Shilmani

The Shilmani,[1] Shalmani or Sulemani (Pashto: سليمانى,شلمانى‎) are a Pashtun tribe who are primarily concentrated in the Shalman Valley in Khyber Agency near Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The tribe is also present in different areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. In Pakistan, the tribe lives in Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Bajour, Buner, Shangla, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Malakand District, Dargai, Sakha Koat, Charsadda, and Umarzai (Hashtnagar).

History

Khan Roshan Khan a Pakhtun historian says that Shalmani were originally brought to Swat District by one of the famous conquerors and kings, Muhammad of Ghor,[2] from Shalman Valley of khyber Agency in present Pakistan and Karman of today's Afghanistan.

According to Khan Roshan khan, Shalmani or shilmani, are "Banu Bakht," who were living in an area "Shalmani" in Syria. These Banu Bakht were the landlords of Shalman, Ainab and Baiswad at the border of Lebanon and Syria. But when they exiled to Khorasan, they were known as Shalmani and Baiswad in Khorasan because of their place name "Shalman" in Syria.[3]

M.Saida Khan Shinwari gives that. Shilmani are divided as Shamsher Khel, Halimzai and Kam Shilmanis and considers them to be Mohmand. He states that Shamsher Khels are related to Morcha Khel Mohmands, Halimzai to Halimzai Mohmands and Kam Shilmanis to Tarakzai Mohmands. Officially the Shilmanis are treated as a separate tribe since the Khyber Agreement of 1881. The Shilmanis are closer to Mohmands in characteristics and based on historical evidence they appear to be close kinsmen of the Mohmand.[4]

Hashtnagar

In his book, Suleman Shahid suggests that Shilmani were the strongest among other Pashtun (Pathan) tribes like Dilazak. Primarily they were under Swat District state and Swati King by name Sultan Pakal, but later on Mir Hinda, who was a combatant leader by origin as Tajiki clan, occupied Hashtnagar and announced it as "Hashtnagar State of Shalmanies".[5] After centuries when Yusufzai (Pashtun tribe) exiled by Mughal Empire from Afghanistan, they attacked Shilmanis Hashtnagar with the support of Dilazak and other allied tribes of Yusufzai (Pashtun tribe). Because Shalmani were strong and it was unable to defeat them, this battle was ended after two years.There are some well known scientists in Iran & Pakistan in different fields like chemistry, biology & nuclear sciences. In Iran's Atomc Energy Commission are known scientists A. M. Shilmani, A Kuchaki Shilmani, & Manzour Shilmani. Similarly, important Shilmani's in Pakistan include former MPA Nek Amal Khan, Jahangir Khan, Rahat Khan and Senator Abdul Malik Shilmani. Many Shilman's serve in the Militia force (FC) and the Pakistan Army. When Pakistan had not yet come into being, Bacha Khan Shalmani of Sakha Kot Malakand Agency, was the prominent figure of the Shalmani tribe and was a famous politician. Up to this day shalmani's are going side by side with other Pashtun tribes and are serving the Pakhtoon nation and the humanity in different fields like politics, education, economy, religion, defence and agriculture etc. [5]

References

  1. ↑ Pete Heiden (2012). Pakistan. ABDO Publishing Company. p. 75.
  2. ↑ Khan Roshan Khan. Yūsufzaʻī Qaum kī Sarguzasht:K̲h̲ashshī Qabāʻil aur G̲h̲auriyāk̲h̲īl...kī ḥairat angaez, mufassil aur tahqīqī sarguzasht (in Urdu). OCLC 81889189."
  3. ↑ Khan Roshan Khan (1980). Tazkira: Paṭhānon̲ kī aṣliyyat aur un kī tārīk̲h̲ (in Urdu). Navān̲ Kalī. p. 379. OCLC 18789582.
  4. ↑ M. Saida Khan (1926). The Khyber: A Historical Sketch. A.R. Yusuñ. OCLC 5705079.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sulaimān Shāhid (2005). Gumnām riyāsat : Dīr ke lākhon̲ maz̤lūmon̲ ke nām. Muḥammad Raḥmán Buk Ḍipo. p. 73. OCLC 62110093.

Further reading