Babrak Khan

Babrak Khan (Pahsto: ببرک خان ځدراڼ; died c. 1925) was a Zadran chieftain who was the father of Saad Akbar Babrak (assassin of the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaqat Ali Khan) and of Mazrak Zadran (a rebel leader during the Afghan tribal revolts of 1944–1947).

Babrak Khan
ببرک خان ځدراڼ
Tribal chief of the Zadran tribe
In office
unknown – c. 1925
Preceded byunknown
Succeeded byMazrak Zadran
Personal details
BornAlmara[1]
Diedc. 1925
ChildrenMazrak Zadran
Sher Muhd Khan
Saad Akbar Babrak
Izmair
5 or 14 others
FatherMazar Khan
SiblingsKhan Muhammad
TribeZadran
Military service
AllegianceEmirate of Afghanistan
Abd-al Karim's rebel forces (uncertain)
Battles/warsKhost rebellion (1912)
Third Anglo-Afghan War
Khost rebellion (1924–1925)

Biography

Early life

Babrak Khan born in Almara.[1] He was the son of Mazar Khan (Pashto: مزرک  خان).[1] Babrak spent most of his early life in poverty.[1]

Chieftain
Babrak Khan with 2 of his children

In 1898, Babrak had under him five companies of Zadran Khasadars, whom he maintained on a contract system with emir Abdur Rahman Khan, but these were subsequently disbanded and their place taken by regular troops. According to Ludwig Adamec, he took part in quelling the Khost rebellion of 1912,[2] even though the Zadran tribe (which he was supposedly chief of) was fighting against the Afghan government, according to the Britannica Year book 1913.[3] Zadrans burnt his tower in 1913. In 1917, he headed a deputation of leading Zadran Maliks which visited the Nazim of Khost with a view to making peace with the British. He also tried to restrain Zadrans from troubling the Tochi border.[2] In March 1919, Babrak left for Kabul with Sayyid Musa Shah Mandozai to offer allegiance to Amanullah Khan. In May, he despatched messengers to Miranshah and Sherani to summon Maliks.[2] During the Third Anglo-Afghan War, he accompanied the Afghan Army as far as Matun and was said to have participated in Nadir Khan's attack on Thal. For his efforts in the war, he was promoted to honorary Brigadier and Naib Salar.[2]

Death and succession

Sources disagree on the circumstances surrounding Babrak's death. In March 1924, a rebellion broke out in Khost, and the Zadran tribe was among the tribes opposing the Afghan government, according to A Guide to Intra-state Wars.[4] Ludwig Adamec and David B. Edwards agree that Babrak died fighting in the Khost rebellion, but disagree about which year - Edwards places it in 1924,[5] and Adamec places it in 1925.[2] Adamec and Edwards both state that Babrak fought for the Afghan government,[2][5] against what would be his own tribe according to A Guide to Intra-state Wars.[4] However, George Fetherling states that Babrak did lead the Zadran revolt, and died fighting against the Afghan government, upon which he was succeeded by his son, Mazrak Zadran.[6] Rhea Talley Stewart appears to contradict claims that Babrak led the Zadran tribe during the Khost rebellion, stating that the Zadran were led by Burland Khan at this time.[7]

Family
Mazar Khan[8]
fl. late 19th century
Babrak Khan
d. 1924 or 1925		Khan Muhammad[9]
Mazrak Zadran
fl. 1900s – 1972		Saad Akbar Babrak[6]
b. 1921 or 1922
d. 16 Oct 1951		Sher Muhd Khan[10]
fl. 1925 – 1947		Izmair[11]
fl. 1925 – 1945		5 or 14 others[note 1]
Dilawar Khan[15]
b. 1939 or 1940		Muhammad Umar Babrakzai[note 2]
fl. 1980
  1. Sources disagree how many sons Babrak had - Jamna Das Akhtar states that Babrak had 18 sons,[12] while a Pakistani government inquiry titled The Assassination of Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan states that Babrak had 9 sons.[13] David B. Edwards states that Babrak had 2 sons,[14] but this appears to be false, as at least 4 of his son's names are known.
  2. Muhammad Umar Babrakzai was Babrak Khan's grandchild[16] although it's unclear through what father.

References
  1. "ببرک خان ځدراڼ/صفيه حليم". www.dawatmedia24.com/ (in Pashto). Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  2. Adamec, Ludwig W. (1975). Historical and Political Who's who of Afghanistan (PDF). Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt. p. 130. ISBN 978-3-201-00921-8.
  3. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature & General Information; the Three New Supplementary Volumes Constituting with the Volumes of the Latest Standard Edition, the Thirteenth Edition. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Company, Limited. 1926. p. 46.
  4. Dixon, Jeffrey S.; Sarkees, Meredith Reid (2015-08-12). A Guide to Intra-state Wars: An Examination of Civil, Regional, and Intercommunal Wars, 1816–2014. CQ Press. pp. 475, 476. ISBN 9781506317984.
  5. Edwards, David B. (2002-04-02). Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad. University of California Press. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-520-92687-5.
  6. Fetherling, George (2011-11-16). "AKBAR, Said". The Book of Assassins. Random House of Canada. ISBN 978-0-307-36909-3.
  7. Stewart, Rhea Talley (1973). Fire in Afghanistan, 1914-1929: faith, hope, and the British Empire. Doubleday. p. 266. ISBN 9780385087421.
  8. "ببرک خان ځدراڼ/صفيه حليم". dawatmedia24. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  9. Adamec, Ludwig W. (1975). Historical and Political Who's who of Afghanistan (PDF). Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt. p. 130. ISBN 978-3-201-00921-8.
  10. Yapp, Malcolm (2001). British documents on foreign affairs: reports and papers from the foreign office confidential print. From 1946 through 1950. Near and Middle-East 1947. Afghanistan, Persia and Turkey, january 1947-december 1947. University Publications of America. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-55655-765-1.
  11. https://web.archive.org/web/20041217215440/http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/pakistan/pakintrigue.htm
  12. Akhtar, Jamna Das (1969). Political conspiracies in Pakistan: Liaquat Ali's murder to Ayub Khan's exit. Punjabi Pustak Bhandar. p. 224.
  13. The Assassination of Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan: Report of the Commission of Enquiry. Manager of Publications. 1952. p. 11.
  14. Edwards, David B. (2002-04-02). Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad. University of California Press. p. 329. ISBN 978-0-520-22861-0.
  15. Zaidi, Syed (2010). "The Assassination of the Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan: The Fateful Journey" (PDF). nihcr.edu.pk. p. 81. Dilawar Khan was eleven years old boy. He was the son of Said Akbar, the alleged assassin
  16. Brown, Vahid; Rassler, Don (2013). Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973-2012. Oxford University Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-19-932798-0.
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