The great Qalla of this historic village, once the seat of political power, is struggling to survive.
PESHAWAR:
Sheikhan, a historic village on the outskirts of Peshawar, is 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 variety of Bara rice, which is believed to owe its exquisite flavor to the mineral-rich waters of the river, the town’s glorious past today 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 land in the Khyber tribal district, ending an era of agricultural prosperity.
The town is named after Sheikh Abu Saeed Baba, a saint who emigrated from Ghazni in Afghanistan. The local Mohmand tribe gifted him vast fertile lands with abundant water. His jagir reportedly covered more than 45,000 kanals.
During the British Raj, Sheikh Akbar Khan, head of the Sheikhan clan, was appointed ‘Hakim’ of the area. In 1870, he built a magnificent haveli on the outskirts of the town. His son, Nawab Mehboob Ali Khan, later expanded the structure. Mehboob Ali Khan rose to prominence as a political agent for the Malakand Agency, overseeing Swat, Dir and Chitral, and also served in Afghanistan.
Today, Nawab Mehboob Ali Khan’s three-acre haveli continues to dominate the landscape, a proud but worn reminder of a time when the village was a center of political influence for the family.
Speaking to The Express PAkGazette, Sheikh Akbar Ali Khan, grandson of Nawab Mehboob Ali Khan, said his clan has inhabited the village for almost 400 years.
“This haveli, locally called Qalla in Pashto, was built in phases starting in 1870,” he explained. “At first two rooms were built to accommodate the constant flow of guests. In 1912 they were expanded and finally in 1945.”
Akbar Ali Khan recalled that the imposing structure was the only landmark visible for miles across the vast hinterland. It had a public kitchen (langar), as well as a separate one reserved for special guests with cooks 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 items collected from all over India.
His brother, Sher Ali Khan, joined the police and served as an officer at Yakatoot Police Station in Peshawar, but passed away at a young age.
Maintaining the historic structure has become an arduous task. “In Lahore and other parts of the country, families have converted their palaces and havelis into hotels, but this is not feasible in Sheikhan because it borders Bara in the Khyber tribal district, where terrorism remains a concern,” Akbar Ali Khan said.
He added that millions of rupees are needed to preserve the building and keep it intact for future generations.
The Sheikhan haveli, although still standing, now symbolizes both the enduring legacy of a powerful clan and the challenges of preserving history in a changing and uncertain region.
