Ahmadzai (Wazir)

The Ahmadzai are the second Darwesh Khel section, descended like the Utmanzai from Musa Darwesh. Bellew gives Ahmad as the lesser of Musa's two divisions, reckoned at 10,000 families in 1891, in two divisions called Sen and Kalu. The 1910 Dictionary of the Pathan Tribes lists the same two, as Kalu Khel and Sain or Shin Khel, and counts the clan at 4,186 fighting men.

Ibbetson names the sub-sections as Hathi Khel, Sperkai, Khonia Khel, Sarki Khel, Mohamdad Khel, Bodin Khel, Umarzai, Khojal Khel and Bizan Khel, and says the Zalli Khel and Hathi Khel were counted good fighters. He places the Ahmadzai in the north-west corner of Bannu, on the Saro plain around Gumatti, at Zarwan and the meeting of the Kurram and Kaitu, and at Wana, Spin, the Dhana valley and Shakai. Caroe describes them in Wana and Shakai as far south as the Gomal, with small colonies on the edge of the Bannu oasis. The 1925 history calls them the Ahmadzai or Wana Wazirs: they occupy the Wana and Shakai plains in summer and move toward the western border of Bannu in autumn.

The Dictionary names Mani Khan of the Sperkai as the most influential headman in 1910. Caroe's notes say Mani Khan was the son of Sowan Khan, chief of the Ahmadzai Wazirs, whom Edwardes met at Bannu.^1–6

Based on: Colonial records · Modern scholarship

The Imperial Gazetteer describes Wana as a plain 12 miles long and 8 broad, between about 4,300 and 5,780 feet, farmed along the Wana Toi and chiefly held by Wazirs, with a Ghilzai Powinda village, Dotanni Kot, still there. It records that the Ahmadzai Wazirs of Wana received allowances after Sandeman opened the Gomal in 1889, and that the British accepted an invitation from the Ahmadzai Darwesh Khel of Wana to occupy their territory, in the hope of keeping the Gomal Pass quiet. Caroe notes that the permanent occupation of Wana was in Ahmadzai land, outside Mahsud limits.

The escort camped there was attacked in 1894 by Mahsuds under Mulla Powinda, not by the Ahmadzai. The Gazetteer gives Mahsud losses as 350 killed and 700 wounded and British losses as 45 killed and 75 wounded. Caroe says the Mahsuds attacked with 2,000 men by night.

In the war of 1919 to 1921 Caroe says a strong contingent of Ahmadzai Wazirs from Wana reinforced the Mahsuds at Ahnai Tangi, where tribal arms had been improved by earlier raids, including the looting of the Wana fort. When the British prepared to reoccupy Wana and the Wana Wazirs asked the Mahsuds for help in return, the Mahsuds refused, as Caroe tells it, saying they owed the Wazirs a grudge rather than gratitude.^3,5

Based on: Colonial records · Modern scholarship