THE ROLE OF CHARSADDA IN THE FREEDOM STRUGGLE

Abstract

Like most districts of the former North-West Frontier Province (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Charsadda had played an important role in shaping the history of the region and remained a centre of religio-political movements against the colonial rule in the twentieth century. The old name of Charsadda was Pushkalavati, the capital city of Gandhara kingdom. It lies 27 kilometers north-east from the provincial capital, Peshawar. It was ruled by the Persians, the Greeks, the Mauryans, the Bacterian Greeks, the Sythians, the Kushanas, the White Huns and the Guptas. Pashtoons then came into direct contact with Muslims in the middle of the 7th century. The Turks then came into the region in the 10th century and the Peshawar valley remained part of Muslim empire. During the Akbar’s reign, the valley of Peshawar was a great center for religious activities in the middle of 16th century. A religious sect emerged under Bayazid Ansari popularly known as “Pir Rokhan” or Pir Roshan, “the Apostle of Light”. His opponents called him as “Pir Tarik”, “the Apostle of Darkness”, a name given by Akhund Darveza, a Tajik from Ningrahar, who was his great rival. His movement in history is known as Roshaniya Movement. He first tried to reform the Pashtoons and then he became a freedom fighter. In order to spread his message, he travelled to Tirah and to the areas of Afridi, Khalil, Yousafzai and Muhammadzai (Hashtnagar) and as a result, these tribes became his followers. He settled in Khuladher (Hashtnagar), made matrimonial alliances with the Muhammadzai Khans and Hashtnagar became the center of Roshniya Movement. He fought many battles with the Mughal rulers and after his death, his successors continued their struggle against the Mughal rule