Tanawal
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Tanawal
Tunawal
A tract of mountainous territory in the extreme north-west corner of Hazara District, North-West Frontier Province, lying on the east of the Indus, between 34° 15' and 34° 23' N. and 72° 52' and 73° 10' E. The Siran river flows through it from north to south. In the latter part of Akbar's reign Tanawal was over- run by the Yusufzai Pathans, and it is still partly peopled by Afghans ; but it became nominally a dependency of Kashmir under the Durranis. Its real rulers, however, were the Tanawalis, a tribe of Mughal descent divided into two septs, the Pul-al and Hando-al or Hind-wal. The former held the tract east of the Siran ; and its chief founded Blr when the Mughal power was decaying, but internal dissensions led to the intervention of the governor of Kashmir. Meanwhile, the Hind-wal sept had gained power and its chief, Nawab Khan, defied the Durranis, but met his death at the hands of Sardar Azim Khan in 1818. His son, Painda Khan, played a considerable part in the history of his time and vigorously opposed the Sikhs, but lost all his territory except the tract round Amb. On his death in 1840 his son, Jahandad Khan, recovered part of it through the favour of Gulab Singh of Kashmir and the British Government. Thus the present semi-independent estate comprises the territory formerly held by the Hind-wal Tanawalis. It has an area of 204 square miles, with a population (1901) of 31,622. It is bounded on the north by the Black Mountain, on the west by the Indus, on the south by the Haripur and Abbottabad fahslls, and on the east by the Mansehra tahsil of Hazara District. It belongs partly to Nawab Sir Muhammad Akram Khan, K.C.S.I., chief of Amb, and partly to Ata Muhammad Khan, Khan of Phulra. Since the annexa- tion of Hazara, the administration of Tanawal has been practically in the hands of these chiefs, their authority being legally defined by Regulation II of 1900, by which civil, criminal, and revenue adminis- tration is vested in them, the only exceptions being offences against the state and murder. Both the chief of Amb and the Khan of Phulra are Tanawalis of the Hind-wal section, the former being a grandson of Painda Khan, and the latter a great-grandson of Madad Khan, younger brother of Painda Khan.
The title of Nawab was bestowed on Muhammad Akram Khan in 1868, partly as a reward for his father's services during the Mutiny, and partly in recognition of his personal courage and loyalty in the Hazara expedition of 1868. At the same time he received a cash allowance of Rs. 500 a month, which he has enjoyed ever since. In 1871 he became a C.S.I., and in 1889 a K. C.S.I. He also enjoys a. jagir of the annual value of Rs. 9,000 in the Haripur tahsil of Hazara District. Amb, the place from which he takes his title, is situated on the western bank of the Indus, in his independent territory, and is a Avinter residence, his summer head-quarters being at Shergarh near the eastern extremity of Upper Tanawal.
