Dr. Abdul Samad, the young and brilliant Director of Archaeology, is a source of pride for the Pukhtuns, having accomplished some of the most remarkable feats in excavation and conservation.
His latest achievement is the discovery and preservation of the Samadhi of the famous Sikh General Akali Phoola Singh in Nowshera, located on the banks of the Kabul River in Pakistan. This commendable effort aims to promote Sikh tourism in Pakistan, a country rich in Sikh heritage that is still evident in its landscapes. Lahore, once the political capital of the Sikh Empire, remains a historic hub of this legacy.
As a proud Barakzai by tribe, and having named my son Azeem Khan after our ancestor Sardar Azeem Khan Barakzai, I feel compelled to clarify and correct deliberate historical distortions. As a child, I recall the vibrating boat bridge on the Kabul River that we crossed in our English car, a Triumph Herald, to reach the endless graves of Pukhtun Mujahideen. These brave warriors fought valiantly against the advancing Sikh forces, who, under the ruthless command of French General Ventura, used concealed cannons to devastating effect from the hillocks overlooking this graveyard.
It was in this very battle that Sardar Azeem Khan Barakzai killed the formidable General Akali Phoola Singh. However, he was forced to retreat to protect his rear, as a column led by General Ventura threatened the zanana (women’s quarters). This moment of retreat was not due to weakness but a tactical decision to safeguard Pukhtun honour. Tragically, this theme of violating honour resurfaced when the British, under Warburton, kidnapped the niece of Sardar Azeem Khan in Kabul. In retaliation, his nephew, Sardar Wazir Akbar Khan, exacted Pukhtun revenge by annihilating a 20,000-strong British army, sparing only Dr. William Brydon to tell the tale of imperial defeat. Sardar Akbar Khan Barakzai is also celebrated for killing the renowned Sikh General Hari Singh Nalwa at the Battle of Jamrud.
The Samadhi of Akali Phoola Singh at Pir Sabak, situated along the Kabul River, stands as a historic reminder of the Battle of Nowshera fought in 1823. Here, Akali Phoola Singh was cremated after falling in combat while leading his Nihang Sikh forces against Pashtun and Afghan warriors led by Sardar Azeem Khan Barakzai.
Dr. Abdul Samad, as Director of Archaeology and Museums for the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has recently taken steps to assess the damages at this neglected Sikh historic site and to initiate its restoration. His conservation efforts aim to preserve the Samadhi, enhance its accessibility, and promote Sikh tourism.
However, in focusing on Sikh heritage, he must not overlook the large graveyard along the main road that holds the remains of countless unnamed Pukhtun warriors from various tribes. These men rallied under Sardar Azeem Khan to fight bravely in hand-to-hand combat against a Sikh army that was Europeanized and commanded by sly French generals, whose aim was to destroy the resistance of all warrior races of the region . To achieve this objective European Generals incited infighting among Asiatic warrior races through the policy of divide and rule that till date haunts the region as both India and Pakistan will happily serve under their western masters, but never reconcile to the fact of having peacefully coexisted in this very region for centuries. .
Unfortunately, the Sikh leadership failed to learn from these historical lessons, having not only lost their kingdom to the British but also their valiant generals in battles against their own Asiatic brethren. To this day, both Sikhs and other subcontinental communities struggle to free themselves from the political and economic exploitations imposed by Western imperialism.
