Amb (princely state)
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| State of Amb | |
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| Capital |
Darband |
| Area |
585 km² |
| Main language(s) | Hindko, Pashto |
| Established | 19th century |
| Abolished | 28th July 1969 |
| Historic regions of Pakistan | |
| Original Provinces
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Former States |
| Other subdivisions | |
Amb was a princely state in what is today the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The state ceased to exist in 1969, when it was merged with the province of West Pakistan.
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[edit] History
Amb was originally known as Tanawal and was the tribal homeland of the Tanoli people. The Nawabs of the Tanolis were best known for fighting against the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh.Prior to this,Tanawal was also a part of Pakhal Sarkar,which was ruled by Turks for centuries.The last Turk ruler of Hazara(Pakhal Sarkar)was Sultan Mehmud Khurd and his brother Sultan Qias-ud-Din Khan was the last Turk Wa'ali(Governor) of Tanawal.When Tanolis succeded to overthrow Turks,they also gained strength and established their rule in upper Tanawal and a portion of lower Tanawal as well.Thus was the beginning of Amb State around the end of 18th century.Descndents of Sultan Qias-ud-Din,however,managed to retain certain lands in lower Tanawel and assumed the title of Raja after establishing a jagir.They still live in village Behali district Mansehra. The Nawabs later established Amb as a princely state, ranking as a non-salute state under the British Raj. In 1947 the Nawab of Amb, Mohammad Farid Khan, acceded to Pakistan. In 1969, the state was incorporated into the North-West Frontier Province and in 1971 the royal status of the Nawab was abolished by the Government of Pakistan. The construction of the Tarbela Dam across the Indus River in the early 1970s resulted in much of Amb state being submerged by the reservoir.
[edit] Rulers of Amb
The Tanoli tribe headed by its chieftains, the Nawab of Amb Family, enjoys great importance in Hazara division of North West Frontier Province [NWFP]. Amb state, as it is known, has a history that goes back to pre-Mughal times when in the early part of the fourteenth century the Tanoli tribe under its chieftains (rulers)conquered and settled on the banks of the river Indus and a big area around it, which came to be known as “Tanawal”. A picturesque place was chosen for a capital on the river banks and named Amb. The principality of Tanawal, which was accepted by the British Government as a state came to be known as Amb state. The bond of kinship between the people and the rulers proved to be a major source of strength and unity during the very turbulent times following the liquidation of the Mughal empire. Previous to the British period the whole of the territory ruled by the chief of Amb was known as Mulk-e-Tanawal (Settlement Report of Hazara District, 1872 pages 682 & 684). The voluminous Urdu copy of the settlement report of Hazara compiled by Major Wace in 1872 contains many passages in its historical resume of the area. In a number of maps drawn at the time and enclosed in the report, showing Hazara under the Mughals and under the Durranis, the Amb state has been shown as Mulk-i-Tanawal. (Country of Tanawal). The original existence of that Mulk is as old as the middle period of the great Afghan invasions of India. The principality ruled by the Nawabs of Amb was spread over 30 miles in tne Indus valley and 200 miles in the upper Tanawal area comprising more than 500 villages.
The Amb State as it is known has ever since its creation managed its own affairs without any interference from the Mughals, Sikhs and the British. No invader has ever succeeded in imposing his administrative measures on Amb state, nor has its lands ever been measured or assessed for any rates of land revenue either by the Sikhs or the British, nor has the British government ever enforced any enactment, criminal or civil, in any part of the Amb state. It was run so wisely and brilliantly that no one in the periods of Mughals, Sikhs or British rulers meddled with its affairs. Rather the rulers of Amb were appreciated in every period for smoothly running the affairs of the state. Maintaining cordial relations based on mutual respect with the tribes of Kala Dhaka has always been a priority of the rulers of Amb. In 1947 when the Subcontinent was being partitioned Nawab Sir Mohmmad Farid Khan the then ruler of Amb acceded to Pakistan by signing Instruments of Accession with the Quaid -e-Azam, The State was finally merged with the province of West Pakistan and the royal status of the Nawab abolished in 1969.
| Tenure | Rulers of Amb (Tanawal) |
|---|---|
| Unknown date - 1818 | (Mir) Nawab Khan |
| 1818 - 1840 | (Mir) Payenda Khan |
| 1840 - 1868 | (Nawab) Jahandad Khan |
| 1868 - 1907 | (Nawab) Mohammad Akram Khan |
| 1907 - 26th February 1936 | (Nawab)Khanizaman Khan |
| 26th February 1936 - 1971 | (Nawab) Mohammad Farid Khan |
| 1971 - 1973 | (Nawab) Saeed Khan |
| 1973 | }
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