Peshawar and Mardan are two districts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Peshawar district was formed in 1909 and Mardan district was created in 1937. In the 1920s, Britain tried to include FATA, DIR and Swat into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa but agreed to stop bothering the tribal communities. This district contains many archaeological sites.
Kandis
The town of Mardan is surrounded by a beautiful mountain range that is more than 4,000 feet high. Its name is derived from Persian, meaning “mountain-top.” The town is a part of the Central District of Khoy County and is home to a population of around 650 people and 141 families.
The town is also home to the Guides Regiment, which was raised in the early 19th century by Lord Lumsdon. Its old Guides quarters now house the Punjab Regimental Centre, the oldest infantry group in the Pakistan Army. In the early 1960s, Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip visited the old Guides Mess in Mardan. In addition, Sir Winston Churchill stayed in Mardan as a young officer before moving to Peshawar.
Mardan is divided into two main areas: a hilly region in the north and a flat area in the south. Its northern part is bounded by the Pajja or Sakra Mountains at around 2056 meters high, and the plain in the southern part is made up of fertile land that once formed a lake. Later, the river that flows through the area filled the plain.
The area is considered to be ideal for farming. Sugarcane, tobacco, and wheat are grown in abundance here. In addition to these crops, the region also grows other fruits and vegetables. The Mardan district is one of the top four agricultural areas in Pakistan. Approximately 57 percent of the area is suitable for agricultural activities.
The town of Mardan is the headquarters of the Mardan district and is located in the Peshawar Valley. The town was once part of the Gandhara Kingdom. It was set up as a separate district in 1937. The town has several historical sites and is a popular destination for tourists.
The city of Mardan is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The distance between Mardan and Kandi is 8769 kilometers and 6204.2 km, respectively. It is possible to travel to both of these destinations from the capital city. It is recommended to allow sufficient time to travel between the two.
The locals live on a simple diet. The main food staple is bread, mostly made from wheat flour, but maize bread is also consumed. The locals also like eating meat and are fond of tikkas. The hot drink of choice is black tea mixed with milk. Other common drinks include green tea and Qahwa.
Khattaks
The Khattaks of Mardan were originally called the Bani Israel, which means ‘children of Israel’. This name comes from the time when Israel was in captivity under the Assyrians. The name is also linked to the Ten Lost Tribes, which historians associate with the Khattak tribe. The Khattak name entered use when the chief of the Bani Israel tribe, Luqman, took the name Khattak, replacing the previous name.
There are two important festivals celebrated in Mardan. The first festival is Eid, while the second festival is the Mardan Sports Complex. The sports complex is being constructed at a cost of Rs320 million, and will be inaugurated in two weeks. A Rs1 billion beautification program is also underway in different areas of the city.
The Khattaks migrated from the province of Akora more than a century ago. They settled in the cities of Mansehra and Lambi Dheri, as well as some villages in Labarkot and Kotkay. They also settled in some areas of Abbotabad.
The Khattaks are the only people in the area that have the same name as the Bnai Manasseh. However, the Bnai Manasseh population is much smaller than the Khattak population. This may be a result of ancient migrations. Nevertheless, the Bnai Manasseh claims to be the Tribe of Manasseh.
The Khattaks of Mardan are the main ethnic group in Mardan. They trace their descent from a Lukman with the surname Khattak. Before the rule of Aurangzeb, the Khattaks and Yousafzai tribes were at war. However, Khushal Khan Khattak fell out with Aurangzeb and made peace with the Yousafzai tribe. Once the Upper and Lower Swat canals were built, Mohammad tribes began to move into Mardan. Although they started as petty tenants of the land-lords, they gradually displaced them.
Lund Khwar is a village that is located in the Takht Bhai Tehsil of the District Mardan. It is located at 34deg23’22 N and 71deg58’51 E. Its name means ‘ever-flowing stream’ and it was named so in ancient times. The earliest written accounts date back to the 8th century, to the Uthman Khel branch of the Yousafzai family.
The new high security prison in Mardan has a capacity of 2,200 prisoners. The construction of the new prison aims to prevent any jailbreaks in the future and to ensure the security of prisoners. The new prison is being built at a cost of Rs1.7 billion. It has nine prisoner sectors with 150 inmates each, ten segregation cells, and twenty death cells. It also includes two special security sectors that each have 62 cells.
