Naseebullah Khan
An Analysis of Pashto Manuscripts of Southern Pashtunkhwa which is the bookish form of M.phil Pashto thesis of Rehmat Bibi Achakzai in which she has talked about Pashto Manuscripts in South Pakhtunkhwa. Total Manuscripts mentioned in the book are 269 in which the oldest is Risala- i -Mirath which was written in 1624. The under review book was published by Dr. Rafiqui publishing center Quetta in September 2021 from Kitab dost publishers Quetta. It is comprised of 233 pages and 6 chapters.
Rehmat Bibi Achakzai is life partner of renowned Pashto and Persion literary figure Dr. Abdul Rauf Rafiqui who has authored more then fifty books. Rehmat Bibi belongs to an area where female literacy rate is less then 20 percent. She served as principal of helpers school in chaman, after that she was appointed as lecturer Pashto through Balochistan public service commission.
Chapter 1 of the said book contains precise but ample information about the geographical location of South Pashtunkhwa. The writer writes that this area has be under the subjugation of Arabs, Persion empire, the Ghaznavids, and historicaly it has been part of Afghanistan. She further writes that when the British occupied Afghanistan they cut this area from Afghanistan through Gamdmaak agreement in 1879 and made its province ( by including some Baloch areas) and have it the name of British Balochistan. It remained British Balochistan until 1970 when it became Balochistan province. Mrs. Rehmat Bibi Achakzai articulates that the current 12 districts in Balochistan, where Pashtuns are in majority is called South Pashtunkhwa. In the said chapter she has talked about literary figures of Zhob, Loralai, Pishin, killa Abdullah, Chaman, Sibi, and Quetta such as Mula Abdul Salam Ashaizai, Sial Kakar, Abdul Rauf Rafiqui, Khan Shaheed Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai family, Khair Muhammad Arif, Hafiz Khan Muhammad, Sahibzada Hameedullah, etc. who have personal libraries in which they have preserved the assets of these manuscripts.
Chapter 2 of the said book is about religious manuscripts in Southern Pashtunkhwa. The writer has admirably mentioned rare books of Tafaseer, books of translated Hadiths, mysticism, Seerath Nabawi, and there translations with total pages and date of publication. She has peovided plentiful books such as Tarjuman- ul -Quran by Khan Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai, Tafseer- ul -Quean by Alaudin Ilhami, Hasan -ul -Bayan man Tafseer- ul- Quran by Mula Muhammad Shareed Janan Kakar Kandhari, translation of Bukhari Shareef by Musa deen Akhunzada Sheerani, Seeratul Nabi translated by Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai, etc. with the names of libararies in southern Pashtunkhwa where all these manuscripts are preserved.
Chapter 3 of this book sheds light on Pashto literary manuscripts in Southern Pashtunkhwa. She has provided myriad of books such as of Mula Muhammad Shareef Janan Kakar Kandarai, Alaudine Ilhami, Abul Khair Khattak, Babu Jan, Deewan Khushl Khattak, Deewan of Abdul Rehman baba, Deewan of Qaim Ali Khan Afridi, Deewan Mirza Khan Ansari, Sosan -i- Chaman of Mula Abdul Salam Ashaizai, etc. In chapter 4 the writre has talked about historical, medical, books based on character building, Child raring, and educational manuscripts such as Aina -e- Afghan by Mulawi Rehmatullah, Akbar nama translated by Mula Muhammad Shareef Janan Kakar Kandarai, Kaimya -i – Sadath of Imam Ghazali translated by Khan Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai, and many more.
Chapter 5 is about mischleeaous manuscripts in Southern Pashtunkhwa such as books about wars, poetical stories, Fiqh, dramas, poetical epics, linguistics, etc. While in Chapter 6 the executive summary of the thesis has been eleborated. She informs the readers as to how she burnt her midnight oil in searching and collecting information extensively. She also suggests how to preserve these manuscripts as many manuscripts were in spoiled conditions where some were torn and some manuscripts had missing pages. She suggests government to take steps and preserve these manuscripts.
In a society where female education has been rare, where women has been short of resources, where society has been patriarchal- writing a book by a female is undoubtedly an admirable work. This also reflects if opportunities are provided with, the Pashtun females have the audacity and capacity to do every job which a male can do. Rehmat Bibi has thrown a peeble in the Ocean. Soon or later, her contribution will give hope and energy to the common Pashtun women of the area to occupy a remarkable place in literary arena.
