| Kurram کرم كرمه |
|
|---|---|
| — Agency — | |
| District map of FATA and NWFP - Districts of FATA are shown in blue. | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Established | |
| Tehsils | 2 |
| Government | |
| • Political agent | 1 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,310 km2 (1,278 sq mi) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 448,310 |
| • Density | 135.4/km2 (350.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| Main language(s) | Pashto, Urdu, Persian/Dari, and English. |
Kurram (Urdu: کرم; Pashto: كرمه Kurma; Sanskrit: क्रुमू) tribal agency is located in the FATA area of Pakistan. Geographically it covers Kurram Valley (Urdu: وادی کُرم) which is a beautiful valley in the northwestern part of Pakistan neighboring Afghanistan.[1]
Until the year 2000, when divisions were abolished, the Kurram District used to be part of the Peshawar Division of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan.
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The name Kurram comes from the river Kurram which flows along the valley. The valley in the north is surrounded by snow-covered or 'White' Mountains (the Safed Koh) which also forms the natural border with Afghanistan.
In lower kurram agency MAkhizai is the most beautiful place in lower kurram agency which population depend upon on two tibal (BANGASH and Turi) "bang" mean to blast or tear and ash mean into soil according to Oxford Dictionary. Makhizai have natural richness depended upon on hills and mountain which have forest (ever green) and field for growing like rice and wheat etc are popular growth in them. The Kurram River drains the southern flanks of the Safed Koh mountain range, and enters the Indus plains north of Bannu. It flows west to east and crosses the Paktia Province Afghan-Pakistan border at about 80 km southwest of Jalalabad, and joins the Indus near Isa Khel after a course of more than 320 km (200 mi). The district has an area of 3,310 km2 (1,280 sq mi); the population according to the 1998 census was 448,310.[2] It lies between the Miranzai Valley and the Afghan border, and is inhabited by Turi Pashtuns, a sect of Turki (Turkish origins) on the western and central side who are supposed to have subjugated the Bangash about six hundred years ago. The majority of the population is Pashto-speaking, but unlike most Pashtuns they are Twelver Shiites. The eastern portion of the valley is inhabited mostly by Sunnite Pashtuns, mainly of the Jaji, Mangal, Paras and the remnants of the Bangash clans.
The Kurram Valley in ancient times offered the most direct route to Kabul and Gardez. The route crossed the [[Gavi Jaji Aryob pass]] 3,439 m (11,283 ft) high, just over 20 km west of modern Parachinar, but was blocked by snow for several months of the year.
The valley is highly irrigated, well-peopled, and crowded with small fortified villages, orchards and groves, to which a fine background is afforded by the dark pine forests and alpine snows of the Safed Koh. The beauty and climate of the valley attracted some of the Mughal emperors of Delhi, and the remains exist of a garden planted by Shah Jahan. According to the Gazetteer of Kurram, the richness of the land gradually weaned the Turks from their nomadic life. Sections built villages and settled permanently; they ceased to be Kuchi and became Kothi this abandonment of their nomadic habits by the majority of the resulted, as it was bound to do, in a contraction of the area in effective possession. The upper Kurram plain was safe as their head-quarters, but hills and slopes below the Safed Koh and Mandher over which their graziers had kept an efficient watch, now afforded a menace as a place in which an encroaching tribe could established itself. To guard against this settlements of Mangals and Muqbols were half invited half allowed to push themselves in conditions of vassalage, and on promise to afford a buttress against any enemy aggression. In the lower Kurram, where for climatic reasons candidates for settlements were fewer, the problem was not easily solved. The Chardi Turis seem to have been the first to abandon their nomadic life.As the numbers who went down to graze every year became less,the area under control contracted. Sangroba and Hadmela were left far behind and as the Turis receded the Watizai Zaimushts gradually pushed in, until all that was left was a settlement at and about Alizai. On the western side the Saragallas retained, and still largely retain their habits. They too put in settlements around Biliamin and after much intervening warfare had finally to admit Bangashes brother not as vassals, but for the rest they retain unimpaired the rights on the western bank which they acquired at the time the conquest.
With Chardis this was for from being the course left unsupported by their Kuchis they maintained a precarious existence at Alizai until even then they had to give three-fifths of their land to the Watizai Zaimushts in return for their assistance in a feud they had entered upon with Bilyamin. Consequently the hills and the grazing grounds passed from the Turizun to the Zaimushtzun and as the other Zaimushts section being unopposed had settled themselves on the left bank below Sadda.
In the early 19th century the Kurram Valley was under the government of Kabul, and every five or six years a military expedition was sent to collect the revenue, the soldiers living meanwhile at free quarters on the people. It was not until about 1848 that the Turis were brought directly under the control of Kabul, when a governor was appointed, who established himself in Kurram. The Turis, being Shiah Muslims, never liked the Afghan rule.
During the second Afghan War, when Sir Frederick Roberts advanced by way of the Kurram Valley and the Peiwar Kotal to Kabul, the Turis lent him every assistance in their power, and in consequence their independence was granted them in 1880.
The administration of the Kurram Valley was finally rendered to British authorities, at the request of the Turis themselves, in 1890. Technically it ranked, not as a British district, but as an agency or administered area.In lower kurram agency MAkhizai is the most beautiful place in lower kurram agency which population depend upon on two tibal (BANGASH and Turi) "bang" mean to blast or tear and ash mean into soil according to Oxford Dictionary. Makhizai have natural richness depended upon on hills and mountain which have forest (ever green) and field for growing like rice and wheat etc are popular growth in them.
Two expeditions in the Kurram Valley also require mention: (1) The Kurram expedition of 1856 under Brigadier-General Sir Neville Chamberlain. The Turis, on the first annexation of the Kohat district by the British, had repeatedly leagued with other tribes to infest the Miranzai valley, harbouring fugitives, encouraging resistance, and frequently attacking Bangash and Khattak villages in the Kohat district. Accordingly, in 1856 British forces numbering 4,896 troops traversed their country, and the tribe entered into engagements for future good conduct. (2) The Kohat-Kurram expedition of 1897 under Colonel W. Hill. During the frontier risings of 1897 the inhabitants of the Kurram valley, chiefly the Massozai section of the Orakzais, were infected by the general excitement, and attacked the British camp at Sadda and other posts. A force of 14,230 British troops traversed the country, and the tribesmen were severely punished. In Lord Curzon's reorganization of the frontier in 1900-1901, British troops were withdrawn from the forts in the Kurram Valley, and were replaced by the Kurram militia, reorganized in two battalions, and chiefly drawn from the Turi tribe.
In recent years the Kurram Valley has once again assumed a very strategic position and the site of intense Taliban activities. The armed forces of Pakistan extended their major offensive against Al-Qaeda and Taliban elements in FATA dubbed Operation Rah-e-Nijat to Kurram in December 2009.[3]
Ahmad Hasan Dani has recorded several findings in the North Waziristan area.
| “ | The nearest Kharoshti finds are the Kurram Casket inscription of the year 20, recovered from the Kurram Valley.[4] | ” |
Parachinar is the administrative head quarter of Kurram valley. It has offices of political agent, levy, and Kurram Militia, a part of the Frontier Corps (FC). It is located northwest of the valley. This makes it a part of Upper Kurram. The name of Parachinar comes from 'Para', one of the tribes of the valley and 'Chinar', the maple trees which are found in abundance in Kurram value in general and Parachinar in particular. the old name of Parchinar is Tutki, when Kurram was apart of Afghanistan. And the inhabitants of Tutki are called Tutkiwal even still the Afghan people called it Tutki. The town of Parachinar has population around seventy thousand predominantly Turi and Jaji.[5] The town has government hospital and many government schools.
There are three tehsils in the Kurram Agency.
Kurram Agency has a few water reservoirs locally called Dams. Basically these are water supply schemes for domestic purposes. No hydroelectric power is generated in these constructions nor are they used for irrigation purpose.
Located in the north of Parachinar town this dam was constructed in 1991. Most of the population of Parachinar town depend on this reservoir and the dam is famous among the locals as a picnic resort. A guest house is built here by the Agency administration.
Zeran dam is located to the north-east of Prachinar. It is also famous for its scenic beauty. This reservoir served water for Parachinar town before the construction of Malana dam, still the dam contributes much water to a large part of the town Parachinar.
This is a small size reservoir, largest in the kurram, and was built in Kot Ragha(Malikhel). It contains about 70,000 fishes and has capacity to provide water about 2500 km² area.
Climate of the valley remains pleasant most of the summer however in winters minimum temperature is usually below freezing point, occasionally mercury drop below -10 degree Celsius.[6] Parachinar is ranked the fourth coldest location in Pakistan[7] by the weather charts website "Climate-Charts" that uses data available from the World Meteorological Organization.
Northern and western heights of the valley receive snow falls in winters. Much of the precipitations occur during spring and summer season. Autumn and winter are usually dry.
In the Rigveda, the Kurrum is mentioned as Krumu.[8]
The Taliban though succeeded in establishing their rule in parts of Kurram Valley in recent years exploiting the existing secterian schism, nonetheless the area proved to be not less than a nightmare for extremist elements. On several occasions the Tribesmen especially Turis hit back at Al Qaeda and Taliban elements with considerable effectiveness.[9]
On August 31, 2008 tribesmen mostly Turis dislodged Taliban from nearly 200 villages finally Taliban headquarters at Bagzai fell to the tribesmen killing as many as 95 militants.[10] Independent sources reported elders of Lower Kurram to have lost their authority to a band of displaced people of their sect from Parachinar and Taliban militants, mostly from other tribal regions.[10]
In recent years, since about 1985, the Kurram Agency has become increasingly victimized by sectarian violence as tensions grew between Shia and Sunni of the Kurram Agency, the later supported by Taliban, Al-Qaeda and various other local and foreign groups. Recently Extremist groups from outside the area have taken hold and imposing fundamentalist version of Islam on all residents,numerous cases of taliban assassinating Shia and Sunni tribal Elders. Reportedly Turi tribesmen captured and sacked more than 42 villages from the Talibans. Today several foreign armed sectarian groups are claimed to be operating in the Kurram Agency.
1: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan[11][12]
2: Lashkar-e-Islam[13]