Shilmani/shalmani

Shalmani or Shilmani is one of the combatant (fighting) and strongest tribes of Pakhtuns, currently living in a large number in "Shalman Valley" Khyber Agency near Peshawar. Smaller clans of Shalmani tribe are Alimzai, Tarakzai and Kam Shalman etc. Their deep kinship and relationship is with Mohmand tribe. Mohmand is one of the strongest tribes of Pakhtuns. Shalman or Shilman valley is divided into two parts, one is called Kam Shalman (small Shalman) and the other is called Loe Shalman (big Shalman). Only Loe Shalman has a population of more than 30,000 and it is some 25 kilometers north of Landi Kotal. In Khyber Agency there are four tribes, Afridi, Shalmani, Shinwari and Malagwi. According to Khan Roshan Khan, in his famous book "Tazkira-e-Pathan" Urdu edition, Pakhtuns are Bani Israel and there are number of similarities in the pakhtoons tribes and Israel. He then gives some names for proof that, these tribes belongs to Israel and the ancient Syria. Because Israel belongs to ancient Syria and some of these tribes' names are still found there in Syria. Some names belong to certain places and areas while some are similar to famous and holy persons in the time before time. The names given in his book are Gadun tribe: Gadun or Jadoon is a Hebrew word which is the name of the founder of this tribe, Safi tribe's name is because of a town name in the ancient Syria "Assafiah". Other tribes belonging to Syria are Barki, Batani, Lodhi, Shalmani, Baiswad or Baisood, Farmeli, Matani, Tarin, Marozai, Saghri, Kerlani etc. About the Shalmani tribe he states that according to the history of Syria Urdu Edition: "Shalman, Aenaab and Baiswad or Baisood were three areas in Syria, and Banu Bakhter (a tribe) were the land lords of those three areas." Khan Roshan Khan then states about the Shalmani tribe that, "when Israel were exiled to Iran and Khorasan (ancient Afghanistan), by Assyrian king Shalmaneser I and Babylonians, they were called by their tribes and places names where they were living before exile. Therefore, Banu Bakhter were called as Shalmani and Baiswad in Iran and Khorasan (the present Afghanistan named in 19th century A.D), because they were the residents of Shalman and Baiswad or Baisood of Syria". Please note that the period of exile of Israel from Syria was 771 B.C to 597 BC. In the present Kurdistan of Iran, there is an area “Shalman”, which means that, it is that ancient name of Shalmanis’ residency (Shalman) in Syria, and that they were brought this name with them when they exiled by Assyrians and Babylonians. In addition to this, another proof of the exile of Shalmanis from Syria’s Shalman is that, there are four largest rivers in Iran and one of them is the river "Shalman Rud". In Persian and Pashto (Pakhto) language "Rud" means the river, therefore it is known as river Shalman. So, It is also the evidence of the exile of Banu Bakhter (Shalmani) from Syria that this river is named after them. It is a characteristic of the Shalmani tribe that whenever they lived in a certain place, they gave it its tribe name. The most common examples are Shalman of Kurdistan (Kordestan) Iran, Shalman of Khyber Agency Peshawar, Shalmani Kalay of district Swabi, Shalmani Kalay of Charsadda Umarzai, Shalmani Derai of Shangla district, Shalmani Kass of Dir district, Shalmani Kohay of Bunir District and number of other places in N.W.F.P Pakistan. In the present day Iran, number of people write “Shalmani” as their sure name (Tribe’s name) with their personal names. Some of the examples of those people are Ali Taheri Shalmani, Prof.Dr.Manzuri Shalmani M.T Sharif University of Technology of Iran, Omid Shalmani, and A.M.Shalmani etc. The present day Shalmani not only live in Shalman Valley Khyber Agency, but they are also present in several different places in Pakhtoonistan (N.W.F.P) and Afghanistan too. In Pakhtoonistan they live in Swat, Dir Bajour, Bunir, Swabi, Shangla, Haripur, Malakand Agency, Dargai, Sakha koat, Charsadda and all over the Afghanistan. The land of Hasht Nagar (the present Charsadda district and some area of Mardan district), was totally of Shalmani tribe. They were the first Pakhtuns who invaded the ancient Hindus and excluded them from not only Hasht Nagar but also from Swat State. They were sent here by one of the famous Pakhtoon conqueror and king HE.Shahabuddin Mohammed Ghouri (1173 AD). In Swat HE.Shahabuddin Mohammed Ghouri brought them from Shalman and Karman Afghanistan. Please it is to be noted that the present Shalman Valley is now the part of Pakistan.

Well known Personalities of Shalmani Tribe

In the time before time, when Pakistan was not came into being, Bacha Khan Shalmani of Sakha Koat Malakand Agency, was the prominent figure of the Shalmani tribe and was a famous politician. When Mr.Nehro (national hero of Hindus, old India) for the first time came to N.W.F.P, he had been invited by Bacha Khan Shalmani to Sakha Koat for discussing some political issues faced to Indian government and the Muslims of N.W.F.P. It was the period, when the Muslims of old India before 1947 were demanding a separate homeland for themselves. The current Khan-e-Khanan Mr.Naik Amal Khan Shalmani, Mr.Jehangeer Khan Shalmani and Mr.Rahat Khan Shalmani are the leaders of Shalmani tribe specifically of Malakand agency Shalmanis and other pakhtoons in the region. They are politicians and belong to different political parties e.g ANP, PPP and PML. These three politicians have been members of national and provincial assembly of the Pakistani government. The Shalmanis of Khyber agency have their own seats of national and provincial assemblies. In Malakand agency, Mr.Mohammed Saeed Ghamgeen Shalmani is one of the famous pakhtuns Poets and he belongs to Aladand Derai Batkhela Malakand agency. In Khyber agency Shalman valley, Allama Noorul Haq Qadri Shalmani is the MNA of Khyber agency and Allama Abdul malik Qadri Shalmani is the senator from FATA. Mr.Habibullah khan shalmani of Loe Shalman (senior vice president Awami National Party Pakistan (ANP)) and Mr.Gran Bacha shalmani (vice president I Awami National Party Pakistan (ANP)) are local politicians of the shalmani tribe in their region.The most famous and holy person among the Khyber Shalmanis is Hazrat Sheikh Gul Sahib shalmani (Darbar-e-Aalia Qadria, Hazrat Haji Gul Sahib Mubarik, Pero Khel) son of Hazrat Haji Gul Shalmani(RA) and he is a religious scholar and is the MPA of khyber agency.In Swat district Software Engineer and Pakhto poet Mr.Farid Shahzada Khan Shalmani of Sijban Swat (Vice chairman KWSS Swat and Director Almarwan Public School Sijban Swat) is developing the Pakhtoon's history of Israeli concept.Up to this day shalmani tribe is going side by side with it,s Pashtun tribes and is serving the Pakhtoon nation and the humanity in different fields like politics, education, economy, religion, defence and agriculture etc.