے۔