THE WAZIRISTAN
KANIGURAM OR KANIGRAM
The capital of Mahsud Land, South Waziristan of N.W.F.P, Pakistan. South Waziristan is tribal agency, the border mountainous region with the adjoining Afghanistan inhabited mainly by Wazir, Mahsuds and Urmer (Ormur) tribes. The territory of Waziristan shares an 80km-long border with Afghanistan's Paktika province.
KANIGRAM is a Sanskrit word, which means a small village (Kani means small, while Gram means village). The word Gram (village) was used for many places where Buddhist were living in pre-Islamic era, like ODEGRAM in Swat. The word Kanigram used to be pronounced in local Pashtu of that region, in a distorted manner as Kanriguram that would mean hot stones (Kanri means stones while Garam means hot). There is another word used by local Urmers for Kanigram and that is SHORA. They call it Bar Shora (upper) and Lar Shora (lower). I don’t know the exact meaning of word Shora, most probably it means village, town or city in Urmeri or it may be derivative of Hindi word SHAHR which means city and pronounced in Urmeri as SHOR or SHORA.
KANIGRAM is the town of Urmers (Bargista, Baraks, Baraki) and its population was 3000 or less when I visited this area somewhere in 1967. Kanigram can be approached by a degraded asphalt road from Ladha, built during British Waziristan campaign in 1894- 1917, which is now in ruins. Opposite the Kanigram valley is a market place named SAAM now popularly called SAM SERAI. The road bypasses the Kanigram valley onward to WANA. As one enters the Kanigram valley, the old town presents a spectacular view with houses built in a ladder step like manner along the mountain named ASMANA MANZA, which means the middle of the sky (Asman means sky, Manza means middle). This mountain is peculiar in that its top is flat almost equal to a half kilometer or less in area and if properly built can be used for landing of small Aircraft. The British when they came to this area (6th March, 1920) tried to build a road to the top of this mountain. The ruins of that road along with bunkers or Sangers (Morcha) are still there, reminders of the fact that “you can rule people but not their minds” as Mahsuds never accepted British rule. This place has witnessed fierce warfare and Mahsuds Guerilla attacks. Now with the increase in population more and more houses are constructed scattered all over the valley.
The old houses were constructed along the slope of mountain in a manner so that rooftop of a house below will be a lawn for the house above and so on and viewed from a distance gives resemblance to ladder steps along the mountain. In Waziristan, only in Kanigram this peculiar type of step manner houses are to be found.
The main population of Kanigram is Urmers along with Syeds. The Urmers were non-Pashtu speaking people and they have their own language, the Urmeri. Most of them now speak both Pashtu and Urmeri. The Urmers are not Pashtun as they are quite different in every aspect from the surrounding Mahsuds. They never claimed to be a part of Mahsuds. Unfortunately quite recently people have been mixing them up with Pashtuns. The word BARAKI now commonly used for Urmers is of quite recent origin and only when some Urmers migrated from Jalander, India during partition in 1947 claimed to be Barki from Kanigram. They were popularly called Urmer in Waziristan but may be amongst themselves they used to call each other Barki. Their language has always been called URMERI never BARAKI.
THE URMERI LANGUAGE
Urmuri is a unique and language of special historical interest, an Iranian, Tajik mixture still spoken in Kaniguram, South Waziristan, North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Urmuri was also spoken in Logar, Afghanistan quite up to recent past but now most of the inhabitants have given up this language and apparently they speak now Persian. But they call themselves Urmurs or Baraki. Similarly Urmer Bala and Urmer Payeen, the two Urmer villages near Peshawar, have also surrendered their mother tongue to Pashtu and now they speak only Pashtu with no clu e to Urmeri. The estimated number of Urmeri speakers is approximately 3000, mostly in Kaniguram. Urmeri has barrowed many words from Persian, Pashtu, Sansikrit/ Hindi and even Median Language. For example, the word Spaka (dog), still found in Iranic languages such as Talyshi as well as in Urmeri. Population
3000 or more in South Waziristan Pakistan (1992). Total both countries >4000
Region
Kaniguram, N.W.F.P. and Afghanistan
Other names
Urmuri, Ormur, Bargista, Baraki, Baraks
Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Ormuri-Parachi, Northwestern
Dialects
Kanigurmi, Logar (Pashtu dialects 25 to 35%)
Urmuri Language Glossary Aaam Mango
Anghust Finger
Bulli Cat
Bezar Arm
Booma Land
Chammi Eye
Chughan Cooking Pan for Bread
Chaplai Shoes
Chashmee Sun Glasses
Das Hand
Dree Hair
Deem Abdomen
Daii Near
Gaa^k Meat
Gooda Where?
Gilass Glass for drinking water
Gandam Wheat
Ghatta Gaa^k Beef
Ghatee Langai Thigh
Gro Young Goat
Grokai Newborn Goat
Gilabsha Mouse
Geue Cow
Gashii Teeth
Goei Ear
Gaie Bed
Gul Flower
Joghak Chalghoza
Kulak Boy
Khawar Sister
Kulan Son
Kulana Son of
Kharr Donkey
Kiicho Going
Langai Leg
Mirza Brother
Malaiz Apple
Mattat Apricot
Maa^z Prayer
Mazee Prayer Mat
Malarak Mat
Narr House
Noori Bread
Nanni Nose
Narai Langai Leg
Nakhchai Nail
Naie Sit-down
Niiyak Maternal Uncle
Nanee MaternalGrandmother
Pee Father
Paighla Girl -Unmarried
Peyuz Mouth
Phat Forehead
Parri Foot
Piiyan Back
Paich Foraway
Pe^sak Butter
Peekok Butter milk/ Lassi/ Laban
Pardoog Trouser
Pandooq Pomegranate
Qees Shirt
Ru^n Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Saraie Man
Spaka Dog
Sir Head
Shee Pee Milk
Shaukh Grapes
Seenee Injection
To Pee Butter milk( Lassi,Laban)
Taa^h Uncle
Wa^k Water
Wa^za Goat
Wwonak Egg
Woo^r Gaa^k Mutton
Warasht Beared
Watak Walnut
Yarra Sheep
Zarqa Women
Zalpee Granfather
Zaala OldWomen
Rizen Rice
COUNTING Shinee One
Daue Two
Khree Three
Char Four
Panj Five
Sheh Six
Owaa Seven
Hasht Eight
Neh Nine
Das Ten
San Das Eleven
Dawas Twelve
Khrees Thirteen
Chrees Fourteen
Panjees Fifteen
Sholas Sixteen
Owees Seventeen
Hashtees Eighteen
Unees Ninteen
Jeest Twenty
Khreestu Thirty
Chashtu Fourty
Panjastu Fifty
Shushtu Sixty
Hashtee Eighty
Hashtee Das Ninty
Su Hundred
Cha Khal Ayai How are you?
Seer yam I am fine
Gooda Kicho Where are you going?
Nar Kichoo Going to my House/ Home
Noori Khawalka You had your lunch or dinner?
Delar Zai Come here
Choe Nasee Go Away
Wak ar De war Bring Water
Wakam Todak Drank water
Norri am na Khawalka Did not have my lunch
Norri de Khraka Bring Bread
Saudi ka kan cho When are you going to Saudi Arabia?
M------ ka Zakara Did M------ come with you?
Maan Wara Zaka Did M----- s’ mother come with you?
Kan ba Daktara sah When she will become doctor?
S--kelai Dooka na cheilee Did you choose some girl for S-----?
Pera Shukar hai Engineer Shawak Thanks God he has become Engineer now
Ormuri Alphabets
Dying Languages; Special Focus on Ormuri
Pakistan Journal of Public Administration; December 2001; Volume 6. No. 2
by Rozi Khan Burki
URMER MIGRATION
Urmers are proud people with their own culture and living quite similar to the surrounding Mahsud tribes yet distinct. Compared on the basis of population, they have far more number of educated young men than Mahsuds. Kanigram has been and still is the center of trade and business for whole Waziristan. Within the Urmers, families called Zargar were famous for making Waziri Dagger and Guns. They were technically far superior and skillful than the surrounding tribes. Hence the well-said saying “An Urmer will never die of hunger” is correct.
Urmers have migrated from KANIGRAM to many places and established their own Bastis (villages). From 1606-1620 during Mughal King Shahjahan era some families migrated to Jalandhar (Punjab) India and established their settlements the so called Bastis.Many of these families have become Indianised and with the creation of Pakistan in 1947 migrated to Lahore. Their language is now Punjabi or Urdu and have no clue of Urmeri or Pashtu. Some of them did try to find their roots in Kanigram and I have been informed that some of the Urmers from Kanigram have been visiting these families in Lahore but unfortunately I never had any direct contact with any of them. It was only after these migrant Urmers calling themselves Baraki, the word Baraki gained popularity and now most of the Urmers call themselves Baraki. This may be due the fact that these migrant Urmers were more educated and used to call each other Baraki while they were in India, while Urmers in Kanigram were never bothered to be called Urmer or Baraki. This is a fact of life that outside your home or country, one is more conscious of his identity. These brave Barakis have fought many wars with SIKHS. However with the partition of India, they opted for Pakistan and now most of these Bastis have disappeared.
BASTIES and KOTS OF JALANDHAR, INDIA Principal Basties Kots Gates Basti Danishmandan, originally Ibrahimpur, founded by Ansari Sheikhs from Kani Kuram in A.D.1606 Basti Sheikh Darvesh, popularly called Basti Sheikh, originally Surajabad, founded by Sheikh Darvesh and Ansari Sheikh from Kani Kuram in A.D.1614Basti Guzan, founded in the reign of Shah Jahan by Baraki Pathans of the Ghuz section, discipline of Sheikh Darvesh. They first settled in Jalandhar, then in Basti Sheikh. Subsequently, they purchase lands from Lodhi Afghans, Saiyads and Sheikhs, and built a bazar of their ownBasti Bawa Khel, originally called Babapur, was founded in A.D. 1620-21 by Baraki Pathans of the Baba Khel sectionBasti Pirdad is an offshoot of Basti Baba KhelBasti Shah Kuli and Basti Shah Ibrahim are also Baraki settlements of Shah Jahan's reignBasti Mithu Sahib appears to have been founded a little later than Basti Sheikh Darvesh by Mian Mithu Sahib, a Khalil Mattezai Pathan from the neighbourhood of PeshawarBasti Nau,adjoining Basti Shah Kulli, was founded after the Sikh conquest of the region in 1759 Kot Kishan Chand, Kot Lakhpat Rai, earlier known as Kot Daulat Khan, Kot Sadat Khan, Kot Achhi, Kot Chimbian, Kot Pakshian, Kot Bahadur Khan, Kot Mohammad Amin now known as Shivraj Garh, Kot Sadiq, Kot Badal Khan, Kot Fazal Karim Kot Asman Khan Mai Hiran Gate, Balmiki Gate, Neela Mahal Gate, Jaura Gate, Khingran Gate, Saidan Gate, Phagwara Gate, Sheetla Gate, Khodian Gate, Dehalvi Gate, Shah Kuli Gate, Lahore Gate
(http://www.jalandhar.com/) Sheikh Bayazeed Ansari (Pir Roshan) is the name to be remembered in the history of Pashtuns, was from Kaniguram. His father, Abdullah has settled in Jalandhar. Pir Roshan not only wrote books in Pashtu language but also was in constant war with Mughals. He always resisted Mughal Empire and their domination over Pashtuns. Many wars were fought among pashtuns and Mughal forces around Peshawar and in Tirah, Khyber Agency in which he was eventually killed.
The other place to which Urmers migrated is Peshawar, N.W.F.P where they established two Bastis (villages) called Urmer Payan (Lower) and Urmer Bala (Upper). These villages are on the outskirts of Peshawar. These villages were part of the Nowshera District during British Raj but are now included in Peshawar District. Interestingly the Urmers living in these villages call themselves Urmer only except few recently educated ones call themselves BARAKI. The other interesting thing to note is that they never called their villages Baraki Payan or Baraki Bala but always Urmer payan and bala. These Urmers have completely Pashtunised and their language is Pashtu, the Yousufzai dialect and none of them can speak or understand Urmeri. When questioned about their origin they always claim to be from Kanigram, South Waziristan but have no clue to their roots or actual family tree. I tried to find some clue to their family tree but in vain and the only answer I got was that an Urmer called MULLA first came to Peshawar and settled here. Despite of the fact living very close to Peshawar, unfortunately most of these Urmers are uneducated farmers with constant rivalry amongst themselves and killings. Most recently some of the educated Urmer families have settled in Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar, Karachi and many other cities of Pakistan.
ORIGIN
The origin of a tribe or people in an area which has witnessed so many adversaries and has been constantly a battle ground with mighty armies passing through onward to their destination and that used to be old Golden India in those days, can be a difficult task and sometime may be inconclusive and even unconvincing. Mysteries and secrets may prevail over the origin of a particular tribe either intentionally or unintentionally. The reason for this fact is that people in olden days used to keep their origin secret for fear of being completely wiped out, as it was a normal practice in those days. Even with the change of religion and alliance the danger of extinction of a tribe would always hang like a sword over the head of ordinary people.
The origin of Ormur (Baraki) is a matter of controversy and many claims and theories have been put forward as to their origin. Unfortunately there is no written recorded history of Ormurs; hence the floor is open for discussion. There is well said saying in Pashtu that “ although we don’t have a written history every stone is witness to our existence and will tell you our story”.
LAKE URMIA and URMIA CITY
Lake Urmia (also known as Daryacheh-ye-Razaiyeh, Daryacheh-ye-Shahi), a shallow saline lake located in northwestern Iran, west of Caspian Sea, occupies part of a level basin enclosed by mountains. Urmia city (formerly Razaiyeh) the capital of western Azerbaijan province of Iran. To the east is Gelma khaneh, a porton lake Urmia.
TABRIZ
Tabriz is the capital of Iran s’ Azerbaijan-e-Sharqi province. Present city been built and rebuilt on the site of ancient settlement of Tauris, which prospered as a trade center and was the capital of Armenia in the 3rd century.
Afghanistan has always been a gateway to India and been constantly a battleground for all invading forces, as all of these invaders have to first subdue the territories in their way to get access to Indian Subcontinent. Everybody tried his luck but none of them was ever able to establish a permanent settlement in Afghanistan. People came from such culturally divergent countries such as Iran, Middle East, Anatolia, Greece, Macedonia, China, India, Mongolia, Central Russia and settled there. They added diversity to the population but rarely lived in peace. It is interesting to note that those who came to Afghanistan rarely managed to hold on to their victories or keep the land under their possession for long. Dariush 1 The Great, then the Alexander The Great, Mongols, Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Kanishka, Menander, Attila the Hun, Timur, Mahmood Ghaznavi, Mohammad Ghori, Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Nadir Shah Afshar and so on, there is a long list of adversaries. They were all great but one hardly finds any sign of their existence in today’s Afghanistan. This doesn’t mean that these people never existed or they never came to this region and their names are just mentioned in books by some historians. They did come but they never subdued the existing tribes in Afghanistan permanently and most of these adversaries tried to find an exit avenue sooner or later. Having said that they left some marks on the history of Afghanistan and for that matter on mountainous border regions of old India (present day Pakistan).
Afghanistan was once center of Vedic Culture. The Indo Aryans definitely lived in that region before migrating further either upwards or downwards. For the Aryans Afghanistan was the land of the Gandharvas. The Gandharvas were depicted in the Vedic scriptures as celestial beings, skillful in music, with magical powers, and beautiful forms. With the expansion of the Vedic culture and the decline of the Indus valley civilization Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by the Persian army headed by Darius, the Great, (522 to 486 BC). Who were ruling Afghanistan at that time, little information is available. Then Alexander marched towards India and as he passed through the mountainous territories of Afghanisthan and had to subdue many native tribes in the region. His army was put to enormous strain and loss and his army was literally exhausted by the time they reached the Indian borders and lost much of their motivation to fight further and deeper into the subcontinent. The tired and frustrated soldiers insisted Alexander for return back home. Alexander appointed Seleucus I as the viceroy of the Asian territories he conquered, which comprised of a vast area that stretched from the northwestern borders of India to most of Anatolia and parts of Syria-Phoenicia. Selucus I was not able to maintain his hold on the region for long.About 303 BC, Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the mighty Mauryan Empire from eastern India waged a war with Seleucus and defeated him. Seleucus I gave his daughter in marriage to Chandragupta Maurya and also ceded him Afghanistan and surrounding areas. For a few centuries from then on, Afghanistan remained under the control of the Mauryan Empire and enjoyed some degree of stability. During the Mauryan rule, Buddhism spread into Afghanistan and became a dominant religion there. The Mauryan emperor who made this possible was Ashoka. He was the son of Bimbisara and the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya. During his reign the Mauryan empire reached its zenith. When he was still a young prince, his father appointed him as the viceroy of this region, with Taxila (Org.SK. Takshasila, currently located in Pakistan near Rawalpindi) as his headquarters. Taxila was then a great religious and trade center. With the emergence of Buddhism in the region this region started attracting Buddhist scholars too. Encouraged by his patronage and protection, the Buddhist monks traveled to various parts of India and outside also to spread the teachings of the Buddha and bring people to the path of righteousness.The Mauryan Empire declined after Ashoka and for sometime Afghanistan was left to itself. But it came into lime light once again with the invasion of the Bactrian Greeks. They invaded the subcontinent during the second century BC and established their power from the Oxus River in the west up to the Punjab in the east. Afghanistan was under their control. Not much is known about these new rulers. But we know that in matters of religion and social life they adopted some local practices. While some rulers turned to Hinduism for spiritual solace, some became devout Buddhists and patronized Buddhism. Buddhism owes a great deal to the Bactrian Greeks, whose patronage enabled Buddhism to gain firm foot holding in Central Asia and Chinese Tukistan. The most famous of the Bactrian Greeks about whom we have some confirmed details was King Menander. He ruled Punjab with Sakala as his capital and he became interested in Buddhism.The Bactrian Greeks were soon over thrown by the invading armies of Scythians and Parthians, followed by the Kushanas. The Kushanas were originally Chinese in origin, and came from a nomadic tribe by the name Yueh-chih. They reached India in a circuitous way through Central Asia, Bactria and Afghanistan and into the plains of the Punjab. Kanishka (2nd century AD) was the most famous of the Kushana rulers. His period was marked by the rise of Mahayana Buddhism. Pali became the principal language of literary expression and that period witnessed the remarkable maturing of the Gandhara School of art.The Sassanids or Sassanians subsequently ousted the Kushanas. They ruled Persia (modern Iran) and parts of northern Afghanistan from AD 224 to 651. Ardasir I was the founder of this dynasty and his son Shapur I, whose reign lasted from AD 240 to AD 272, succeeded him. Shapur I defeated the Romans and expanded his empire considerably. The Sassanids were fire worshippers and followers of Zarathushtra. But they did not interfere much with way of life in Afghanistan, for Buddhism continued to flourish in the region and after conquering the land, the Sassanids left the governance to local rulers Buddhism continued to flourish in this region till the 5th Century AD and declined there after. Two factors contributed to this trend. One was the invasion of Huns. The Huns were a barbarian and cruel band of vandals who perpetrated many religious atrocities against the native people and put many Buddhists to death. The second factor was the emergence of the Gupta Empire. The Guptas were staunch followers of the Vedic religion, especially Vaishnavism, and they took upon themselves the task of reviving Hinduism, which was, then in a state of decline because of the popularity of Buddhism. Politically, however, Afghanistan retained its strategic importance, because it still facilitated a great deal of trade along the silk route that connected Xinjiang or the Chinese Turkistan with the Middle East.With the invasion of Arabs in AD 642, for the first time Afghanistan encountered Islam. The Arabs converted some people there to Islam, but did not stay there for long because of the resistance from the Persians. Islam had to wait for another 300 and odd years to take its roots in the soil. Then came the Ghaznavids. The Ghaznavid was a Turkish Muslim dynasty, which captured power in AD 970 and ruled Afghanistan and parts of Iran till AD 1087. Mahmood Ghaznavi was the most aggressive ruler of this dynasty and is well known in the subcontinent for the 17 so called "holy wars" he conducted against India. After the Ghazanivids, Afghanistan once again came under the rule of petty rulers and plunged into anarchy. In the 12th Century AD it was invaded by the Mongols under the leadership of Genghis Khan (1167-1227) a ruthless, cruel and notorious ruler, who indulged in the destruction of many cities, including Herat, Ghazni, and Balkh. The fertile regions of Afghanistan were left follow as many peasants either fled their homes or were killed by his cruel and destructive soldiers.Genghis Khan's invasion was one of the many in a series of invasions by the foreign powers into Afghanistan, followed by Babur. Babur was the founder of Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendent of Timur, who in turn was a descendent of Genghis Khan. A petty ruler with a mighty ambition, Babur ruled parts of Afghanistan for sometime, with Kabul as his capital, before he decided to invade India and try his fortunes. A freebooter with a natural instinct for leadership, he gathered a band of committed soldiers and invaded India and fought against Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat in 1526, who was then the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. The Sultanate was already in a state of decline and was ready to collapse any time. The two armies fought a fierce battle on the grounds of Panipat in 1526 and Babur won because of his superior planning, organized army. For nearly two hundred years thereafter Afghanistan remained partly under the control of the Mughals and partly under the Saffavids of Persia. The eastern parts owed their allegiance to the Mughals while the western part to the Safavids. In 1747, following the assassination of Nadir shah of Persia, Ahmed Shah Durrani established his rule as an independent ruler supported by Pashthun tribal council.
Four important routes for entrance to Indian Subcontinent were, well known passes through the mountainous region, The Khyber Pass, Gomal pass, Tochi pass and Bolan Pass.
The Khyber Pass is largest and 56 kilometers long connects Kabul, Jalalabad in Afghanistan with Peshawar (N.W.F.P) through an Asphalt road, which used to be a caravan route in olden days. The Tochi pass connects Gazni in Afghanistan with Bannu (N.W.F.P), while Gomal pass is old caravan route through Waziristan, connecting Afghanistan with Dera Ismail Khan (N.W.F.P). The Bolan Pass is in Baluchistan connecting Qandahar in Afghanistan via Chaman-Quetta with Sindh plain in Pakistan. DIFFERENT ROUTES USED BY INVADERS OF INDIAN SUBCONTINENT 519 BC. Darius-I Khyber, Gomal and Bolan. Gandhaura was conquered via Khyber Pass, and Multan and Sindh via Gomal and Bolan Passes. 330-324 BC. Alexander Katgala and Karakar in Swat. His troops under Craterus returned via Mula Pass to Persia via Archosia (Kandhar). 330 BC. Hephaistion Gandava Charsadda 184 BC. Menander Dimetrius. Mulla Mulla Pass was used by Bactrian Greeks and Scythians. 90-80 BC. Scythian. Mulla Mulla Pass was used by Bactrian Greeks and Scythians. 46 AD. Parthian. Khyber They first occupied Gandhaura and than annexed Sindh. 78 AD. Kushan Khyber They first occupied Gandhaura and than annexed Sindh. 283 AD. Sassanians Bolan 712-714 AD. Mohd Bin Qasim. Makran & Arabian Sea. 1027 AD. Mahmood of Gazni Gomal He sacked Mansura via Thar desert, on return from Somanth in 1026 AD. 1027 AD Muhammad Ghori Gomal The 1027 AD expedition was against Jats of Upper Sindh. 1517-24 AD. Shah Beg. Bolan 1524-25 AD. Shah Hassan Bolan 1789 AD. Nadir Shah Pegu Returned via Bolan. 1818 AD. Madad Khan. Bolan
Going through above list it is obvious that only Persian emperor Darius 1 in 519 BC and later Mahmood Gaznawi in 1027 AD and Mohammad Ghauri chose the Gomal pass of South Waziristan for invasion of Indian subcontinent. Darius 1 was non-Muslim.
The last group of invaders were Muslims and they almost permanently changed the history of Afghanistan. The reason for this change was that they infused the spirit of Islam in to highly inflammable blood of mighty Pashtuns, who were tough fierce fighters and devote Muslims. The same is true about many other tribes living in Afghanistan Tajiks, Uzbeks and so on. The Pashtuns being in majority and more closer to the Afghan-India border region, in wave of invasion started occupation and later on permanent settlements in the Mountainous region. These mountainous regions from Waziristan to Khyber and right up to Quetta Baluchistan were uninhabited or very sparsely inhabited. To keep the record right the present day Waziristan used to be called Waziri area and it was only British who changed and gave it name “ The Waziristan”.
The Afghanistan being a battle ground for mighty Armies of the adversaries for centuries was not only changing rulers but also on the religious front changes were occurring. The Persian who were Zardhast (Zoarast –Fire worshiper), the Greeks had different religious beliefs, The Maurian and Ashoka had Hindu, Buddhist beliefs, while the Muslims beliefs were quite different from all the above-mentioned religions. When Islam came to Afghanistan it overtook all other religions like a straw in strong sea wave. Many non-Muslims had to surrender to the mighty force of Islam either to accept Islam or migrate and leave that area.
The last religion in Afghanistan in pre-Islam era was Hinduism and later Buddhist. Hence one still finds many Buddhist monuments in Afghanistan and pockets of Hindus in Wana Waziristan, Parachinar Kurram Agency, Tirah Khyber Agency, and Mangora Swat. Buddhist monuments at Odegram, Swat and Thakt-Bhai are well preserved but no more Buddhist to be found.
The situation in Waziristan was probably not different from other border areas. I will concentrate on South Waziristan and particularly on Mahsud land where Kanigram is situated and rather it is the capital of Mahsud land. First lets concentrate on the names of various places and villages. Sangtoi (Sang is a Persian word means stone), Saam is Sanskrit word means peace and equality, Ladha has close resemblance to Ladakh in Kashmir, Makeen is also Persian word derived from Makan (meaning a place, house) whereas the Makeen means the person or people living in Makan. Rest of the names in South Waziristan seems to be of recent origin. Name of places can give some clue about a place and its inhabitants but then names are changed frequently and may be confusing.
The language is something with somewhat stronger bond to person’s life, however a language can be changed and there are ample examples of people who have forgotten their mother tongue. Features, colour, behavior can give some clue about people but again all these can change.
Having said that sometime, some of the words used for special occasions or ceremonies are retained even after the change of religion. The word Mazdak is used in urmeri for Mosque or prayer place. The Arabic word for mosque is Masjid. Mazdak (497 CE) was a Zoroastrian priest, who proclaimed that he has been sent by God to preach that all men are born equal and that no one has the right to possess more than another He claims that he is reforming and purifying Zoroastrianism. The world, he says, has been turned from righteousness by five demons: Envy, Wrath, Vengeance, Need and Greed. His followers plunder the homes and harems of the rich. During the same period Persia has suffered drought and famine. Persians rebel against the Sassanid king, Kavad (son of Firuz). Kanigram is the only town in Waziristan, which was densely populated in olden days as compared to other villages with houses constructed in stepladder fashion. In many places in Waziristan people were living in caves whereas the situation was quite different in Kaniguram. Moreover it has more fertile land, densly forested with plenty of water all-round, a suitable place to be inhabited.
Looking in to the history, Darius the Persian emperor in 500BC and later Mahmood Ghiznavi (1020AD) used Gomal pass in Waziristan for invasion of India. Some of the Ormurs claim their origin to be from Yamen and now recently somebody changed it to Libya and that they were brought by Mahmood Ghaznavi to defeat the non Muslims of India. Why would Mahmood Ghaznavi bring a handful of Yamani or Libyan when he had so much of mighty Afghan forces at his disposal including mighty Pashtuns? What happened to Arabic Language as Yamanis are pure Arab breed and moreover Ormuri has not even distant relation to Arabic? Yes it is possible that some Arabs might have come and joined Mahmood Ghiznavi s’ forces and taken part in the so-called Jihad as they did in 1980 during Afghanistan war against during Russian occupation.
It is also possible that these Barakis or Urmers being skillful people did join Mahmood Ghaznavi forces during his several expeditions to Indian Subcontinent. One should not confine the search for origin of Urmers to Gaznavi era but well before that period of time.
The word URMUR is a pashtu word, which literally means to extinguish fire (UR means fire, MUR means to extinguish). This word itself is of great significant and points to the fact that these people were fire worshiper most probably Zardhasht and later converted to Islam. This fact can be supported by the fact that there are many Syeds and graves of many saints in Kanigram than any other village in Waziristan. These syeds probably had to work hard to convert these people to Islam. Once converted to Islam they were devote Muslims and even accompanied their sheikhs to Jalandhar, India. It seems with all probabilities that KANIGRAM existed well before Mahsuds first came to this area and the Ormurs were there well established. I personally don’t think Mahsuds would have given such a nice chunk of fertile land to people who were an ethnic minority and few in number. But once they converted to Islam than with the help and support of Syeds they were able to retain their land as syeds are highly respected by Mahsuds. It was most probably the religious card along with the saints and syeds, which kept this area untouched. The Urmuri tribe most probably migrated from somewhere in Urmia region in Azerbaijan province of Iran.
Their first migration was most probably during a drought and famine in Iran or alternatively they were soldiers in Persian invading forces. They initially settled in Logar near Kabul, Afghanistan and later some of the families moved on toward the Waziristan. Their onward movement may have been in search of good pasture or political and socioeconomic pressures as Afghanistan was a constant battlefield for Persian, Greeks, Mongol, Turks and many others. They found the present day Kaniguram valley the most suitable, serene place to be inhabited, as there was plenty of water, fertile land, and forest with abundance of wild animals for hunting. They were fire worshiper, the Zardhasht and later on converted to Islam and this was during Mahmood Ghaznavi era.
There is no doubt that Ormurs being in minority are brave, tough fierce fighters. They are quite different in every aspect from the surrounding Mahsuds tribes. They are probably the oldest tribe in Waziristan, the aborigines of Waziristan.Their existence and language has been endangered by increasing population and recently by encroachments from the surrounding tribes over their land. Many Ormur families have migrated from Kanigram to other cities of Pakistan in search of jobs and better future.
I must apologise in the end if any of my comments has hurt anybody feelings as it was not my intention.
****
January 25, 2005
Population
3000 or more in South Waziristan Pakistan (1992). Total both countries >4000
Region
Kaniguram, N.W.F.P. and Afghanistan
Other names
Urmuri, Ormur, Bargista, Baraki, Baraks
Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Ormuri-Parachi, Northwestern
Dialects
Kanigurmi, Logar (Pashtu dialects 25 to 35%)
Aaam Mango
Anghust Finger
Bulli Cat
Bezar Arm
Booma Land
Chammi Eye
Chughan Cooking Pan for Bread
Chaplai Shoes
Chashmee Sun Glasses
Das Hand
Dree Hair
Deem Abdomen
Daii Near
Gaa^k Meat
Gooda Where?
Gilass Glass for drinking water
Gandam Wheat
Ghatta Gaa^k Beef
Ghatee Langai Thigh
Gro Young Goat
Grokai Newborn Goat
Gilabsha Mouse
Geue Cow
Gashii Teeth
Goei Ear
Gaie Bed
Gul Flower
Joghak Chalghoza
Kulak Boy
Khawar Sister
Kulan Son
Kulana Son of
Kharr Donkey
Kiicho Going
Langai Leg
Mirza Brother
Malaiz Apple
Mattat Apricot
Maa^z Prayer
Mazee Prayer Mat
Malarak Mat
Narr House
Noori Bread
Nanni Nose
Narai Langai Leg
Nakhchai Nail
Naie Sit-down
Niiyak Maternal Uncle
Nanee MaternalGrandmother
Pee Father
Paighla Girl -Unmarried
Peyuz Mouth
Phat Forehead
Parri Foot
Piiyan Back
Paich Foraway
Pe^sak Butter
Peekok Butter milk/ Lassi/ Laban
Pardoog Trouser
Pandooq Pomegranate
Qees Shirt
Ru^n Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Saraie Man
Spaka Dog
Sir Head
Shee Pee Milk
Shaukh Grapes
Seenee Injection
To Pee Butter milk( Lassi,Laban)
Taa^h Uncle
Wa^k Water
Wa^za Goat
Wwonak Egg
Woo^r Gaa^k Mutton
Warasht Beared
Watak Walnut
Yarra Sheep
Zarqa Women
Zalpee Granfather
Zaala OldWomen
Rizen Rice
COUNTING
Shinee One
Daue Two
Khree Three
Char Four
Panj Five
Sheh Six
Owaa Seven
Hasht Eight
Neh Nine
Das Ten
San Das Eleven
Dawas Twelve
Khrees Thirteen
Chrees Fourteen
Panjees Fifteen
Sholas Sixteen
Owees Seventeen
Hashtees Eighteen
Unees Ninteen
Jeest Twenty
Khreestu Thirty
Chashtu Fourty
Panjastu Fifty
Shushtu Sixty
Hashtee Eighty
Hashtee Das Ninty
Su Hundred
Cha Khal Ayai How are you?
Seer yam I am fine
Gooda Kicho Where are you going?
Nar Kichoo Going to my House/ Home
Noori Khawalka You had your lunch or dinner?
Delar Zai Come here
Choe Nasee Go Away
Wak ar De war Bring Water
Wakam Todak Drank water
Norri am na Khawalka Did not have my lunch
Norri de Khraka Bring Bread
Saudi ka kan cho When are you going to Saudi Arabia?
M------ ka Zakara Did M------ come with you?
Maan Wara Zaka Did M----- s’ mother come with you?
Kan ba Daktara sah When she will become doctor?
S--kelai Dooka na cheilee Did you choose some girl for S-----?
Pera Shukar hai Engineer Shawak Thanks God he has become Engineer now
| 519 BC. | Darius-I | Khyber, Gomal and Bolan. | Gandhaura was conquered via Khyber Pass, and Multan and Sindh via Gomal and Bolan Passes. |
| 330-324 BC. | Alexander | Katgala and Karakar in Swat. | His troops under Craterus returned via Mula Pass to Persia via Archosia (Kandhar). |
| 330 BC. | Hephaistion | Gandava Charsadda | |
| 184 BC. | Menander Dimetrius. | Mulla | Mulla Pass was used by Bactrian Greeks and Scythians. |
| 90-80 BC. | Scythian. | Mulla | Mulla Pass was used by Bactrian Greeks and Scythians. |
| 46 AD. | Parthian. | Khyber | They first occupied Gandhaura and than annexed Sindh. |
| 78 AD. | Kushan | Khyber | They first occupied Gandhaura and than annexed Sindh. |
| 283 AD. | Sassanians | Bolan | |
| 712-714 AD. | Mohd Bin Qasim. | Makran & Arabian Sea. | |
| 1027 AD. | Mahmood of Gazni | Gomal | He sacked Mansura via Thar desert, on return from Somanth in 1026 AD. |
| 1027 AD | Muhammad Ghori | Gomal | The 1027 AD expedition was against Jats of Upper Sindh. |
| 1517-24 AD. | Shah Beg. | Bolan | |
| 1524-25 AD. | Shah Hassan | Bolan | |
| 1789 AD. | Nadir Shah | Pegu | Returned via Bolan. |
| 1818 AD. | Madad Khan. | Bolan |
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