"NW Frontier Pathan Flags" Topic

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone new a source for information on Pathan flags or pre printed Pathan flags. I have had no luck finding any.

Thank you.

My guess is that Pathans, being tribal gatherings, would not have any.

The Afghan regular army is more likely to carry flags.

I just did mine black, red or green. If it was good enough for the Mahdists….

Does anyone know of the pictures of the triangular Pathan flags?

They had them and the flags were triangular (not rectangular). Contemporary accounts in the 2nd Afghan war mention flags being carried (and not just by the regular Afghan army) IIRC.

Cheers, Richard

The Flag Dude
flagdude.com/item.do?item_id=58
He says most non historical, but look the part. I've seen em. They look great to me & very soon (probably next Historicon, I'm buying some!)
Peter

TVAG has an impromptu set of Pathan Flags which were worked up sometime back, but which are not "Official" or guaranteed to be authentic. Until such time as this particular line of flags is fully developed and can be offered as authentic, they are available gratis for the asking.

Either E-mail TVAG@worldnet.att.net, or drop a Personal Message and I will return them as PDF's via E-mail.

TVAG

Here is one that Flag Dude made.

picture

Bill

TVAG,
I just sent you an e-mail!
Hope to see your response soon!
Thanks,
Peter

Malalai, the Pathan folk heroine, is noted as picking up a flag at the battle of Maiwand to encourage the men to take heart and renew the attack. So the tribesmen can reliably be thought to have flags and banners of various sorts.

I note the painting of "The 92nd Highlanders Storming the Asmai Heights 1879" by W. Skeoch Cumming, shown as the cover to Michael Barthop's "The Northwest Frontier: British India and Afghanistan, a Pictorial History 1839-1947" which shows the Pathans carrying a triangular banner in red with green edging, gold fringe, and gold lettering (presumably in Pashto, which like Urdu uses the Dari/Persian script).

The painting is owned by the Gordon Highlanders museum and I ought to contact them to see if it might be based on any war trophy flags held there.

PM sent to you as well, Armchair General, altho' this topic has been in suspension for a long time! I'm researching Pathan flags just now and this thread was the result of my Search on TMP.

One of the authorities, I think it may have been no less a figure than Churchill in Malakand Field Force, says the Pathan flags were 'invariably triangular'.
Many, such as the one taken by the 92nd Highlanders, seem to have followed the pattern of having the lower edge coming intersecting at a 90 degree angle to the pole, with the upper edge of the flag sloping down to it at a 30-45 degree angle.
Some contemporary illustrations show devices like swords, snakes or suns on the banners. I'm a little unsure about this myself, since I think such depictions might well have been frowned upon by devout muslims. The colour taken at Ghazni in 1839 is red, of the triangular pattern described above and has a religious inscription written on a yellow/gold rectangular patch or tablet on the flag.
Depending on what kind of numbers you need, I would go mainly for plain flags: black, red, green, and yellow probably being the best colours. Some exceptional banners, such as religious ones or those belonging to the regular Afghan army might have devices or inscriptions.
EC

Churchill also mentions there being a LOT of Pathan flags flying as the Malakand Field Force goes marching along, so a large number of flags is a good idea.

Eventually I will order all 50 different flags from Flag Dude, and put one in just about every single group of 6-20 Pathans.

Hey guys,

Here's a link to a TMP thread from a couple of years back dealing with19th Century Afghan regular army flags…

TMP link

@Piper909: here's my own version of Malalai with flag -- albeit not a properly triangular one -- in hand…

Thanks Mad Guru,

As usual a brilliant answer full of source material.

Darrell.

Yes, thanks, Mad Guru! Your website on Maiwand inspired me to obtain a similar figure to convert into a Malalai!

It's interesting that she is ascribed as either picking up a dropped flag or tearing off her veil and hoisting that as a makeshift banner (in which case the "flag" would probably have been a very ornate and intricate design, since Pathan women dressed in their finest clothes for weddings). I'll probably go for a traditional triangular flag in plain red for my figure, as good a reconstruction as any. Red flags do seem to have been popular in Afghanistan.

Wow, that's awesome, Pipe! I can't wait to see what Malalai figure looks like when it's done! Hope you'll post it, and/or a link to it, on TMP, and I think giving her a red triangular flag is a very good idea.

@Atheling: My pleasure, Darrell, and you're very welcome!