Recently, @ThePrintIndia published an article titled “real military account of Saragarhi” and harshly criticised the film Kesari. The article has been received with much applause among some political circles. Upon requests, I give a brief review of the article in this thread (1)
At the very beginning, the article betrays its sympathies by dubbing the Pashtun rebels against whom the Battle of Saragarhi was fought as “freedom fighters liberating the land from British colonialists" and Saragarhi Sikh soldiers as "colonial sepoys in service of British" (2)
Of course, this is far from Truth. The Pashtun rebels were not anti-colonial freedom fighters. But why did they rebel in the first place? Let us look at the accounts of surveyors of contemporary late 19th century Pashtun population to find out the reason (3)
Woosnam Mills was a contemporary British Military Gazetteer. He surveyed the local Pathan Muslims and found out they were all excited with zeal because Turk Muslims defeated Christians in Greece and Afghan King completely killed,expelled and converted “infidels” in Kafiristan (4)
Pathan Muslims of Northwest Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan believed they too could “unfurl the flag of Islam from Kabul to Kanyakumari and sweep all infidels into sea”. This was the intention of 1897 Pathan uprising in Northwest Frontier (5)
At the same time, The Ottoman Turk officials also visited India to make sure the name of Ottoman “Caliph” of Turkey was recited in all Jumma prayers in the mosques of India. Their moves added to the Pan Islamist fury of frontier Pathan tribes (6)
Madda Khel Pathans started the disturbance by murdering a Hindu clerk named “Honda Ram”. This led to counter measures by British who imposed fine on them. The Pathans rebelled against British authorities who had come to levy fine and killed them at Maizar,thus sparking off war(7)
Throughout Pathan rebellion,Hindus were killed and expelled. Shankargarh was then one of the few remaining villages of native Northwest Hindus who had been residing from time immemorial in the neighbourhood of Pathans.Pathan rebels killed and expelled all Hindus from this village
It is thus incorrect to characterise Pan Islamist frontier Pathan Jihadi rebels of 1897 Jihad as “anti colonial freedom fighters”(9)
The article points out several factually incorrect myths floated by the film and rightly so. Myth such as "10,000 pathan invaders"(when their real number was close to 1000-1500) and Kesari turbans (sepoys had no Kesari turbans).But it is selectively silent on few other myths (10)
For instance, the article is completely silent on the factually incorrect myth of Sikh Saragarhi soldiers building a Mosque, which was floated by the film Kesari, when in reality they actively destroyed mosques throughout the campaign(11)
End.
End.
Very difficult say with extreme certainity as to what exactly led to uprising. Although Pan Islamism was certainly a factor,local issues would also have played a role.
Yet, initial success made pathan rebels believe they could sweep all infidels from Kabul to Tamilnadu into sea
Yet, initial success made pathan rebels believe they could sweep all infidels from Kabul to Tamilnadu into sea
Just one year before these incidents, Pathans and their King on the other side of Durand line invaded "Kafiristan",which was a small, isolated region in the Northeast of today's Afghanistan
Those Kafirs were brave warriors but their primitive weapons were no match to Pathan guns
Those Kafirs were brave warriors but their primitive weapons were no match to Pathan guns
The result was disastrous to these Kafirs.According to one source, around 10,000 Kafirs were killed defending their native land against the invasion of Pathan Muslims. Many kafirs fled to Chitral(British India)
The invasion actually amounted to genocide of Kafirs of Kafirstan
The invasion actually amounted to genocide of Kafirs of Kafirstan
Before the invasion of Kafiristan by Pathans and their king Abdur Rahman Khan, the population of Kafiristan was estimated to be c.200,000-600,000. After the invasion, only 24,000 remained.
All those Kafirs who were lucky to be alive were forced to convert to Islam.
All those Kafirs who were lucky to be alive were forced to convert to Islam.
As a result,'Kafiristan' became 'Nuristan'. Not a single Nuristani Kafir exists today in Afghanistan. A few of those who fled to Chitral retain their native religion.
With this context and perspective, it is easy to see why Pathans on this side of Durand line did what they did
With this context and perspective, it is easy to see why Pathans on this side of Durand line did what they did
The Kafirs of Kamdesh who surrended to the Amir requested that they keep possession of their lands. But Amir forcibly resettled Gujars in their lands. The heads of Kamdeshi Kafirs killed in encounter were sent as trophy to the Amir. This was in 1897
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