Mazrak Zadran
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Mazrak Khan Zadran (
Pashto Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani (). Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...
: زمرک خان ځدراڼ; 1900s – 1972) was a Zadran chieftain who fought against the Afghan government during the
Afghan tribal revolts of 1944–1947 The Afghan tribal revolts of 1944–1947 or the Khost disturbances were a series of tribal revolts in the Kingdom of Afghanistan by Zadran, Safi and Mangal tribesmen which lasted from February 1944 to January 1947. The causes of the revolts la ...
in order to support the restoration of King
Amanullah Khan Ghazi Amanullah Khan (Pashto and Dari: ; 1 June 1892 – 25 April 1960) was the sovereign of Afghanistan from 1919, first as Emir and after 1926 as King, until his abdication in 1929. After the end of the Third Anglo-Afghan War in August 1919, ...
. Some sources render his first name as Mazarak or Zemarak.


Personal life and appearance

Mazrak was the eldest of the 9 or 18 sons of Babrak Khan, who was the Zadran chieftain at the time of Mazrak's birth. Among Mazrak's brothers was
Saad Akbar Babrak Said Akbar Khan Babrakzai or Said Akbar Khan (1921 or 1922 – 16 October 1951) was an Afghan tribesman who assassination, assassinated the List of Prime Ministers of Pakistan, first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister and List of Pakistan ...
. Mazrak's winter home was in the village of Almara. His appearance in 1951 was described as a "thickset man with a black beard" who "wore a brown embroidered woollen ''chugha'' (cloak) over his '' shalwar qamiz''". In 1972, he was described as a "typical rugged
Pathan Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...
, confident of his appearance and bearing, soft-spoken, with an air of self-acquired nobility. He was in light brown shalwar kameez, black high Liaquat cap, black shoes, dyed beard and moustache."


Chieftain

Mazrak came to power following his father's death. He supported the restoration of
Amanullah Khan Ghazi Amanullah Khan (Pashto and Dari: ; 1 June 1892 – 25 April 1960) was the sovereign of Afghanistan from 1919, first as Emir and after 1926 as King, until his abdication in 1929. After the end of the Third Anglo-Afghan War in August 1919, ...
, a king of Afghanistan who was deposed in the Afghan Civil War. A Pakistani enquiry in 1947 states that "after the present dynasty seized the throne of Kabul, Mazarak, the elder brother of Said Akbar, was given the rank of Naib Salar." In April 1944, Mazrak led an ambush against government troops in the Southern province, after which he was beaten back and forced to retreat into the hills. He continued to fight the Afghan government for the following years. In late 1944, he invaded the British Raj, where he was joined by a Sultan Ahmed, a chieftain from Balochistan. They were later joined by another rebel leader nicknamed Pak. However, Mazrak's fortunes were not to last. He was forced out of British territory due to British bombardment. In October 1945, most Safi surrendered, followed by the surrender of Sultan Ahmad in November. Nonetheless, Mazrak and his brother Sher Muhd Khan continued to fight, refusing to surrender until 11 January 1947. Mazrak was expelled from Afghanistan by the government and was favourably received by the authorities in the British Raj.


Succession

In ''Political conspiracies in Pakistan'', written in 1969, it is stated that the Zadran chieftain at the time was Abdulla Khan Jadran Yawan, although it's unclear if succession was immediate or if someone else was chieftain between Mazrak and Abdulla.


Exile and later life

By 2 April 1948, Mazrak and his brother Saad had been interned i
Kahil
Abbottabad Abbottabad (; Urdu, Punjabi language(HINDKO dialect) آباد, translit=aibṭabād, ) is the capital city of Abbottabad District in the Hazara region of eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in Pakistan and fourth ...
, in houses no. 3000 and 3259 respectively, under the provisions of Regulation III of 1818. On that day, Ghulam Sarwar, Deputy Commissioner, wrote to the Superintendent of Police letter No. 4938/30.20, requesting him to keep a close watch on and occasionally report their activities. During the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, or the First Kashmir War, was a war fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four Indo-Pakistani wars that was fought between t ...
, Mazrak (who was still imprisoned) allegedly encouraged his followers to join the
Azad Kashmir Regular Force The Azad Kashmir Regular Force (AKRF), formerly known as the Kashmir Liberation Forces, were the irregular forces of Azad Kashmir until 1948, when they were taken over by the government of Pakistan and converted into a regular force. In this f ...
to "free Kashmir from Hindu rule". On 16 October 1951, Mazrak's brother,
Saad Akbar Babrak Said Akbar Khan Babrakzai or Said Akbar Khan (1921 or 1922 – 16 October 1951) was an Afghan tribesman who assassination, assassinated the List of Prime Ministers of Pakistan, first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister and List of Pakistan ...
, shot and killed
Liaquat Ali Khan Liaquat Ali Khan ( ur, ; 1 October 1895 – 16 October 1951), also referred to in Pakistan as ''Quaid-e-Millat'' () or ''Shaheed-e-Millat'' ( ur, lit=Martyr of the Nation, label=none, ), was a Pakistani statesman, lawyer, political theoris ...
, the prime minister of Pakistan. Shortly after, Mazrak was interned in the Police Reserve Inspector's vacant bungalow, and would remain interned there for "quite some time". He alleged that prior to his brother's assassination of
Liaqat Ali Khan Liaquat Ali Khan ( ur, ; 1 October 1895 – 16 October 1951), also referred to in Pakistan as ''Quaid-e-Millat'' () or ''Shaheed-e-Millat'' ( ur, lit=Martyr of the Nation, label=none, ), was a Pakistani statesman, lawyer, political theoris ...
, he had been offered £1400 by "certain Afghan officials" to kill Liaqat, but that he had turned down the offer. In 1972, Mazrak, who was still in Abbottabad, was interviewed by Zubair Qureshi on his brother's assassination of Liaqat Ali Khan. Mazrak insisted that his brother did not kill the Prime Minister and stated that he was still getting a stipend ($255 monthly) from the Pakistani government which was his only source of income and which was enough for his living and occasional trips to holiday resorts. His preferred summer escape was Shogran in the Kaghan Valley.


Family

{{Babrak Khan family tree


References

20th-century Afghan military personnel Afghan rebels Pashtun people Afghan chiefs