THE TANK CITY

The history of Tank City can be conveniently divided in to pre- partition and post- partition (1947) era of India. The population of Tank city has been recorded 4402 in 1901. The pre- partition period of history of Tank City circulates mainly around the history of Nawab of Tank as Katti Khel pashtun tribe ruled it for several generations. The city of Tank was the Raj Dhani of Nawab Sohib and almost all of the agricultural land belonged to him (Jagirdar).

Tank City was a well-planned city with a protecting wall (Hisar) surrounding the whole city with seven gates (Darwaza) and Mud Fort (Qilla) of Nawab Sohib on one corner. There were pickets       (Burgs) at each corner with armed guards.

The main road, the so called main bazaar with shops on each side runs straight through the heart of the city and intersects it in to two halves and at each end joined by circular road (Chakri road). The gates of the city have no special names. However the main gate called Bara Darwaza is the one beyond which adda bazaar starts, the chakri darwaza, kachi dedi, pir kach, pir saber shah gate, maidan wala darwaza. The city is also divided in two sections, the upper Tank (Utli Taak) and lower Tank. The area surrounding the city police station and sabir shah mausoleum (mazar) has been traditionally named upper while the area near the main gate (Bara Darwaza) as lower tank.

The city streets were well organized with a drainage system. Most of the streets were narrow with brick houses on each side and each street joining the central main Bazaar at one end and the circular road on the other end. The central main road and the chakri road is wide enough, could be used for motor vehicle or horse cart (Tanga) or Bull cart without difficulty but the problem comes when two vehicles are crossing at the same point from opposite direction. In olden days only horses, camels and later tanga, bull cart were the commonest and popular mode of transport. Only Nawab Sohib had cars, the rest of the population would use horses, mules, camels and later Tanga for traveling and transportation.

The houses were comparatively small with protecting walls approximately ten feet high. There were houses with exceptionally large covered areas, high walls and big impressive gates.  Each house had a drinking water connection from the municipal committee as well as drainage system and the waste water would drain in to drain or gutter (naali) running in front of each house and this comprehensive drainage system would then lead in to the main sewerage line and onward out of the city.    

There was an irrigation canal (wand), which was built during British raj time and used to bring water for irrigation from Zam Tank to the Bungalow of Gora sohib bahadur AC (The Assistant Commissioner) and the adjoining mission hospital. This canal was approximately seven feet wide and ten feet deep, starting at pir saber shah mazar, then behind the city police station, right through the heart of city, underneath the white mosque (spin jumaat), running in front of old Hindu Mander and our house in Dak khana wali Gali, then through Shahmahmood bagh and out of the city.

The Shahmahmood Bagh is the only place I could mention as a place in lower Tank within the Hisar of the city with evidence date palm trees and some land probably used for vegetables etc. purpose. The location of Shahmahmood Bagh is close to Dak khana wali gali rather it is very close to the old boys boarding hostel of the Tank high school on chakri road. There is some evidence that an area near to chakri road on pir kach side had some date palm tree garden, which were later on used for building houses. There was another bagh within the hisar near the maidan wala gate close to the Qilla of nawab sohib in the upper Tank. 

The presence of a farm or bagh within the protective boundary wall (hisar) of city shows that in olden days, it was unsafe to work out side the city hisar and moreover the nawab sohib has given the land to people of his own clan, the katti khel or the land was most probably purchased. The Tambela or horse stable of Nawab of tank was situated in the present day Dost Mohammad katti khel street. A huge ground now difficult to be identified because of the houses constructed.

The people of Tank in the olden days were mixed Hindu, Muslim, Sikhs comprising mainly of Katti khel pashtuns, some Kundis, Bhittani, Gandapurs, Baloch and hindko speaking Jats. Interestingly the upper Tank population was mainly hindko speaking Muslims and the lower Tank were mainly Hindu and Sikhs. I can testify to the fact without any reservation that Tank was a city of hindko (seraiki) speaking people whether Muslims or non-Muslims. Hence, the hindko speaking people of the present day upper Tank are the original people of Tank.

The Katti khel pashtuns (cousins of Marwat pashtuns) were the ruling class. Their language originally pashtu has been gradually taken over by Hindko due to indianisation and most of them still speak both pashtu and hindko. The situation changed dramatically after partition in 1947 and many of the families have migrated to other cities due to economic and social pressures.

There was peace and harmony among the various sects of people. The Hindu and Sikhs were mainly businessmen and almost whole of the tank bazaar belonged to them, although some were agricultural landowner. The Muslims were living in very miserable condition except few like Nawab of Tank and some agriculture landowner. The Hindus and Sikhs were privileged with running the business in city while the Muslims were poverty stricken agriculturist, surviving only on barren rain water thirsty land with only not worth mentioning income. Hence, the Hindus and Sikhs had upper hand in almost all sectors of life.

From the above discussion it becomes obvious that the people of Tank were divided in to three class, the ruling class were the Nawab of Tank and Katti khel, the business class were Hindus and Sikhs while the farmers were mostly jats. This may be true as for as Tank city is concerned as in the villages most of the farmers are Kundis, Bhittani, Sherani and Jats mixed. Despite this disparity relation between Muslims and Hindu, Sikhs were cordial. 

THE BAZAAR OF TANK 

Tank was a trade center for the surrounding area and even up till now, it has maintained same position. During pre-partition period the business was run mainly by Hindus, Sikhs and most of the shops belonged to them. As mentioned before the city is arbitrarily divided in to upper and lower Tank. The Bazaar was hence called upper and lower bazaar. There were shops on each side of the road with some serai (Godam), a local term for grains store. The bazaar of the upper Tank was like a covered market. The shops were of average size as used to be custom in those olden days. Most of the merchants would trade in day-to-day commodities including grains, ghee, ghur, clothes etc.

The people from the surrounding villages would travel to Tank on camels, mules bringing with them wheat, chick peas, Barley, maize as well as livestock like chicken, goats, sheep, cows and after selling them will return to their villages with their shopping perhaps some sweets! This was life in those olden days!

GONE TO TAKK! A remark when a returnee would approach his village and on first encounter with his co villager. The sweets of tank were very famous as per saying of the some older generation of Takwal. Never tasted it, as I was not born by then. However seeing is believing so could imagine by seeing some of those old Takwal it must be just a change of taste. Sugar was scarce in those days and anything sweet would taste nicer. Nevertheless, the Hindus are famous for sweets making and whole bazaar of tank belonged to them.

THE TEMPLES OF TANK

There were two well-known Hindu temples in Tank city in pre-partition period. The one just behind our old house in Dak-khana Gali (post office street) was located on the bank of old irrigation canal (wand) and covered an area back of our old house, Bahadery (Sherzaman), Malik Gulab Khan and Mirdad/Adam khans s’ house. This temple was spread over an area of approximately four kanals and must have been a place of huge gathering and worship for Hindus.

 Mohatma Ghandi once visited this temple in just pre-partition period during his visit to Dera Ismail Khan. This temple was partially burned during 1947 partitition riots and was occupied by Haji Ghulam Urmer after 1947 whose sons Rabnawaz, Haji Zake, Mosam Khan and now his grand children Aslam Khan Barki and brothers are living there. This temple had a large entrance door at irrigation canal side, with several rooms on each side and at the rear end was huge spacious hall with high walls almost equal to a double story building. The other temple was just opposite and on the other side of main bazaar road, to the present day Spin Jumat (Mosque) in front of the Bazgul Mahsud house. This temple was a huge building complex spread over several kanals and was almost completely burned and destroyed during 1947 riots.

There were some other places of religious importance to Hindus and Sikhs but they were situated outside the Tank city Hisar (wall). The one situated close to the city was approachable through the road passing between High School and Bud-Mandi and at the farther end of the road where the Hisar of city would end, was a Burge (guard post), just to the opposite side was a huge ground surrounded by mud walls. This was either a place for religious celebrations or a Hindu cremation yard (SHAM SHAN GHAT- SARR).

Close to the boundaries almost surrounding this mud, walled compound was the Muslim graveyard. The present day Qutab colony (old nawab bagh) is close to the location mentioned and separated by road described before.

THE BUDH MANDAI

The Wednesday market place is situated just outside the city wall, in the close vicinity of Chakri Darwaza and high school. Every Wednesday people from the surrounding villages bring their cattles, cow, buffalo, goat, sheep and almost everything they want to sell. This is a gathering and meeting place for the farmer community of the surrounding villages. They not only sell their goods and livestock here but also exchange views about their future plans for cultivation. End of the day they do their shopping in the main bazaar not forgetting to take the nice sweets back home!   GON TO TAKK!!

The municipal committee park called company bagh was probably built during British raj, is situated outside the old city walls in the present day Adda bazaar. This used to be a rather greener place reasonably maintained with playgrounds and a library. The offices of town committee are situated here. Unfortunately, the influx of migration from the surrounding villages and overpopulation has pushed everything in to the backyard. The company bagh is now surrounded by ugly looking buildings and shops, hardly recognizable.

There were three schools in Tank in 1947. The Government high school for boys, the primary school for boys and middle school for girls. These schools were probably built in pre-partition period as middle school for boys and primary school for boy and girls and later on upgraded either in immediate pre-partition period or post partition years.

The High school for boys has been a center for education for the surrounding areas of Tank up to South Waziristan. A quite good number of people from Tank area had their initial education at this school and later on furthered their education in various universities. Many of them are now doctors, engineers and civil servants at higher posts in various parts of the country.

Our great, beloved teachers Syed Hassan Shah, Syed Ghaffar Shah and Syed Manzoor Hussain Shah will always be remembered for their service to the people of Tank. In 1966, an Intermediate college was approved with the initial classes held at Nawab Qilla, as there was no college building available. Mr.Akram Beg was the first principal of that college. He was another educationalist and the people of Tank will remember his services.