Mahsud (Pashto: مهسود، محسود، مسعود، مسید , also spelled Masood, Mahsood, Masud, Maseed or Mehsud (in Pashto) is a Pashtun tribe in South Waziristan, a tribal region in Pakistan. Mahsud is considered to be one of the bravest and toughest Pashtun tribes. The tribe lives in the centre of South Waziristan valley, surrounded on three sides by the Darwesh Waziris, and being shut off by the Bhittanis on the east from the Derajat and Bannu districts. Two Pashtun tribes, Ahmadzai Wazir and Mahsud, inhabit and dominate South Waziristan. Mahsud is the second largest tribe of South Waziristan after Wazir. Within the heart of Mahsud (Masood) territory in South Waziristan lies the influential Burki (also known as Barak/Baraki/Urmar) tribe's stronghold of Kaniguram. The Burki are considered by other tribes/khels of South Waziristan to be close brethren of the Mahsud due to marital and other ties and the fact that the Burki have lived in and controlled Kaniguram for over a thousand years. Some Mahsuds (Masoods) live in Afghanistan, in particular in Loogar, Wardak, Ghazni, Kunduz, and Baghlan provinces, as well as in Germany and Great Britain.
The Mahsud (Masood) usually pronounce their name "Maseed." They are divided into three great clans or subtribes, namely Manzai, Bahlolzai, and Shaman Khel. Mahsuds (Masoods) usually call these Dre Maseed, meaning the Three Mahsuds. Each tribe has his own Khan.
In the words of Sir Olaf Caroe, who acted as the former governor of the British Indian Frontier, "The Mahsud tribe are a people who can never even think of submitting to a foreign power." From 1860 to 1937, the English forces repeatedly attacked Mahsud positions, but never got a foothold in the area.
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The Mehsud tribe inhabits a large portion of the center of Waziristan, which is drained by the Tank Zam and Shahur Rivers. The Mehsud territory is a rough triangle between Jandola, the hills north of Razmak, and from Shuidar to Janimela, north of Wana. No portion of their territory touches the “settled” districts, and the tribe is surrounded on the north and west by the Wazirs, on the east by the Bhittanis, and on the south by the Wazirs and Shranis.
With the exception of a few Shabi Khel in the Bannu District, some land near Gumal in the Tank Tehsil, and the colonies at Chark and elsewhere in the Logar Valley in Afghanistan, none of the Mehsuds own land outside of South Waziristan Agency. To escape the severe cold in the higher hills during the winter, a large number move down to the lower valleys but always keep within the Mehsud territorial limits. Many of these people live in caves or tents.
Although the majority of Mehsuds live in Waziristan, there are a few colonies at the villages of Chark and Mokhand, and elsewhere in the Logar Valley in Afghanistan. There are also groups of Mehsuds near Gumal and Tank, and in Landidak in Bannu.
“South Waziristan is mountainous with several high peaks; Pirghal, for example, being 11,600 feet. The Gomal is the main river, in addition to which there are many hill torrents, which…remain dry for most of the year.”
The mountains and valleys geographically isolate the Mehsuds from large scale movements of invaders and provide excellent opportunities to conduct effective ambushes on enemies.
The cave villages along the Shahur River near Barwand and along the Split Toi provide excellent hiding places and defensive positions.
Many Mehsuds inhabit caves in the lower valleys during the winter. They return to family compounds at higher elevations during the summer when the caves are infested with fleas.
Baddar, Darra Algad, Khaisara, Mastang, Shaktu, Sheranna, Split Toi, Tak Zam Plains: Razmak Mountains: Pre Ghal, Spinghar, Spinkamar Rivers: Tak Zam, Gumal, Shahur, Shinkai Toi, Baddar Toi, Split Toi, Lower Khaisara Toi, Tauda China
The climate in the region is hot in summer, with high temperatures around 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and cool in winter, with low temperatures around 35 degrees Fahrenheit. There is modest rainfall in July and August and in January and February.
MAJOR TOWNS: Kaniguran Makin
In 1850, Lewat's tribesmen the Great Baromi's (Shabi Khel) defeated 3,000 British troops with only 300 fighters, using guerrilla tactics by attacking the British in the Valley of Bobar (Waziristan) from all sides with outdated rifles and swords. This attack demoralized the British and made them fearful of the Mehsuds. Survivors of this attack reported that the sight of the Mehsud tribesmen charging at them (with loud roars and wearing long hair and beards) affected them mentally.
In 1860, three thousand Mahsud (Masood) tribesmen attacked the British regiment base in Tank (present South Waziristan). The British struggled to defeat them.
In 1897, Mujahed tribesmen again stood up against the British all the way from Chitral to Quetta kakar, and the British experienced difficulty when engaging them. It was during this time that the name of Mullah Powindah emerged. Powindah comes from the Pashto language, meaning "nomad".
Day after day, Mullah Powindah grew more popular and famous. He emerged as a legendary figure among the people of the region and beyond. There was even a time the British considered him to be the sole leader of the Waziristan country. His followers would sporadically kill individual British officers. However, the British were not able to capture the attackers, who would return to their mountain hideouts. All attempts to stop these attacks were unsuccessful.
In 1907, the Wazir and Mahsud (Masood) tribesmen were blocked from entry into any government-controlled territory. Economic sanctions were imposed, blocking even basic amenities, such as food and medicine. The British commander of that time blockaded the areas of Makin and Kaniguram. Various areas were searched to arrest Mullah Powindah without success. The British thought that the tribesmen were receiving weapons by sea, from the coast of Balochistan and responded by creating check posts, but no weapons were confiscated.
Mullah Powindah died in 1913. It could be said that he was the crownless emperor of one of the most fiercesome of the Pashtun Tribes, the Mahsuds. Upon his death, his son Shah Fazal Din was given leadership and his son-in-law, Mulla Abdul Hakeem kakar, was appointed his adviser.
When World War I started in 1915, the British were concerned that they would be engaged in battle on more than one front. This was a threat to their safety and economy, so they decided to close those fronts of lesser significance. They abandoned their ‘Forward Policy’ for the time being and sent a message of friendship and peace to the tribes. The tribes did not trust the British, and rejected these peace proposals. Instead, the Mahsuds assembled a militia to attack the British.
By this time, the British had established an air force in the subcontinent, which was used to harass the tribesmen, and as a result the tribe's hatred of the British increased. As a result of their suffering they were bent upon taking revenge, and hence their morale increased. A series of attacks were made by the Mahsuds, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. The attack on the Marhatta Regiment resulted in the deaths of hundreds of sepoys and five British Officers. In the attack on the Punjab Regiment, the Mahsud warriors slaughtered everyone. The aerial bombardments had inflicted significant losses on the tribesmen, but they were content that they were also doing well and had killed around 250 of the enemy forces.
After the end of World War I, the British returned to Waziristan. This time, they built roads and forts throughout the land. The sophistication and constant patrols of the British Air Force helped create a secure atmosphere for their ground troops. With this sense of security, the British Army constructed a road from Jandola to Ladha. At Razmak, they constructed a cantonment for their army officers and soldiers.
By 1922-23, all the British forces had moved from Wana to Razmak. They had constructed an airport there and instead of flying all the way from India, their aircraft would fly from Razmak Airport and bomb the countryside. Because of this, the countryside of Makin was totally devastated. The Mahsuds deemed it appropriate at this time to agree to a ceasefire because this new British tactic was inflicting widespread losses on their side. The ceasefire, they imagined, would also enable them to devise a strategy for countering the latest British advances.
In 1925, the Royal Air Force successfully put down a Mahsud rebellion by strafing the tribes' mountain strongholds. The action, which came to be known as Pink's War led to the tribal leaders seeking peace terms.[1]www.nps.edu/Programs/CCS/Docs/Pakistan/Tribes/Mehsud.pdf
In 1927 Ghazi Ramzan Khan Shaman Khel attacked Wana camp with a huge lashkar (tribal militia). The result was a big loss for the British army. In 1928 Ghazi Ramzan Khan re-assembled his lashkar again for his next attack, on Sararogha Fort. This time he attacked with a powerful force, killed all of the defending soldiers (numbering 300) and took hold of the Fort.
Historically, the Wazirs and Mahsuds have always looked toward Afghanistan and throughout the British Colonial period, they supported Afghan kings in their wars against the British. On many occasions the Afghan throne was saved with the help of the Mahsud, Burki/Baraki, and Wazirs from Wazirstan. Of those who fought during this time, most came back to their homeland, but those who stayed were given high ranks of office, such as Faiz Muhammad Mahsud, who was granted a title the equivalent of prime minister during the 1970s. Today the majority of Mahsuds are still in Logar Province, with the title of Waziri, but by caste, they are Mahsuds. The majority of these are Manzai with a sub-caste of Dramankel, Faridi, etc. When the Soviet-Afghan War started, some of these families came back to Wazirstan but could not stay there, so they moved to cities like Peshawar and Karachi.
They are poor but brave… and although turbulent and difficult to deal with, still have a great love of their country and cherish their independence, possessing qualities that we admire ourselves, and which deserve consideration and respect. Mahsud are very good marksmen and have the reputation of trustworthiness. Mahsud is the most independent of all the tribes. Even their own maliks have a very limited control over them. However, Mahsuds have been increasingly integrated with the Pakistani society since independence. John Ayde describes the Mahsud:
After Pakistan came into existence, many social, economic and demographic changes have occurred in Waziristan. A large number of Mahsuds have joined mainstream Pakistani society. When the Hindu traders of Tank left after the Partition of India in 1947, most of their shops were taken over by Mahsuds. Now Mahsuds are employed in the militia and regular army, state bureaucracy, and involved in business all around the country. Many of them are now living far away from their native lands.
Immediately after Pakistan came into existence,, Mahsuds raised a tribal lashkar which entered Kashmir to help the newly created state Pakistan to capture Kashmir. They quickly reached Baramulla town, the gateway to the Kashmir valley, but indulged in loot, arson, rape and murder at Baramulla for several days forgetting that they had to reach the capital, Srinagar, to seize Kashmir completely.
Charles Chevenix Trench writes in his 'The Frontier Scouts' (1985):
In October 1947... from all over the Frontier tribal lashkars hastened in lorries - undoubtedly with official logistic support - into Kashmir. Scouts were instructed to see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing and do nothing in this matter, although at least one British Officer, Harvey-Kelly of the SWS, took part in the campaign. It seemed that nothing could stop these hordes of tribesmen taking Srinagar with its vital airfield. Indeed nothing did, but their own greed. The Mahsuds in particular stopped to loot, rape and murder; Indian troops were flown in and the lashkars pushed out of the Vale of Kashmir into the mountains. The Mahsuds returned home in a savage mood, having muffed an easy chance, lost the loot of Srinagar and made fools of themselves.
A large number of tribals from Pakistan attacked Kashmir under the code name "Operation Gulmarg" to seize Kashmir. The invading tribals started moving along Rawalpindi-Murree-Muzaffarabad-Baramulla Road on 22 October 1947 with Pakistani army men in plain clothes. Muzaffarabad fell on 24 October 1947. They reached and captured Baramulla on 25 October. There they stayed for several days looting, raping, killing, burning, plundering and desecrating and vandalising shrines and temples instead of moving on to Srinagar 50km away and capture its airfield which was not defended at all. The raped and killed European nuns (only one survived) at Baramulla's St. Joseph convent and Christian nurses at the missionary hospital. This savage orgy of loot, rape, murder and abduction of girls continued for several days.[2] Baramulla suffered this savage orgy but saved the rest of Kashmir because the airplanes carrying the Indian troops airlifted from Delhi on the morning of 27 October could land at Srinagar airfield as the invaders were still at Baramulla.
Biju Patnaik (who later became Chief Minister of Orissa) piloted the first plane to land at Srinagar airport that morning. He brought 17 soldiers of 1-Sikh regiment commanded by Lt.Col. Dewan Ranjit Rai. "...The pilot flew low on the airstrip twice to ensure that no raiders were around... Instructions from PM Nehru’s office were clear: If the airport was taken over by the enemy, you are not to land. Taking a full circle the DC-3 flew ground level. Anxious eye-balls peered from inside the aircraft – only to find the airstrip empty. Nary a soul was in sight. The raiders were busy distributing the war booty amongst them in Baramulla."
In the words of Gen Mohammad Akbar Khan (Brigadier-in-Charge, Pakistan, in his book "War for Kashmir in 1947"): "The uncouth raiders delayed in Baramulla for two (whole) days for some unknown reason." [3]
It took two weeks for the Indian army to evict the raiders, who had been joined by Pakistani regular troops and became well-entrenched, from Baramulla.
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