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Durrani prince tomb and graveyard in shahpur Kohat. By Ak.bangash

Top 10 Historical Facts about Durrani Graveyard

 Durrani is Located in Shahpur Village Kohat, KP, Pakistan. The graveyard is underneath which Durrani rulers are buried.

Durranis have a history from the 19th and 20th centuries and are known for their rule in Kohat and other parts of KPK in the 1800s. 

The Durrani rulers of Kohat, Prince Sir Sultan Jan Sadozai, and his father King Jamhoor (who was given the Star of India posthumously) lie buried in Shahpur village about two kilometers away from Kohat city.

Here are some historical facts about Durrani Graveyard;

1. The Graveyard holds the discrete grave of Sardar Muhammed Khan

The Durrani Graveyard also holds the desecrated grave of Sardar Muhammad Ayub Khan, the victor of the Battle of Maiwand.

A number of relics were stolen from Ayub Khan’s grave in 2010. Locals move about freely in the family graveyard and Bibi’s burial site.

Upon asking, they narrate the love story of Bibi and the king much like a favorite bedtime tale – easy to read and take on each person’s tenor.

2. The Graveyard holds Beejo di Kabir

Beejo di Kabir in Durrani Graveyard. By Azhar Razaq

Beejo di Kabir is a historical marvel located inside Durrani Graveyard near Wazir Bagh, just outside the walled city.

The mausoleum reportedly marks the grave of Bibi Jan, the beloved mistress of King Taimur Shah Durrani who ruled the Durrani Empire from 1772 till his death in 1793.

The now dilapidated mausoleum is associated with a string of folklore and legends, all embellished and handed down from each generation of locals to the next.

3. Durrani Graveyard was left under the care of the Government

Technically, the archaeology department is responsible for the preservation of this historical site. But on the surface, it seems all but abandoned.

Although the archaeology department has taken over the ancestral graveyard and the palace of Durrani princes, who ruled Kohat from the 19th century to the 20th century, these historical sites are still among the most neglected ones in the region.

The Durrani rulers of Kohat, Prince Sir Sultan Jan Sadozai, and his father King Jamhoor (who was given the Star of India posthumously) lie buried in Shahpur village about two kilometers away from Kohat city.

The Durranis came to Kohat after the death of King of Afghanistan Shah Shujaa in 1842 during fighting with the rebels.

4. There are two ancient mosques in Durran Graveyard

Ancient mosques in the Yard. By Starssurfer.

Inside what is considered one of the city’s archaeological attractions, there are two (possibly ancient) mosques and one of them is in relatively good shape.

However, the smaller one lies abandoned with two small graves in the center of its courtyard. This is another anomaly as graves are usually found in the corners of mosques.

There are two brick-built mosques within the enclosure. The mosque near Sheikh Habib’s grave was built by Hafiz Murad in AD 1725. It is an oblong building with octagonal corner towers. It consists of a three-domed prayer hall with a vaulted verandah on the east.

Another mosque was in 1796 by Shaikh ‘Nawaz, a saint of some renown during the Durrani period. It is a small brick-built mosque with a low flat roof, the interior walls of which are plastered and further painted. They also bear several inscriptions. In the court, there lie two graves.

5. There is a historic gateway that serves as the entrance to the graveyard.

The graves of Sheikh Habib, an Arab by origin, Sardar Muhammad Ayub Khan, the victor of the famous Mewand battle, Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Sardar Jalaluddin Khan, and Sardar Muhammad Ayub Khan’s mother lie in the small enclosure.

A writer by the name of Dani mentioned a domed gateway in his book. However, the dome is now gone. Similarly, he had documented three domes in the mosque, but now only two remain.

The fate of the third remains a mystery. Some believe the desire of Afghan prayer leaders to build a modern mosque caused them to remove it–after all, they replaced the historic boundary wall with a new one.

6. The graveyard is home to old Bejo ki qabar

The graveyard is home to the centuries-old Bejo ki qabar or the grave of the monkey.

Of course, the woman considered to be buried inside the only grave covered by a tomb in the complex is not a primate and probably a person of prominence.

However, the sands of time have covered her identity.

7. Thieves have vandalized many tombs within the Graveyard

A vandalized tomb of princesses by Thieves. By Xeon

Thieves with their drastic behavior extended their theft behavior to the tombs where they made away with expensive and most valuable things that the legends buried there had. The case has been reported even by locals as it happened to the Sardar Mohammad Ayub Khan tomb.

He died on April 7, 1914, and was buried in Peshawar in the Durrani Graveyard near Wazir Bagh, just outside the old walled city of Peshawar.

The construction of his mausoleum was commissioned by the government of Afghanistan during the reign of King Habibullah Khan.

The government of Afghanistan renovated the graves in 2004 under the supervision of Mr. Babari. But about two months ago unidentified thieves took away the marble pieces and other valuables from all the graves. The tombs were renovated in more than two months’ time.

8. A mosque close to the residence of Prince Sultan Jan is the same as one built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb

A mosque located close to the residence of Prince Sultan Jan is exactly of the same size as the mosque, which was built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir for writing the Holy Quran, experts say.

Persian couplets have been written on the walls of the mosque by Prince Sultan Jan. He was an excellent artist, poet of the Persian language, and calligrapher.

His portrait which he made himself by sitting in front of the mirror is a marvelous piece of art.

9. Major Dignitaries are buried in Durran Graveyard

King Jamhoor was appointed the first extra assistant commissioner/sessions judge of Kohat in November 1849 after the British took control of Punjab. He was given area up to Kurram Agency. He held court in Kohat.

His forces were stationed in the Durrani Fort, now the headquarters of the IXth division of the Pakistan Army. After his death in 1868, Prince Sultan Jan became the ruler.

The wives of King Jamhoor Jan Sadozai Durrani and Prince Sultan Jan Sadozai Durrani are also buried in the graveyard with a number of other princes and princesses.

10. Durran Graveyard is a tourist attraction site

The image shows how visitors tour the Graveyard of the Great Prince and princesses. By Md. Redwan Hossain6333

From ancient, after the death of the Peshawar leaders, local people and foreigners have been paying visits to this site.

They are determined to see some of the burial tombs that have been established in the place.

Visitors continue to flock to the area to date to experience all the historical facts that are written in books and more so on the internet.