Source: – True Indology / Twitter
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) https://t.co/M9DHs5y9ow
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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) pic.twitter.com/rfua3np0GW
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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)
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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) pic.twitter.com/8TOt1XjQJy
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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) pic.twitter.com/oQrmida7Vu
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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) pic.twitter.com/tF77TaOvlN
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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) pic.twitter.com/GRnlXMTYT4
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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 pic.twitter.com/Y5iLL26nhH
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
It is thus incorrect to characterise Pan Islamist frontier Pathan Jihadi rebels of 1897 Jihad as “anti colonial freedom fighters”(9)
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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 pic.twitter.com/BtP0oqwtIf
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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 pic.twitter.com/1bQ1X1R2xU
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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. pic.twitter.com/rMcGWqiH7g
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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 pic.twitter.com/DrBQIFNzLF
— True Indology (@TrueIndology) March 30, 2019
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