#manzoorpoint
Malak Kalo Khan Baba
Strategically, the region that is now modern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was much important for the defence of the Mughal Empire. To secure the line of communication through Khyber Pass, Akbar personally reached Attock in January 1586. He sent Zain Khan Koka to march towards Swat and Buner for controlling the Yusufzai Pakhtuns. Meanwhile Khalil and Mohmand tribes entered Khyber and blocked the pass for the Mughal caravans. Afridis and the followers of Jalalah, son of Bayazid Ansari, were stationed in Ali Masjid to confront the Mughals. In fact, in Swat the tribe of Yusufzai inflicted a crushing defeat on them. They were led by one of their great commanders Malak Kalu Khan. He was assisted by the Mohmand, Jadoon, Muhammadzai and many other tribes. Almost the whole Pakhtun tribes rose in rebellion.

In the narrow gorges of Krhapa (Buner), the Yusufzais under Kalu Khan attacked and inflicted great losses on the Mughal forces. Eight thousands of Mughal soldiers died on the spot.
Keeping in view the dynamics of rivalry between the Yusufzais and the Mughals it can safely be argued that tribal mobilisation was secular and religion was not a part of it. Moreover, they were under the strong influence of Pir Baba and Akhun Darwaiza both of them were regarded as spiritual pirs of the tribe. They preferred to be free from any sort of coercion imposed upon them by any political or religious dispensations.

Akbar sent a strong force under Zain Khan Koka and other capable commanders like Hakim Abul Fatah and Raja Birbal. At Chakdara, the three commanders held a meeting and it was decided to march on to Buner through Karakar pass, a decision which was a strategic blunder and proved disastrous for them. Birbal was given the command of vanguard while the two others followed him through.

After the Mughal army reached Malandaray, they sensed the approaching threat. Some of them spotted the Yusufzai fighters taking position on the top of hills. In the narrow gorges of Krhapa (Buner), the Yusufzais under Kalu Khan attacked and inflicted great losses on the Mughal forces. Eight thousands of Mughal soldiers died on the spot. Raja Birbal, Khwaja Arab Bakhshi, Mulla Shirin and a Battani commander Hasan Khan were among the dead. Zain Khan and Hakim Abul Fatah escaped to the fort of Attock. Akbar refused to meet the two escaping commanders for two days due to his anger on the death of Birbal.

The massacre of Mughal army in the defiles of Karakar in the BunerSwat border area was an event of serious implications. This was one of the greatest defeats Akbar had ever received in his entire regime. It was prompted by Akbar’s strong desire to subdue the Yusufzais, to maintain his line of communication safe from tribal attacks and to block any possible reinforcement towards the Kashmir.

A long battle started between the Pakhtuns and the Mughals in which hill forts played a dominant role. The Mughals learnt the tactics of hill fighting from the Yusufzais and as long as they held the forts they managed to keep the passage open.

During the Mughal rule in India the areas of Swat, Buner and Bajaur never surrendered to the imperial sway. In this regard even Abul Fadl, Akbar’s court historian, acknowledges in his book AiniAkbari and Akbar Nama the insubordination of the Yusufzais of Swat. Prince Murad and Zain Khan gained some successes in the samah (settled) areas. Between 1587 and 1592, the Mughals tried to enter Swat but without gaining any meaningful victory. The Mughal army, during the reign of Akbar, never succeeded in subduing the Yusufzais in Swat.

General masses in the frontier considered the victory of Kalu Khan as part of their resistance against the Mughal intrusion. Pakhtun elders narrate this victory to youngsters in recognition of the sacrifices made by their legends and heroes. It is an unrealistic step of the government that disregard was exhibited in the school textbooks towards those sages who are revered by society and people at large.

It is hoped that the authorities in the Ministry of Education and Text Book Board of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would take serious note of this issue. In fact, the revision of the curriculum and the deletion of specific portion should be ordered to integrate it with popular sentiments of the province. Disrespect for the historical heroes by the government in the school curriculum would ultimately undermine credibility of the government among the public.