Teri – A Historic Town of Akorkhel Khattak

Teri is known as an ancient village and historical place in district Karak (KPK), well situated about 1873 feet above sea level on the top of a rising ground (in local language called Ghaunda) from where one can easily view the beauty of the surrounding area. Although there is nothing so special in the shape of any ancient monument except the front elevation of the shops with the beauty of carved wooden works and Bastha System in the old Bazaar, and a small House (Ashram), with the shrine of a Hindu Saint Guru Paramhans Dayal jee Maharaj therein. But above all, Teri has its own unique natural beauty which cannot be expressed in words. It can be observed, realized, and seen on the site at any location of the village Teri. On its south, the water stream “Toi” is flowing gracefully, creating a very charming scene. Toi is the local name for a stream and is derived from the Sanskrit word “Toya” which means water. The length of the Teri Toi from its source in the upper hills near Gurguri village to the river Indus is about 90 Kilometers. After heavy rain, it becomes roaring torrents and sometimes it hits the adjacent lands with heavy flooding.

There are a few wells in the green strip between the Toi and the mountain Mirandai. In between the Teri village and Swanai hill to the north, there is an open cultivated area of Kuragh and Shagai. The Bannu-Kohat road is far from Teri about 6 kilometers towards the east. The upper portion of the valley on the west of the Teri is known as “Darra” which is well-populated and has plenty of natural resources. It is a matter of great regret that very little is known regarding the early history of Teri. The name Teri is as old as history itself. It is not sure, but probably the word “Teri” may have been derived from the Sanskrit words “Tera” (Means Shore / Bank) or “Tiraya” (Means Stop/hide). Possibly the ancient Teri village was situated on the bank of the Teri’s Toi like the nowadays village of
Teri or it may have been situated in a certain hide/concealed place in this locality. In this context, the word “Tiraya” a concealed place, is more comprehensive and nearer to the most common opinion. But it is not confirmed and is only an assumption. The most common opinion about the ancient “Teri” is that it was a small village situated at the foot of the Swanai hill‟s range at a place behind the hill opposite Ahmadi Banda known as “Gardey Terrey”. In this connection, Sayal Momand in his book “Da Pakhtano Qabilo Shajaray” states that prior to Islam there lived Unani and Hindus in this locality. During the reign of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznawi and Sultan Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Ghori, all the Unani and Hindus were ousted from this area and various tribes from Ghazni Afghanistan were motivated to settle here in the mountainous boundary of India in order to safeguard Ghazni and check the infidels of India as well as to use them in case of need. Tribes of Mamoki and Shabi Khel are believed to have migrated from Ghazni for the permanent settlement in Teri during that period. (History of Afghan – by Bernhard Dorn, Page 40). Moreover, historical narratives state that in the year A.D.1025, about 992 years before, when Sultan Mahmud Ghaznawi conquered Somnath, India, he returned back to Ghazni (Afghanistan) via Teri along with the huge treasure and idols, he plundered from Somnath. Similarly, in the 14th century about 600 years before the Khattak tribe migrated from the Shawal hills to Bannu from where they were pushed out by the Shitak tribe towards the North. So they settled in Teri, Bahadur Khel, and Chaunthra. These statements are sufficient to believe that nearly one thousand years before there was a small ancient village in this vicinity with the name Teri. Besides the above, Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan (Advocate) in his book “Tareekh-e-Khattak”, page # 172, states that Mamoki and Shabi Khel tribes were settled long in a place known as “Kandow” about one mile far from the present village of Teri towards the north. He further elaborates that at the time of the settlement report of A.D.1893-94, when Mamoki and Shabi Khel, Tribes were asked about their ancestors, they replied, “We are unaware about our pedigree. We simply know that we are Bolaq Khattak. At the time of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznawi, (A.D.997-1030) our ancestors came from Ghazni (Afghanistan) and settled here”. It means that Mamoki and Shabi Khel tribes were settled here prior to the coming of Asad Ullah Khan Son of Afzal Khan (compiler of Tareekh-e- Murasa) from Akora to this area. To know in detail the history of the nowadays village of “Teri”, we shall have to trace back the history of the Khattak tribe. As per early records, Khattak migrated from Ghazni, Ghor, and Logar of present-day Afghanistan and settled in the Shawal Hills region of present days Waziristan of Pakistan. They gradually migrated further toward the east and settled in Bannu District. In the 14th century, the Shitak tribe also migrated from Shawal Hills and settled in Bannu. Mangal and Honai tribes, already settled in this area, were defeated and driven out by the Shitak. They also captured the entire Bannu area by pushing the Khattak towards the North, where the Khattak settled in Bahadur Khel, Chaunthra, and Teri of Kohat District. Village Lachi of District Kohat was already occupied by the Bangash tribe. The Khattak, allied with the Bangash, drove out all other Pashtoon tribes, particularly the Orakzai from Kohat. Eventually, the Khattak settled in Bahadur Khel, Chaunthra, Teri, Lachi, Karbogha, Shakerdara, Seni Gumbat, and many other places in Kohat District.

(Contributed by: Khanzada Safir Khan, Teri, Akorkhel – Khattak)