THE TANK CITY  

There is no recorded history of Tank city and going through literature on internet very little can be found about the origin of this city except its name mentioned in encyclopedia as well as in some documents during British Raj especially during South Waziristan expedition. However on going around the city there is ample proof of its being there for time well before when the British first arrived. The word ‘tank’ literally means a reservoir of liquid perhaps water but in common day practice it is pronounced as Taank by educated community of that area and more often TAKK by pashtu speaking people and Taak by the hindko speaking community. The word TAKK in pashtu means border as it border city between Waziristan and main Daman area.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

TANK Tehsil is the farthest part of southern districts of N.W.F.P of Pakistan and probably the most undeveloped, backward and neglected area in the whole NWFP in particular and Pakistan in general. TANK is situated at a distance of 196 Miles from Peshawar while Dera Ismail Khan is at 40 Miles. The city is located on the border of South Waziristan Agency and beyond Manzai the tribal area starts and hence it is situated at the mouth of the plans of the famous GOMAL pass.              

Gomal pass used to be a Caravan trade route in olden days connecting Afghanistan and India (Gateway to India). It has been used for centuries not only as trade route but as favourite route for winter - summer migration by the Ghilzai and Dothani pashtun tribes called locally PAWANDA (kochi), the Gomal nomads. Interestingly the whole area along the border of south waziristan the so called ‘settled area or DAMAN is divided in zigzag manner between pashtuns and hindko (seraiki) speaking people called Jats and Baloch.The people in this area are living in peace and harmony and have learned each other language and hence can speak both pashtu and seraiki without any prejudice.

Tank used to be Tehsil head quarter of D.I.KHAN district bordering South Waziristan with FR (frontier region), Gomal intervening on one side and Kulachi tehsil as well as Bannu district on the other side. Tank status has now been upgraded to district level.

It is interesting to note that there is another place by the same name called TONK in India, which used to be a state and its rulers were Afghans (Pashtuns), The Nawab of Tonk.

“Tonk, a native state of India in Rajputana agency. It consist six isolated tracts, some of which are under central India agency. Total area 2553 sq.m; total population (1901) 273,201. The chief, whose title is Nawab, is Mohammedan of Afghan descent. The founder of the family Amir Khan, the Pindari leader at the beginning of the loth century who received the present territory on submitting to the British in 1817. The Nawab Mohammed Ibrahim Ali Khan G.C.I.E., succeeded in 1867 and was one of the few chiefs who attended both Lord Lyttons Durbar in 1877 and the Delhi Durbar of 1903 as ruler of their states. The late minister, Sir Sahibzada Obeidullah Khan was deputed on political duty to Peshawar during the Tirah campaign of 1897. Grain, cotton, opium and hides are the chief exports.  Railways serve two of the outlying tracts of the state. Distress was caused by draught in 1899-1900. The town of TONK is situated 1462 ft above sea level, 60 miles by road south from JAIPUR, near the right bank of river Banas. Population (1901) 38,759. It is surrounded by a wall, with a mud fort. It has a high school, Walter Female Hospital and a hospital for males.....Encyclopedia.”

THE HISTORY

The history of Tank is the summation of some the semi conclusive archeological evidence plus verbally narrated stories as to yet, I have not come across any recorded history but as narrated to me by a local inhabitant Bhittani of Ummer Adda, Zam Tank, there are some old ruined temples or worship places in the hilly area adjacent and to the left of Zam Tank. Their close proximity to the ample supply of Zam Tank water and being in the serene hilly area is suggestive of the Buddha’s

were living here before the arrival of Pashtun tribes. There are two Dheris outside Tank city, which also suggest some ancient people living in this area. The one situated near Gara Hayat (village) is approximately 1-½ -2 miles from Tank city and can be easily approached from Gara Hayat on Tank-Waziristan road. The other Dheri is situated between Pathan Kot and Shahalam village on Tank-Pezu road approximately 3 miles from Tank city. There is also a village near Tank city in the Bhittani area approximately 2 miles from Tank called Bhudai, which is probably a degraded name of Budh or Buddha. These Buddhist must have either left this area due to constant invasions or converted to Hinduism or vice-versa and later Islam as it happened in the rest of INDIA.

The gradual migration of Pashtun Muslim tribes from Koh Sulaiman (Mountain) had begun in 12^th and 13^th century. Howevever it was Malik Sohrab Khan Baloch from Baluchistan who joined the forces of Sultan Hussain Langha in 1420, the ruler of Multan. Malik Sohrab Khan was appointed as Sobaidar (Governor) of the present day Dera Ismail Khan area and he subdued the whole area up to Tank. He laid the foundation of Dera Ismail Khan in 1469 and named it after his son Malik Ismail Khan as Dera Ismil Khan. The other places named after his sons are Darya Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan. The old city of Dera Ismail Khan was situated on the right bank of river Indus approximately 3 mile before reaching Dera on Tank-D.I.Khan road. The old city was washed away by flood in river Indus in 1823.The presence of many seraiki speaking Balochs in the present day Tank area testifies to the fact of their heavy presence in this area in the past. Hence, to call the Hindko (Seraki) speaking people as the aborigines of Tank is no exaggeration. The balochs ruled the Dera Ismail Khan area for almost 300 years.

The power of Sultan Hussain Langha and Balochs gradually weakened due to repeated attacks and migration of Pashtuns from Afghanistan. The Daman area was first occupied by Lodhi Pashtun tribes of Prangi, Suri, Sarwani and Blach but their occupation was short lived and they were ousted by Lohani Pashtun tribes (Marwat, Daulat Khel, Mian Khel) occupied the Daman area.                 

In the beginning of 17th century, the Marwats were the first to occupy the Tank area. The Katti Khel a sub clan of Daulat Khel under the leadership of Zaman Khan (? Jahan Khan) defeated Marwats with the help of Gandapurs and occupied the Tank area. The Marwats were forced to migrate to Lakki now called Lakki Marwat. Considering the small number of present day Katti Khels compared to Marwats as they can be counted on fingertips, it appears that other tribes like Bhittani might have helped them as well. The Katti Khels then permanently were settled in Tank and established their rule over the area. They chose this area, as it was safer, close to Zam Tank and easily manageable.

Tank city is surrounded in circle manner by Pashtun tribes, The Bhittani, Sherani, Kundis forming the 3/4^th   part of the circle where as the 4^th part of the circle is completed by Hindko (seraiki) speaking Jats locally called Jatater. The plan land of Daman is mainly inhabited by Jats while the area close to the hills and valleys of Zam Tank and Gomal is inhabited by pashtuns. From Zam Tank right up to Jandola on one side and Mulazai on the other side, the entire hilly area and adjacent plans are inhabited by Bhittanis.They are the descendents of the BAIT BABA, a proud pure pashtun tribe.

The BHITTANI have three main sub tribes, The Tattha, Dhana and Wraspoon. The Tattha is further subdivided in to clans, the Aba Khel, Naimat Khel, Khaishi, Dhana in to Waroki, Dadi Khel and Wraspoon in to Tari, Chapli and Shakhi. The Wraspoons are settled mainly around the Daman or so called settle area of Tank. The FR (Frontier Region) is mostly inhabited by Tattha sub tribe of Bhittanis. Some detail of the tribal location of Bhittani tribe villages is as follow;

Ummer Adda.........(Tattha, Dhana, Wraspoon)

Latti kalai, Gulan Kot, Bajhai, Tashion (Station) kach........(Tattha)

Marwatti, Warooki, Dadi Khel, Ali Khel.........(Dhana)

Sobati Kach, Kari Haider, Maghzai................(Wraspoon)

FR Tank ...... Khargai..... Naimat Khel (Tattha)

                      Kari Wam....Basey Khel  (Tattha)

                       Jandola....Toran Khel, Katta Gram, Mandan (Tattha)

                       Khaiserai.............Dhana

                       Sra Ghar.Aba Khel, Naimat Khel, Kanzai, Bajhai  (Tattha)

FR Bannu.....Ghabbar, Tajori..........(Dhana)

                     Peing...........(Wraspoon)

The Bhittanis area is a buffer zone separating Tank area from the Mahsud tribe of South Waziristan. The plans of Gomal Valley are inhabited mainly by Sherani pashtun tribe and adjoining Gandapur tribes. Tank is connected to South Waziristan by road built during British Raj which divides at Kaur, one branch going to Gomal with main villages of Jat Shora, Kot murtaza, Kot Azam and lastly the Gomal while the other main branch going through Manzai, Khargai and the Jandola and Waziristan. The Khargai is the dividing line between tribal and settled area of Tank. From the Gomal area right up to Tank-Dera Ismail Khan road approximately up to 8 Miles on each side of the road, whole area is inhabited by hindko speaking Jats.Interestingly as one leaves TANK city on Tank-Waziristan road, on the right side of the road are mainly pashtu speaking villages where as on the left side are mainly hindko speaking villages and this triangle of hindko speaking villages continues up to Tank-Pezu Road. The majority of Hindko speaking Jats are farmers and unfortunately, most of them are uneducated like most of the other people of that area. They were probably the first settlers of Tank area and some of them claim Baloch decent. They have great similarities with seraiki speaking people of Bhaker, Dera Ismail Khan and Multan.

Whether they were the original inhabitants “The Aborigines” of Tank, who changed their religion from Hinduism to Buddhist and later Islam OR they migrated from Punjab and settled along Balochs needs further study and investigation. One thing is for sure that majority of the present day pashtuns in that area have migrated from Koh Sulaiman. This can be simply explained by the “ Chicken first or Egg first ” formula and probably both are true.

The KUNDI is another pashtun tribe, which inhabit a triangular area around Tank along Tank-Pezu road extending up to Mulazai to the adjoining Bhittani area. The Mulazai is approachable through a road, which begins at old Gul Imam railway station. The area around this road is mainly inhabited by kundis with perhaps some pocket of Marwats.There is another circular road recently constructed which begins at Daraki (Maikhani) police station on Tank- Pezu road bypassing the Daraki village, Pai village and joins the Gul Imam-Mulazai road at Ama Khel. Thus if a map can be withdrawn the Kundi triangle is mainly between Tank-Pezu and Gul Imam-Mulazai road on one side joining the Bhittani area at Shahalam and Mulazai while on the other side Jatater and Gandapur area around Gul Imam. The kundi area act as a buffer zone between Tank and Marwats connected through Pezu and Bayan pass. These were the old caravan routes and British were the first to construct asphalt roads on these routes. The main villages of Kundis are Gul Imam, Shahalam, Abezar, Daraki, Pai, and Amakhel while Mulazai is perhaps mixture of kundi and marwats. Gul Imam and Shahalam are the ancestral home villages of Kundi KHANS.

Historical Gomal Valley

The tribes inhabiting the plains of Gomal are many. The Sherani tribe live in the area, as they have migrated from the FR D I Khan as many other tribes of the area. But the area is not predominantly inhabited by these people. Infact, Mianis, Bitannis and Ghurazais form the majority of the people living in the area. Also, a large number of Mahsuds from South Waziristan have settled in the Gomal plain. The Mianis - a branch of the Sheranis along with Maranis and Babars - live in the uppermost area of the Gomal, an area known as "Sarangzoona". Kot Murtaza(probably the last village of Tank and on the border of South waziristan) , Kot Nawaz, Kot Khadak and Arbana are the villages which form the area " Sarangzoona". Also, Girdawai(famous in Takk) forms part of this area in which the Mianis live. The Ghurazais( an offshoot of Kakar tribe) inhabit Raghzai and Manjhai, villages on the other side of the Gomal river along the Lutta Ghar. The Bhittanis inhabit the lower portion of the Gomal.Thaib khels(Gomal Bazaar) and Michin Khels(Garwako) claim to be part of the main Bittani tribe. Mahsuds are scattered through out the Gomal, having small pockets in every village.