Ancient Times

The history of Bannu is not just a local chronicle; it reflects a long and significant human history in the region. Archaeological evidence suggests that the area has been inhabited for over 3,000 years.

Akra: An Ancient Settlement

Historical Significance

Dating back to approximately 1000 BCE, Akra appears to have been a developed settlement, based on archaeological findings.

A Link to the Past

Excavations have revealed ancient pottery, coins, and artifacts that suggest cultural influences from nearby regions, including the Indus Valley and Gandhara civilizations. The area may have served as a local trade and transit point for caravans traveling between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent.

Etymology and Historical Names

Bannu's identity has evolved through various names recorded by world travelers and historians.

Bannah / Ban-na

The 7th-century Chinese monk and traveler Xuanzang visited regions of present-day northwestern Pakistan. While his accounts provide valuable insights into the area’s geography and culture, there is no clear evidence that he directly referred to Bannu as “Bannah.”

The Ancient Roots

Some historians trace the name to ancient Sanskrit texts, while others believe it evolved from the tribal lineages that settled in the Bannu. Regardless of the spelling — be it Bannah, Bunnoo, or Bannu — the name has always stood for a lush, green gateway protected by rugged mountains.

A Land of Legends

The region of Bannu has witnessed the influence of several historical empires, including the Ghaznavids and Mughals, as part of the broader movements across South Asia. Its fertile plains have supported agriculture for centuries, making it a continuously inhabited and regionally significant area.

British Colonial Era

The 19th century brought a radical transformation to the valley. Following the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849, the British Empire annexed the Punjab, including Bannu. The region was viewed as a critical "Frontier District," essential for the defense of British India against tribal incursions and the "Great Game" involving Russia.

The Foundation by Herbert Edwardes

The modern city was founded in 1848 by Lieutenant (later Sir) Herbert Edwardes. Before his arrival, the valley consisted of hundreds of scattered, fortified villages (Kots).

The Walled City

Edwardes consolidated the administration by building a new, centrally planned town. It was originally named Edwardesabad in his honor.

The Ten Gates

The city was famously enclosed by a thick wall with ten gates (such as Lakki Gate, Kasaban Gate, Mandan Gate, Miryan Gate, and Hinjal Gate), some of which still serve as major landmarks today.

Fort Dhulipgarh

To maintain military control, Edwardes built a massive fort named Dhulipgarh (in honor of the young Sikh Maharaja Duleep Singh), which later became the heart of the Bannu Cantonment.

Modernization and Institutions

The British era introduced infrastructure that shaped the city's intellectual and physical landscape.

Education & Healthcare

The arrival of Dr. Theodore Pennell in the late 19th century led to the establishment of the famous Pennell High School and a mission hospital, making Bannu a hub for learning and medicine in the frontier.

The Narrow-Gauge Railway

The British connected Bannu to the rest of India via a strategic narrow-gauge railway line from Kalabagh (Mari-Indus), primarily to transport troops and supplies to the frontier.

Strategic Frontier Role

Bannu served as the base of operations for the Waziristan Campaigns. The Cantonment was designed with wide boulevards and colonial-style bungalows, creating a sharp contrast with the dense, traditional architecture of the "Old City."

The Legend of the Banuchi Migration

The Journey from Shawal

Today, in the summer season, we Banuchis often head towards the mountainous areas, but perhaps very few people know that our ancestors themselves once lived in a cold mountainous region called Shawal. The Shawal area is located between the present-day Afghan province of Paktika and North Waziristan.

S.S. Thorburn writes in his book Bannu or Our Afghan Frontier that initially the Hani and Mangal tribes were settled in Bannu, while the descendants of Shah Farid, also known as Shitak, were living in the Shawal area. These very descendants of Shitak later became famous as the Banuchi or Banuzai.

According to historical accounts, the Banuchis decided to leave the mountainous region of Shawal and come to Bannu for two major reasons.

The first reason was that the Wazir tribes were continuously advancing towards Shawal, which was making conditions there increasingly unsafe.

The second reason was an invitation from an elder of Bannu, Pir Rohan or Roshan. Historical books mention that the Hani and Mangal tribes had insulted this elder. The Pir then warned them that this land would soon become too narrow (difficult) for them, and he also sent his son to Shawal, where he invited the Shitakzai tribe to attack and settle on the fertile land of Bannu, located between two rivers.

Meanwhile, the Shitakzai were already facing pressure from the Wazir tribes, so they accepted this invitation immediately. Along with their families, women, children, and all their belongings, they set out from Shawal and began their advance towards Bannu.

According to historical estimates, the Banuchis probably reached the banks of the Tochi River in Bannu towards the end of the thirteenth century. This migration proved to be one of the most important events in the history of Bannu.

But the question is: when the Banuchis reached Bannu, what did the Hani and Mangal tribes, who were residing there at the time, do? Did they welcome the Banuchis, or was a war fought over the acquisition of this land?

The Legend of the Three Pigeons

Bannu… where today disputes over a few marlas of land lead to years of jirgas, relationships break down, and resentments last for generations. But history also holds a surprising event, when the fate of the whole of Bannu was decided not by swords, not by bloodshed, but by just three pigeons.

This is the unique event in the history of Bannu, when a single test determined whose domain this land would be for hundreds of years to come. It was a decision that changed not just the land, but the history of the generations to come.

In the first part, we learned that our ancestors migrated from the Shawal region and reached Bannu. Now the question is: what happened after they reached Bannu?

When the Hani and Mangal tribes received news of the Shitakzai's arrival, they did not put up any major resistance. Some people had already left Bannu even before the Shitakzai arrived, while the rest allowed them to settle peacefully.

However, different accounts regarding the Hani and Mangal tribes are recorded in history. S.S. Thorburn wrote that Pir Roshan had frightened them psychologically. As soon as these people learned that the residents of Shawal had reached the banks of the Tochi River and were about to attack Bannu, their chiefs thought that perhaps they were facing these circumstances because they had insulted their elder, Pir Roshan. These people rushed to Pir Roshan and said that his earlier prophecy had come true, and now he should tell them what they should do next. Pir Roshan then placed three pigeons before them: one was completely unharmed, the second had its feathers plucked, and the third had its feathers and feet cut off.

Pir Roshan told them that if they left before the Shitakzai arrived, they would remain safe and sound like the first pigeon; if they stayed put, they would be injured like the second pigeon; and if they did not allow them to settle here, they would be killed like the third pigeon. Upon hearing this, the chiefs of the Hani and Mangal tribes became frightened and did not put up any major resistance.

Whereas, according to some historical accounts, the Hani and Mangal tribes did not leave Bannu of their own free will; rather, the Shitakzai defeated them and pushed them towards the mountainous areas of Kohat and Kurram.

In any case, whatever happened — whether through war or without war — the descendants of Shah Farid, known as Shitak, that is, our ancestors and yours, settled on this land. Later, they divided the land among themselves, and over time these same people came to be called Banuchi or Banuzai.

This migration was not merely a change of region; rather, it was the beginning of a chapter in the history of Bannu that shaped the identity, population, and culture of this region for centuries to come.

How did the Banuchis divide the land of Bannu among themselves? And why did the descendants of Shitak split into two major groups, Tor Gund and Speen Gund, who went on to fight among themselves for decades?

Lewan: A Forgotten Chalcolithic Site

An Overlooked Prehistoric Treasure

Buried beneath the flat, sun-baked plains of Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) lies one of Pakistan's most significant — and arguably the most overlooked — prehistoric sites. Lewan, a Chalcolithic settlement located near Bannu city, bears silent witness to a sophisticated society that thrived at least 4,000 to 6,000 years ago. Excavated through a landmark international collaboration, the site has yielded compelling evidence of organised stone-tool manufacturing, semi-precious bead production and ceramic craftsmanship — pointing to a community that was far more economically complex than its era might suggest.

Despite its extraordinary significance, Lewan remains virtually unknown to the general Pakistani public, lacks formal heritage protection, and receives no government investment in conservation or tourism infrastructure. As urban expansion, agriculture, and neglect continue to encroach on the site, there is an urgent need for both official recognition and community engagement to safeguard what remains of this irreplaceable cultural legacy.

Discovery and Excavation

Lewan first came to attention through the Cambridge-Peshawar Universities Joint Expedition of 1977-78, led by the eminent archaeologist F.R. Allchin. The archaeological record at Lewan paints a vivid picture of a specialised prehistoric economy. Researchers identified Lewan as a stone-tool manufacturing site within a larger settlement network, with findings indicating a mix of sedentary and seasonal settlement patterns and clear evidence of trade and resource specialisation.

What makes Lewan particularly valuable to archaeologists is that it contains occupation layers from two distinct prehistoric cultural phases. The site was occupied in both the Tochi-Gomal and Kot Diji phases, making it important for understanding the rise of complex societies in the region in the prehistory context.

A Site Without Protection

Despite its exceptional archaeological value, the Lewan site currently enjoys little formal protection and remains largely inaccessible to the public. There is currently no interpretive centre, no signage, no formal archaeological park, and no sustained public outreach programme associated with the Lewan site.

The knowledge generated by decades of international research has, for the most part, remained confined to academic journals that are inaccessible to local communities, schoolchildren and the general Pakistani public whose heritage Lewan represents. The relevant authorities should treat Lewan as a priority issue.