HISTORY OF KUSHAL KHAN KHATTAK:
Khushal Khan Khattak
Khushal Khan Khattak (1613 - 1689)(Pashto: خوشحال خان خټک) was a famous Pashtun (Afghan) warrior, poet and tribal chief of the Khattak tribe. He wrote in Pashtu and Persian during the reign of the Mughal (Mongol) emperors in the seventeenth century, and admonished Afghans to forsake their divisive tendencies and unite to regain the strength and glory they once possessed. A renowned fighter who became known as the "Afghan Warrior Poet", he lived in the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains.
Khushal Khan was born in Akora (today in modern day district Nowshera Pakistan), Malik Akoray, grandfather of Khushhal Khan, was the first Khattak to enjoy widespread fame during the reign of the Mughal King Jalal-ud-din Akbar. He moved from Teri (A village in district Karak) to Sarai Akora, the town was founded and built by him. Malik Akoray joined hands with the Mughals to safeguard the trunk route and was generously rewarded for his assistance. The Akor Khels still hold a prominent position in the Khattak tribe. The Khattak tribe of Khushhal Khan now lives in the areas of Kohat, Nowshera, Peshawar, Mardan in the North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan.
Khushhal Khan Khattak was the son of Shahbaz Khan and was born in 1613. From the very beginning, Khushhal Khan’s life was marked by events of great significance. He led an eventful life that can be divided into three important parts — his youth and adult life during which he was mostly engaged in the service of the Mughal King and finally his old age in which he was preoccupied by the idea of the unification of Pakhtuns.
His first involvement in war occurred when he was just 13 years old. Shah Jehan appointed him as the tribal chief and Mansabdar at the age of 28 after the death of his father. By appointment of the Mughul emperor, Shah Jehan, Khushhal succeeded his father in 1641, but in 1658, Aurangzeb, Shah Jehan's successor, locked him away as a prisoner in the Gwaliar fortress in Delhi.
After Khushhal was permitted to return to Afghanistan, he incited the Afghans to rebel against the Mughal Emperor Aurenzeb. His grave carries the inscription:da afghan pa nang me watarla tura, nanagyalai da zamana khushal khattak yam "I have taken up the sword to defend the pride of the Afghan, I am Khushal Khattak, the honorable man of the age." Khushhal Khan Khattak died on February 25, 1689, in Dambara.
The Mazar of Khushal Khan Khattak is situated near the Railway Station of Akora Khattak in Nowshera district.
Published works
His poetry consists of more than 45,000 poems. According to some historians the number of books written by him is more than 200. His more famous books are Baz Nama, Fazal Nama, Distar Nama and Farrah Nama. Major Raverty was the first British writer who translated ninety eight poetic pieces of Khattak in English, the book is called Selections from the Poetry of Afghans published in 1862 in Kolkata. This was followed by Biddulph’s translation Selections from the Poetry of Khushhal Khan Khattak in 1890 published in London. Then, Evelyn Howell and Olaf Caroe jointly translated and published The Poems of Khushhal Khan Khattak in 1963 from the University of Peshawar. Another translation was the English translation was done by Dr N. Mackenzie (Poems from the Diwan of Khushhal Khan Khattak published from London in 1965). Dost Mohammad Khan Kamil was the first Pakhtoon scholar who initiated research on Khattak along scientific lines and penned down two important and comprehensive books, one in English called On a Foreign Approach to Khushhal and the other in Urdu titled Khushhal Khan Khattak published in 1952. Diwan-i- Khushhal Khan Khattak was published under the directive of H.W. Bellew in 1869 (Jail Press, Peshawar), the manuscript of which was provided by Sultan Bakhash Darogha, an employee of the British government. More recently his poetry has been translated again
Khushal Khan Khattak (1613 - 1689)(Pashto: خوشحال خان خټک) was a famous Pashtun (Afghan) warrior, poet and tribal chief of the Khattak tribe. He wrote in Pashtu and Persian during the reign of the Mughal (Mongol) emperors in the seventeenth century, and admonished Afghans to forsake their divisive tendencies and unite to regain the strength and glory they once possessed. A renowned fighter who became known as the "Afghan Warrior Poet", he lived in the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains.
Khushal Khan was born in Akora (today in modern day district Nowshera Pakistan), Malik Akoray, grandfather of Khushhal Khan, was the first Khattak to enjoy widespread fame during the reign of the Mughal King Jalal-ud-din Akbar. He moved from Teri (A village in district Karak) to Sarai Akora, the town was founded and built by him. Malik Akoray joined hands with the Mughals to safeguard the trunk route and was generously rewarded for his assistance. The Akor Khels still hold a prominent position in the Khattak tribe. The Khattak tribe of Khushhal Khan now lives in the areas of Kohat, Nowshera, Peshawar, Mardan in the North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan.
Khushhal Khan Khattak was the son of Shahbaz Khan and was born in 1613. From the very beginning, Khushhal Khan’s life was marked by events of great significance. He led an eventful life that can be divided into three important parts — his youth and adult life during which he was mostly engaged in the service of the Mughal King and finally his old age in which he was preoccupied by the idea of the unification of Pakhtuns.
His first involvement in war occurred when he was just 13 years old. Shah Jehan appointed him as the tribal chief and Mansabdar at the age of 28 after the death of his father. By appointment of the Mughul emperor, Shah Jehan, Khushhal succeeded his father in 1641, but in 1658, Aurangzeb, Shah Jehan's successor, locked him away as a prisoner in the Gwaliar fortress in Delhi.
After Khushhal was permitted to return to Afghanistan, he incited the Afghans to rebel against the Mughal Emperor Aurenzeb. His grave carries the inscription:da afghan pa nang me watarla tura, nanagyalai da zamana khushal khattak yam "I have taken up the sword to defend the pride of the Afghan, I am Khushal Khattak, the honorable man of the age." Khushhal Khan Khattak died on February 25, 1689, in Dambara.
The Mazar of Khushal Khan Khattak is situated near the Railway Station of Akora Khattak in Nowshera district.
Published works
His poetry consists of more than 45,000 poems. According to some historians the number of books written by him is more than 200. His more famous books are Baz Nama, Fazal Nama, Distar Nama and Farrah Nama. Major Raverty was the first British writer who translated ninety eight poetic pieces of Khattak in English, the book is called Selections from the Poetry of Afghans published in 1862 in Kolkata. This was followed by Biddulph’s translation Selections from the Poetry of Khushhal Khan Khattak in 1890 published in London. Then, Evelyn Howell and Olaf Caroe jointly translated and published The Poems of Khushhal Khan Khattak in 1963 from the University of Peshawar. Another translation was the English translation was done by Dr N. Mackenzie (Poems from the Diwan of Khushhal Khan Khattak published from London in 1965). Dost Mohammad Khan Kamil was the first Pakhtoon scholar who initiated research on Khattak along scientific lines and penned down two important and comprehensive books, one in English called On a Foreign Approach to Khushhal and the other in Urdu titled Khushhal Khan Khattak published in 1952. Diwan-i- Khushhal Khan Khattak was published under the directive of H.W. Bellew in 1869 (Jail Press, Peshawar), the manuscript of which was provided by Sultan Bakhash Darogha, an employee of the British government. More recently his poetry has been translated again
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