Malakand Pedia
Sangao
Sangao is a village in the Bai Zai Tehsil of Peshawar District, inhabited by the Utman Khel tribe. It is located 11 miles northeast of Katlang, at the end of a small valley surrounded by hills and intersected by streams. The village is very difficult to access.
According to McGregor’s 1873 report, the village had two branches: Maskeen Khel and Mir Wes Khel. Among them, Maskeen Khel was more powerful and the village was once known as a refuge for all the Yagistani people in the area. The village lies between hills that dominate it, and its houses are made of round stones and mud. About a mile northeast of the village, there is a water pond fed by a perennial spring, near which three old wells can be reopened.
In 1856, thousands of people from Buner gathered to attack the village because its inhabitants were disrupting their trade through looting. However, the intervention of British authorities prevented the attack, and the villagers agreed to compensate for the stolen goods and to relocate the village to a designated field.
The Mir Wes Khel settled near Mian Khan and shared his land, while Maskeen Khel agreed to move to the area of Peepal under the same terms. Mir Wes Khel fulfilled their promise, while Miskeen Khel hesitated. On 27 January 1857, Edward reported that Miskeen Khel had also migrated, although it was later found that this had not actually happened. Nevertheless, the officer eventually allowed them to remain in the village.
Keeping the village under control required a large military presence because it is located at the foot of a high hill separating it from Buner, and the villagers were extremely familiar with the surrounding rocks, giving them an effective escape route in case of sudden attacks.
The village was destroyed by Colonel Bradshaw in 1850, and later again by General Dunsford in 1866, when it was finally relocated to the designated field chosen by the authorities. From this site, a road connects to Buner, which is usable for bullock carts and donkeys.
Amjad Ali Utmankhel Archives
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