Lawrence of Arabia in Waziristan

By:Jawwad Khan Marwat

The Jandola Mess acquired a reputation for hospitality and served numerous guests. Among the earliest in 1924, were a party of VIPs including Arlfred Mond, Chairman of ICI and Lord Incheape, Chairman of the P and o Line, touring India, during the cold weather.

Another early visitor to Jandola was, Lawrence of Arabia. He visited the area in 1928 in the guise of an Aircraftsmans Show; benighted there by a broken down truck and accommodated in Officer's Mess. He kept them enthralled by tales (some, perhaps, almost true) of far Arabia and left them a volume which is still treasured by the South Waziristan Scouts officers. ''This book, he inscribed on the flyleaf , was written by me, but its sordid type and squalid blocks are the responsibility of the publisher. It is, however, the last copy in print of Revolt in the Desert, and I have much pleasure in presenting it to the officers of the South Waziristan Scouts in memory of a very interesting day and night with them''. This book today is lying in the South Waziristan Scouts Officer's Mess, Wana.

Gilbert C. G. Lewis, a soldier in the Indian Army, remarked in a letter in 1928:

''.....You know Colonel Lawrence, the one who made such a name for himself in Arabia during the war? He is, at present with the R.A.F. at Miranshah - the people we play hockey with at Idak - as an office clerk! You had probably heard that he had joined the R.A.F. as a private in order to escape publicity. I tried to persuade them to bring him down with their team next time they come, but apparently he doesn't take much interest in games! One would have thought that he could have found many better ways of avoiding publicity, as the life of a private must be rather irksome to one who always [has] done more or less as he pleased. They say he spends most of his spare time learning to type-write!''

Lawrence was apparently taking a two year break in India to write his book The Mint. Enlisted as a lowly aircraftman under the name T. E. Shaw, he corresponded with Charlotte Shaw, wife of George Bernard, on anything from literature to politics. A few small photographs of him were enclosed in one of his letters.

1- Having spent eight months flying and driving over the North-West frontier, Lawrence of Arabia had come to the conclusion that air control was applicable to Waziristan not to the Mohmand country, and becoming less and less effective as you approach to Peshawer. He went on to say that although a strong supporter of "Air" he would have reservations over North West Frontier Province - "I would take over bits, evacuating Razmak tomorrow." (Lawrence of Arabia by B. H. Liddell Hart page -357)

2- A note in T.E Lawrence's hand thanking the South Waziristan scouts for their hospitality is enshrined in a glass box in the wana mess library.

3- Lawrence about Miranshah, "Round us....are low bare porcelain-coloured hills, with....a broken-bottle skyline....the quietness is so intense that i rub my ears, wondering if i am going deaf". (T.E. Lawrence: Biography of a Broken Hero by Harold Orlans page-83)

4-There were rumours that Lawrence was active in Afghanistan, a self-appointed agent provocateur. 'Clad in the most picturesque Oriental garb, silken Kerchiefs of diverse hue tied round his head, with long ''Jhubba'' of silk with designs of different colours and a ''lungi'' of the same material... he was intimate with the tribes and began subsequently to distribute among the tribes money and arms and provoked them against (King) Amanullah'.

Daily Herald, January 5th, 1929.

Lawrence of Arabia

Arrest ordered by Afghan authorities

Startling report

A sensational message reached london last night from Allahabad, stating that Afghan authorities have ordered the arrest of colonel lawrence, known widely as lawrence of arabia, on the ground that he is believed to be assisting rebels to cross the frontier. They describe colonel lawrence, says the B.U.P, as the arch-spy of the world....for some time his movements as chronicled have been mysterious, and a few months ago it was stated that he was in Afghanistan on a secret mission, though earlier in the same week it had been reported that he was in Amritsar, posing as Mohammedan saint.

(Imperial Secrets: Remapping the Mind of EmpireBy Patrick A. Kelley page -123)

Lawrence was sent back to England by order of the Foreign Office in early 1929, just a few days after King Amanullah was overthrown by the rebels. 

T E Lawrence as Aircraftman T E Shaw on the aerodrome at Miranshah Fort in Waziristan, India (on the North West Frontier) during his service in the Royal Air Force. Lawrence was employed as a clerk in the wireless station at Miranshah. He is seen nursing his wrist which he had broken at RAF Cranwell in 1926. Lawrence wrote that the wrist "hurt for so long that nursing it became a habit".

Waziristan and Mughal Empire

KhyberOrg: Prince Bahadur Shah (Son of Aurangzeb) on his conquest of Bannu made Syed Hassan as the governor of Dawar tribe in 1696 and imposed upon the tribes an annual tribute of Rs. 12,000. For some time the new governor continued his governorship, but with difficulties. When the Mughal Administration fell into disorder, the Dawars shook off the imperial yoke. 

Prince Bahadur Shah made Isalat Khan the governor of Bannu. When the prince went away from Bannu, the Bannuchis, Dawars and Marwats revolted against Isalat Khan and he was besieged in the fort along with his soldiers. Isalat Khan fought for some days but finally he was subjugated and sent away to Mianwali with escort. The news of defeat reached to Bahadur Shah at Jalal Abad in 1699.  The prince sent message to Isalat Khan to wait for his help at Dara Tangey (Mainwali).

Bahadur Shah sent a royal decree to Mir Ibrahim and Hazir Khan, Fauijdar of Bangash tribe, to help Isalat Khan. When they reached to Boland Khel (Thal), a message came from Syed Hassan (Governor of Dawar tribe) that he was also besieged and that they should come with great care. The Kurram route was blocked by Kabul Khel Wazirs from Boland Khel to the shrine of Khwaja Abdullah Baba. The army was dispersed and could not reach Bannu. The news reached Bahadur Shah at Kabul and he ordered the army commanders to do according to the best of their abilities in suppressing the revolt and that he would supply the commodities.

Next year, Bahadur Shah went to Kohat from Peshawar and passed the summer season at Zeran (Koh-e-Sufed).  There he made a plan to attack Bannu and to construct a road from Zeran to Gandamak.

These objectives were not achieved by Bahadur Shah. He sent an army from Boland Khel to Bannu to crush the revolt. They were on their way to Bannu when Kabul Khel Wazirs attacked them and the army was routed. The commander of the army called the Wazir Maliks for reconciliation.  The outcome was not good and all the Maliks were put to sword. It made the Wazirs very ferious and in reaction they attacked the army at Boland Khel and crushed it bitterly.  The royal commander ran away to Dara Samand (Hangu). When Bahadur Shah was informed about the incident, he pulled out the army to Kabul.

In the autumn of 1701-02, Prince Bahadur Shah set out on the Khost route for Dawars and after entering it, found the route blocked by the Wazirs, Dawars, and other Pushtoons. He could not get on, but it was an effective arrangement of Mohammad Nasir Khan (Army Commander) that Bahadur Shah succeeded in reaching Bannu with his forces. Subsequently, after having passed the winter in Bannu, the Prince set out for Kabul. On reaching the Hassan Tangi, all the Pushtoon tribes of that area, the Wazirs, Dawars and Khostwal came out and occupied the pass to block his way. He sent troops in advance who attacked them but the Pukstoon tribes repulsed them with considerable losses and there was much fear lest the whole force would be destroyed. The Prince was obliged to treat the Pustoons well and after giving much gold to them, they left the passage clear. But he reached Kabul and lost all equipments.

Olaf Careao tells us in his book 'The Pathan' that both Mughuls and Durranis committed forces to dominate them but no empire of which we have any record had ever succeeded in subjugating the tribes of Waziristan.

Mehsuds and Wazirs, the King-makers in a game of thrones

Sir Olaf Kirkpatrick Caroe

An Excerpt from "The Pathans: 550 BC - 1957 AD"  In some respects the adventures of Mehsuds and Wazir contingents which accompanied Nadir to Kabul in 1929 present a picture even more significant. For on that occasion they were not defending their country from occupation, but acting on the offensive within Afghanistan. The position was that after Amanullah's fall in 1928, power had fallen into the hands of a Tajik freebooter named Habibullah, known as bacha-i-saqao, and Nadir Khan had come from France in an attempt to recover the throne for Muhammadzais.

On arrival on the frontier, Nadir resorted to Kurram whence he endeavored to mobilize aid from Afridis and Orakzais, but found his efforts severely discouraged by the government of India, who, occupying Kurram as they did, were able to prevent Tirah tribesmen from crossing into Afghan territory. He then turned his attention towards Mahsuds and Wazirs, some of whom, previously encouraged by Amanullah in hostility to the British government, had lands on the Afghan side of the Durand line. Here, he met with success, and was joined by considerable lashkars, including a number of both tribes living in Waziristan. There are also wazirs whose permanent homes are on the Afghan side of line, in Birmal and elsewhere. Those on the British side of line went in defiance of warnings from government of India not to meddle in Afghan affairs. This lashkar formed the spear-head of Nadir's advance. It were they who took Kabul for him and made it possible for the Durrani dynasty to be restored. They were in fact king-makers of the day. Neither they nor others up and down the frontier have forgotten the lesson. King-makers can easily be king-breakers.

As payment to Wazir and Mahsud tribesmen, Nadir Khan, faced with an empty treasury, was forced to allow them loot his own capital and rather empty grant of honorary rank in afghan army. These tribesmen returned home by the end of year with a great amount of loot, rifles and ammunition. Shortly after, an insurrection almost in the suburbs of Kabul among the followers of dead Bacha Saqao forced Nadir Khan once again to call these tribes to his support. This time, he was able to get them home without having let them loot Kabul in recompense. Within a few years, the same tribesmen were denouncing Nadir Khan and were arguing that they had supported him only for the purpose of restoring Amanullah, the rightful king.

The Waziristan tribes, aware that king-makers can easily be king-breakers, felt ready for yet another exercise of king-making. In 1933, while Nadir was still alive, a strong lashkar of both tribes crossed the Durand line and invested matun in Khost. The government of India attempted to prevent the movement by establishing a cordon of troops, but this proved ineffective and it was not until air action was taken by Delhi against the homes of those who had joined the lashkar that it was broken up. Only with great difficulty, the Afghan army, led by Hashim Khan, the king's brother, repelled them, otherwise they might well have repeated the story of 1929.

Source: http://www.khyber.org/history/a/mehsuds_and_wazirs_the_king-ma.shtml

بېرته شاته