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Amb (princely state)
Former princely state of the British Indian Empire and Pakistan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Amb (Urdu, Hindko, Pashto: امب) was a princely state within the Hazara Tribal Agency of North-West Frontier Province, British India, ruled by the Tanoli Nation. Together with the neighbouring estate of Phulra, the tract was known as "Feudal Tanawal". Its total area was 203 sq mi (530 km2) while population was 48,656 in 1951.[1][2] The Nawab of Amb Muhammad Farid Khan acceded to Pakistan after the independence of Pakistan in 1947. Today Amb is a part of Mansehra District of Hazara Division.
Amb came under the British suzerainty after the Second Anglo-Sikh War, with Mir Jehandad Khan providing much assistance to the East India Company against the Sikhs. The Amb Nawabs also provided military services to the British Empire in the Second Anglo-Afghan War.[3] At the end of December 1947, the Nawab of Amb acceded to Pakistan while retaining internal self-government.[4] Amb continued as a princely state of Pakistan until 1969, when it was incorporated into the North West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
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 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2025) |
The Tanolis never submitted to British colonial rule in the 1840s. However, the British approached them on friendly terms, offering incentives in exchange for their military support while granting them full control and autonomy.[5][6][7]
Nawab Khan Tanoli
Mir Nawab Khan Tanoli was the ruler of The Tanawal valley and the Chief of the Hazara region from circa 1810 until he died in 1818. During his rule, he faced many attacks from the Sikh Empire and Durrani Empire, resulting in a significant loss of territory. He was 26 years old, when he was assassinated by Azim Khan on October 13, 1818 in the Stratagem of Peshawar.[citation needed]
The main reason for the war is that Mir Nawab Khan defied Durrani and the other main reason was that, when Azim Khan's mother was traveling to Kashmir via Tanwal, Nawab Khan's soldier collected the taxes from her. Azim Khan then traveled through Tanwal and then Nawab Khan's soldiers collected taxes through Azim Khan as well. After Azim Khan took the complaint to the Afghan court, the Afghan Ruler of that time immediately sent his army.[citation needed]
Nawab Khan Tanoli's sons, Painda Khan and Maddad Khan began the series of rebellion against the Sikhs and Durrani, which continued throughout his lifetime.[citation needed]
Painda Khan Tanoli
From about 1813, Painda Khan Tanoli is famed for his staunch rebellion against Maharaja Ranjit Singh's governors of Hazara. He was the son of Mir Nawab Khan Tanoli.[citation needed]
From about 1813, Painda Khan Tanoli engaged in a lifelong rebellion against the Sikhs, who, realizing the potential dangers of his rebellion, set up forts at strategic locations to keep him in check. Hari Singh Nalwa took this initiative during his governorship. To consolidate his hold on Tanawal and to unite the Tanoli people, Tanoli first had to contend with his major rivals within the tribe itself, that is, the chiefs of the Suba Khani/Pallal Khel section, whom he subdued after a bitter struggle.
Tanoli set the tone for regional resistance in Upper Hazara against Sikh rule. In 1828, he created and gifted the smaller neighbouring state of Phulra to his younger brother Maddad Khan Tanoli.
Painda Khan briefly took over the valley of Agror in 1834. Agror was restored to Ata Muhammad Khan, the chief of that area, a descendant of Akhund Ahmed Sad-ud-din.[8][citation needed]
Jehandad Khan Tanoli
He was the son of Mir Painda Khan Tanoli. In 1852, Jehandad Khan Tanoli was summoned by the President of the Board of Administration about a murder enquiry of two British officers, supposedly on his lands.[citation needed] In fact, this was related to the murder of two British salt tax collectors by some tribesmen in the neighbouring Kala Dhaka or Black Mountain area, which eventually led to the punitive First Black Mountain campaign/expedition of 1852.[citation needed] The Board of Administration President was Sir John Lawrence (later the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab), and he visited Haripur, in Hazara, where he invited many Hazara chiefs to see him on various matters, at a general Durbar.[citation needed][9] Jehandad Khan Tanoli succeeded in establishing his innocence and consolidated his position.[citation needed]
Jahandad Khan Tanoli's relationship with British India is summed in the following lines in a letter dated 8 January 1859 from R. Temple, Secretary to the Punjab Chief Commissioner, addressed to the Punjab Financial Commissioner: "'5.[citation needed] The term "Jagir" has never appeared to me applicable in any sense to this [Jehandad Khan's] hereditary domain [Upper Tannowul], for it was never granted as such by the Sikhs or by our Government; we upheld the Khan as we found him in his position as a feudal lord and large proprietor.'
Jehandad's son, Nawab Bahadur Sir Muhammed Akram Khan Tanoli, was given the title of Nawab (Sovereign Ruler) in perpetuity by the British.[citation needed]
Muhammad Akram Khan Tanoli
The next chief of the Tanoli, a son of Jahandad Khan Tanoli, was Akram Khan Tanoli KCSI 68–1907). He was a popular chief. During his tenure, the fort at Shergarh was built along with forts in Dogah and Shahkot. His rule was a peaceful time for Tanawal. He opposed construction of schools in the state, on advice given by British.[citation needed]
Muhammad Khan Zaman Khan Tanoli
Khan Zaman Khan Tanoli succeeded his father, taking over the reins of power in Tanawal in Amb. He helped the British in carrying out the later Black Mountain (Kala Dhaka/Tor Ghar) expeditions.[citation needed]
Muhammad Farid Khan Tanoli
Muhammad Farid Khan Tanoli had good relations with Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Liaqat Ali Khan. His contributions to the Pakistan movement have been acknowledged by letters from Jinnah.[4][10] In 1947, he acceded his state to Pakistan by signing the Instrument of Accession in favour of Pakistan. In 1969, the state was incorporated into the North West Frontier Province (now Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) and in 1972, the Government of Pakistan ceased to recognise the royal status of the Nawab.[citation needed]
Muhammad Saeed Khan Tanoli
Muhammad Saeed Khan Tanoli, son of Muhammad Farid Khan Tanoli, the last nawab of Amb, studied at the Burn Hall School in Abbottabad (now the Army Burn Hall College) and the Gordon College in Rawalpindi.[11] Nawab Saeed Khan Tanoli ruled for a period of three years.
Salahuddin Saeed Khan Tanoli
Salahuddin Saeed Khan Tanoli is the present chief of Tanolis and the titular Nawab of Amb.[citation needed] He is the son of Nawab Muhammad Saeed Khan Tanoli. He holds the record as the youngest parliamentarian ever elected to the Pakistan National Assembly, and then went on to be elected five times to the Pakistan National Assembly (from 1985 to 1997), a feat achieved by only seven other Pakistani parliamentarians, including the former Pakistani prime minister, Nawaz Sharif.[12]
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