Marwat

The Marwat (Template:Lang-ps) is a Pashtun tribe, a branch of the Lohani tribe and belong to Lodi section. The Marwats were named for their ancestor Marwat Khan Lodi.

Distribution

They are located primarily in Lakki Marwat District, parts of Dera Ismail Khan District, some villages of Tank district in Pakistan, and in the Katawaz area of Paktika, Afghanistan.

History

FWaziri and Marwat camel riders at Bannu (1913)

The Marwat and other Lohanis expanded from Waziristan further east, occupying large tracts of present-day Dera Ismail Khan and Tank, by defeating Prangi, Suri and Sarwani tribes. Marwats stayed in Waziristan while Daulat Khels and Taturs migrated to newly conquered Daman. The headman of Kati Khel (branch of Daulat Khel), then the chief of all Lohanis, agreed to give shares in the income from the lands of Daman to Marwats and Miankhels. In the late 16th century, or in the beginning of the 17th century, Wazirs issued from their homeland Birmal and encroached upon the territories of Marwats in the nowadays South Waziristan (present day abodes of Ahmadzai Wazirs). Wazirs, with the aid of Mehsuds, defeated Marwats and Dotanis, the former were expelled while the latter was allowed to retain some lands in Wana. When the Marwats arrived in Daman to take possession of their lands, the Daulat Khel Lohanis opposed that. In the subsequent battle, the Daulat Khels were defeated by Marwats, and were expelled from Daman. The Daulat Khels sought the help of Gandapurs, Babars and Bhittanis, and this alliance was able to defeat the Marwats.

The defeated Marwats stayed in Dara Pezu and surroundings for some time, until they got the invitation from a section of Niazis, who were settled in present-day Lakki Marwat, to assist them in defeating the rival clan. Marwats turned against the Niazis. The Niazi clan first defeated the Marwat clan against whom they were hired and slaughtered them in great numbers. After the friendship with their brothers Marwats, Niazis fled towards Mianwali. Somewhere between 1601 and 1607, Marwats had taken possession of all the 'Tal' tract.

In Anglo-Sikh Wars, Marwats provided great deal of help to British against the Sikhs. The relationship of Marwats and British remained friendly for the most part, though some of Marwats joined faqir of ipi's movement.

In Anglo-Sikh Wars, Marwats provided great deal of help to British against the Sikhs. The relationship of Marwats and British remained friendly for the most part, though some of Marwats joined faqir of ipi's movement.

Notable Marwats

• Habibullah Khan Marwat, acting President of Pakistan (1977-1978)
• Khawas Khan Marwat, One of Sher Shah Sur's leading Generals playing a major role in the Victory of the Battle of Chausa against the Mughal Empire

Further reading

• Sher Zaman Taizi, Nara Zheba (The Virile Language), (Nowshera: Kamil Pukhto Adabi Jirgah).
• Olaf Caroe, The Pathans : 550 B.C. – A.D. 1957, (London: Macmillan; New York: St. Martin's Press, 1958). OCLC 32721857.
• Parvez Ahmad Khan, "The Bannu Valley (A Perspective)", Pakistan, vol. 15 & 16. (Pakistan Study Centre, University of Peshawar, 1987)
• Sher Mohammad Khan Mohmand, The Marwats, (Peshawar, 1999) OCLC 62341253
• Haroon Rashid, History of the Pathans (Vol. III). (Islamabad, 2002) OCLC 52853206