Shilmani

The Shalmani, Shalmani or Sulemani (Pashto: سليمانى,شلمانى‎) are Pashtun Sub section of Mohmand tribe who are primarily concentrated in the Shalman Valley in Khyber Agency near Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The tribe is also present in different areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. In Pakistan, the tribe lives in Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Bajour, Buner, Shangla, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Malakand District, Dargai, Sakha Koat, Charsadda (Hashtnagar). Similar to Shalman of Khyber, a city by name Shalman is also present in Gilan Province of Iran and the shalmani associated with Iranian Shalman also speak Pashto and Persian as well.

History

Khan Roshan Khan a Pakhtun historian says that Shalmani were originally brought to Swat District by one of the famous conquerors and kings, Muhammad of Ghor, from Shalman Valley of khyber Agency in present Pakistan and Karman of today's Afghanistan.

M.Saida Khan Shinwari said that Shilmani are Ghoryakhel tribe divided as Shamsher Khel, Halimzai and Kam Shilmanis and considers them to be Mohmand. He states that Shamsher Khels are related to Morcha Khel Mohmands, Halimzai to Halimzai Mohmands and Kam Shilmanis to Tarakzai Mohmands. Officially the Shilmanis are treated as a separate tribe since the Khyber Agreement of 1881. The Shilmanis are closer to Mohmands in characteristics and based on historical evidence they appear to be close kinsmen of the Mohmand.

Hashtnagar

In his book, Suleman Shahid suggests that Shilmani were the strongest tribe among other Pashtun tribes like Dilazak. Primarily they were under Swat District state and Swati King by name Sultan Pakal, but later on Mir Hinda, who was a combatant leader, occupied Hashtnagar and announced it as "Hashtnagar State of Shalmanies".

After centuries when Yusufzai exiled by Mughal Empire from Afghanistan, So Yusufzai tribe attacked on Shilmani tribe and took Charsada Hashtnagar from them with support of Dilazak and other allied tribes of Yusufzai and later gave to Muhammadzai (Charsadda) son of Zamand because the Muhammadzai were Yusufzai ally in the battle of bajawar against the Ghoryakhel tribe. Shalmani's were very strong and it was unable to defeat them, in the Hashnaghar battle and it was ended after two years.

There are some well known scientists in Iran & Pakistan in different fields like chemistry, biology & nuclear sciences. In Iran's Atomc Energy Commission are known scientists A. M. Shilmani, A Kuchaki Shilmani, & Manzour Shilmani. Similarly, important Shilmani's in Pakistan include former MPA Nek Amal Khan, Jahangir Khan, Rahat Khan and Senator Abdul Malik Shilmani. Many Shilman's serve in the Militia force (FC) and the Pakistan Army.

When Pakistan had not yet come into being, Bacha Khan Shalmani of Sakha Kot Malakand Agency, was the prominent figure of the Shalmani tribe and was a famous politician. Up to this day Shalmani's are going side by side with other Pashtun tribes and are serving the Pakhtoon nation and the humanity in different fields like politics, education, economy, religion, defence and agriculture etc.