Kohat District
| Kohat District | |
|---|---|
| District | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province |
| Headquarters | Kohat |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,545 km2 (983 sq mi) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 562,640 |
| • Density | 221/km2 (570/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
Kohat is a district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, Kohat city is the capital of the district. It is inhabited by various Pashtun tribes such as Afridi, Khattak, Bangash and the Orakzai.
The major languages in the district are Pashto, spoken by 75% of the population, and Hindko – spoken by 20%. The Hindko dialect of this district is Kohati and it is confined to the city of Kohat and a string of villages running east along the road to Kushalgarh on the Indus. There is also a group of native speakers of Urdu (0.8%) and Punjabi (4%).
Kohat region has undergone a chequred history and has been the melting pot for various communities as far as the Qandahar and Mazar Shrif in the North and those from the Peshawar region and Bannu region in the south. Historically it was home of local Kohatis who use to speak Kohati or Hindko language. After demographic changes in recent decades due to Afghan Refugees and Tribal peoples arrival, Pashto language speakers are in majority today. Urdu being National language is also spoken and understood.
The main tribes of Kohat are Banoori, Mian Khel, Bangash, Kohati Hindkown, Orakzai, Shinwari, Afridi, Niazi, Qureshi and Paracha
From the early sixteenth century the history of Kohat revolves around three major tribes namely Bangash, Banoori, and Afridi . These people appear to have settled in the district, during 14th and 15th centuries. From 16th to 18th centuries, Kohat being part of Mughal Empire was administered by the Chiefs of two afore mentioned tribes. In the beginning of 19th century Kohat came under the control of Sikhs who ultimately withdrew leaving to the administrative control of Khan of Teri in 1836.
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Wikipedia