Oghi
Encyclopedia
Oghi is a town and union council
(an administrative subdivision) of Mansehra District
in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa of Pakistan
. It is located in Oghi Tehsil
and lies to the north-west of the district capital Mansehra
.
it was the headquarters of the Agror
valley (then part of Hazara District) and served as the headquarters of the Hazara border military police.
This Valley is as green you would expect and surrounded by mountains. There is old fort or "Qila" which was built in 1865 and is currently the head quarter of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) Oghi District.
In British colonial times, Oghi town, in the Agror valley, was the seat of the local chief, the Khan of Agror, of the Swati tribe, descended from one Akhund Saadudin, a mullah
who came from the Swat
area and settled here. Following the disturbances by The Black Mountain (Tor Ghar) Tribes
and campaign of 1888 this chiefdom was formally abolished by the government of British India; and subsequently, the chiefs were given a limited 'Jagir' grant in exile. In the post-independence era, this family has been represented in Pakistani politics by the late Khan Fakhar uz Zaman Khan, and then his wife present Senator Mrs. Fauzia Fakhar uz Zaman,and their son, Mr. Wajih uz Zaman Khan, Advocate, who is an MP in the Provincial Assembly of Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa. The town and its environs have been considerably developed by the efforts of these representatives.
Interestingly, Oghi also has the most expensive real estate properties in Pakistan, with the prices of as high as 520 Million Rupees per Kanal (i.e. 1/8th of an acre). One basic reason for this is, that the landlords of the area almost never sell their property and keep it for generations. In addition, many people from this area have migrated to big cities in Pakistan such as Lahore
and Karachi
as well as several countries abroad, and are running very successful businesses there, investing heavily in land back home.
tribe which is however allied to Pashtuns), Awan
, Gujar
, and a number of lesser populations of Pashtun
clans proper, Tanolis and other indigenous people.
Seri,
Shamdharra,
Malookra,
Bailiyaan,
Maloga,
Bazargaye,
Manchora,
Rasheedah, Arbora and
Dehran followed by the South Eastern towns like Shergarh, Gali Badrial and Qazi Abad which were once part of the old Tanawal area, comprising the former princely states of Amb
and Phulra.
Union Councils of Pakistan
A sherwan or village council in Pakistan is an elected local government body consisting of 21 councillors, and headed by a nazim and a naib nazim...
(an administrative subdivision) of Mansehra District
Mansehra District
Mansehra District is in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, an area still unofficially known as the Northwest Frontier. Mansehra district and town are named after Man Singh, a leading general of Mughal Emperor Akbar...
in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It is located in Oghi Tehsil
Tehsil
A Tehsil or Tahsil/Tahasil , also known as Taluk and Mandal, is an administrative division of some country/countries of South Asia....
and lies to the north-west of the district capital Mansehra
Mansehra
Mansehra city is located at in Mansehra District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is very near to Abbottabad city. It is a major stop for tourists on the Karakoram Highway which leads to China...
.
History
During British RuleBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
it was the headquarters of the Agror
Agror
The Agror valley is located in Mansehra District, Hazara in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It consists of three mountain glens, in length and in breadth, located between and .- Environment :...
valley (then part of Hazara District) and served as the headquarters of the Hazara border military police.
This Valley is as green you would expect and surrounded by mountains. There is old fort or "Qila" which was built in 1865 and is currently the head quarter of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) Oghi District.
In British colonial times, Oghi town, in the Agror valley, was the seat of the local chief, the Khan of Agror, of the Swati tribe, descended from one Akhund Saadudin, a mullah
Mullah
Mullah is generally used to refer to a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. The title, given to some Islamic clergy, is derived from the Arabic word مَوْلَى mawlā , meaning "vicar", "master" and "guardian"...
who came from the Swat
Swat
SWAT is the special-weapons-and-tactics unit of a law-enforcement agency. Swat or SWAT may also refer to:In media:* SWAT , a video games series spin-off of Police Quest...
area and settled here. Following the disturbances by The Black Mountain (Tor Ghar) Tribes
The Black Mountain (Tor Ghar) Tribes
The original name of the Black Mountain is Tor Ghar, which is a Pushto word which means Tor Ghar . Tor Ghar is situated in Hazara division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Tor Ghar is lying to the east of the Indus river from Thakot to Darband...
and campaign of 1888 this chiefdom was formally abolished by the government of British India; and subsequently, the chiefs were given a limited 'Jagir' grant in exile. In the post-independence era, this family has been represented in Pakistani politics by the late Khan Fakhar uz Zaman Khan, and then his wife present Senator Mrs. Fauzia Fakhar uz Zaman,and their son, Mr. Wajih uz Zaman Khan, Advocate, who is an MP in the Provincial Assembly of Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa. The town and its environs have been considerably developed by the efforts of these representatives.
Interestingly, Oghi also has the most expensive real estate properties in Pakistan, with the prices of as high as 520 Million Rupees per Kanal (i.e. 1/8th of an acre). One basic reason for this is, that the landlords of the area almost never sell their property and keep it for generations. In addition, many people from this area have migrated to big cities in Pakistan such as Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
as well as several countries abroad, and are running very successful businesses there, investing heavily in land back home.
People and Language
About 58% of the population of the Oghi area is engaged in bucolic occupations, such as agriculture/cultivation, animal husbandry and livestock management and forestry; whereas most of the rest are either working as expatriates in other locations in Pakistan, or abroad; and some are also engaged in local small and medium-scale businesses. The main languages of the region are pashto (73%) followed by hindko ( 21%) and Gojri (2%). The main races and ethnic groups are the Swati (a non-PashtunPashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
tribe which is however allied to Pashtuns), Awan
Awan (Pakistan)
Awan , is a South Asian Zamindar tribe, putatively of Arab origin, living predominantly in northern, central, and western parts of Punjab, Pakistan...
, Gujar
Gujar
Gujar may refer to:*Gujjar, an ethnic group of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan*Gujar, Nepal, a town in Nepal.* Gurjari, Lady of Gurjar community....
, and a number of lesser populations of Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
clans proper, Tanolis and other indigenous people.
Settlements
In addition to the main Oghi town, the major settlements/villages in Oghi tehsil are:Seri,
Shamdharra,
Malookra,
Bailiyaan,
Maloga,
Bazargaye,
Manchora,
Rasheedah, Arbora and
Dehran followed by the South Eastern towns like Shergarh, Gali Badrial and Qazi Abad which were once part of the old Tanawal area, comprising the former princely states of Amb
AMB
Amb may refer to:* Amb , a town in the Azad Kashmir, Pakistan* Amb, India, a town Himachal Pradesh, India* Amb , a region in the former Indian Empire* Amb special form, a nondeterministic programming construct using continuations...
and Phulra.