Pirpiai
| Pirpiai پئرپئأي | |
|---|---|
| Town and Union Council | |
| Nickname(s): Little England | |
 Pirpiai پئرپئأي
|
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| Coordinates: 34°00′N 71°54′E / 34°N 71.9°ECoordinates: 34°00′N 71°54′E / 34°N 71.9°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3 km2 (1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 308 m (1,010 ft) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 35,000 |
| • Demonym | Pirpiaiwal |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+5) |
| Calling code | 0923 |
| Number of Union Councils | 1 |
| Website | Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Government Website |
Pirpiai is a village in the Nowshera District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is a large village with a population of around 35,000. Pirpiai has a high literacy rate of 92%, compared with Pakistan's average literacy rate of 55%. The village is surrounded by an industrial area that provides jobs and revenue for the region. Most Pirpiains (a demonym for the residents of Pirpiai) have traditionally worked as farmers who rented the land that they worked.
The village is known for its modern facilities, compared with surrounding parts of Pakistan.
Pirpiai is said to have been named after Pir Muhammad Khan of Pirpiai, an Afghan (at that time the area was part of Afghanistan). Pir Muhammad Khan was the son of Daulat Khan. Daulat Khan was a commander and confidant of Nadir Shah Afshar, the ruler of Iran.
Nadir Shah Afshar, having defeated the Pushtun Hotaki ruler Mir Hussain Hotaki in Herat and Ghazni in 1738, attempted to invade India. After his defeat, Mir Hussain Hotaki agreed to send Pushtun forces with the army of Nadir Shah. There were 12,000 Abdali (Durrani) and 4,000 Pushtun Khilji soldiers in this army. A hamlet of the Dalazak tribe was on the south bank of the Kabul River near present-day Pir Piai. The area along the river was forested at that time. When the Shah's forces reached this area they asked the Dalazak tribe to join their army, but they refused. Nadir Shah then ordered his army to destroy and burn the village, causing the Dalazaks to flee from the area. Nadir Shah awarded the area to Daulat Khan, his confidant. Daulat Khan belonged to the Gumoriani, also known as the Zmaryani tribe, which is a branch of the Kasi_(Pashtun_tribe). Daulat Khan rebuilt the village, but it was later destroyed by flooding of the Kabul River. Pir Muhammad Khan, an Afghan from Ghazni and the son of Daulat Khan, moved approximately two and a half miles south and established the village of Pirpiai.
According to the Tareekh-e-Peshawar by Rai Bahadur Munshi Gopal Das, in 1874 there were 52 Hindus and 1502 Muslims living in the village.
Originally Pirpiai acted as a merchant town for passing travelers. It is situated beside the original Sher Shah Suri's Highway, known in modern times as the Grand Trunk Road. The Mughals and their armies often used this route. Men from the village were often recruited by the passing armies. Bahadur Baba was a famous soldier recruited at that time, an older man who fought fiercely and with great skill. When he died fighting for the Mughal armies, the Mughal Emperor sent him back to be buried in his native village of Pirpiai, Baba's last wish.
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