The historic village’s magnificent Qalla, once the seat of political power, is fighting for survival
PESHAWAR:
Sheikhan, a historic village on the outskirts of Peshawar, stands as a living testimony to a glorious past that has largely disappeared. Once known for its abundant irrigation water from the Bara River and the prized Bara Rice variety, believed to owe its exquisite taste to the river’s mineral-rich waters, today the village’s glorious past survives mostly in stories.
The Bara river, which made Sheikhan the first village in the district to benefit from its flow, was diverted in the 1980s to irrigate lands in the Khyber tribal district, ending an era of agricultural prosperity.
The village takes its name from Sheikh Abu Saeed Baba, a saint who migrated from Ghazni in Afghanistan. The local Mohmand tribe gave him large fertile areas with abundant water. His jagir reportedly extended over 45,000 kanals.
During the British Raj, Sheikh Akbar Khan, head of the Sheikhan clan, was appointed as the ‘Hakim’ of the area. In 1870 he built a magnificent haveli outside the village. His son, Nawab Mehboob Ali Khan, later expanded the structure. Mehboob Ali Khan rose to prominence as the Political Agent of the Malakand Agency, overseeing Swat, Dir and Chitral, and also served in Afghanistan.
Today, the three-hectare haveli of Nawab Mehboob Ali Khan continues to dominate the landscape, a proud but weathered reminder of a time when the village was a center of political influence for the family.
Speaking to The Express Pakinomist, Sheik Akbar Ali Khan, grandson of Nawab Mehboob Ali Khan, said his clan has inhabited the village for nearly 400 years.
“This haveli, locally called Qalla in Pashto, was built in phases from 1870,” he explained. “Initially two rooms were built to cope with the constant flow of guests. It was extended in 1912 and finally in 1945.”
Akbar Ali Khan recalled that the imposing structure was the only landmark visible for miles across the vast hinterland. It contained a public kitchen (langar) as well as a separate kitchen reserved for special guests with chefs specializing in English, Arabic and local cuisine. Nawab Mehboob Ali Khan, an alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University, adorned the haveli with rare paintings and decorative objects collected from all over India.
His brother, Sher Ali Khan, joined the police and served as Station House Officer (SHO) at Yakatoot police station in Peshawar, but died at a young age.
Maintaining the historic structure has become an uphill task. “In Lahore and other parts of the country, families have converted their palaces and havelis into hotels, but this is not possible in Sheikhan because it borders Bara in the Khyber tribal district, where terrorism remains a problem,” Akbar Ali Khan said.
He added that millions of rupees are required to preserve the building and keep it intact for future generations.
The Sheikhan’s haveli, though still standing tall, now symbolizes both the enduring legacy of a powerful clan and the challenges of preserving history in a changing and uncertain region.
