NAWAB AURANGZEB'S DONATION TO ISLAMIA COLLEGE
Several important discoveries were made in extracting the history
of Dir from the darkness of the past, and we were able to access very important
information. In 2002, I learned about a book written by Professor Dr. Shakil
Ahmed on the history of Islamia College, through the librarian of Islamia
College, Mr. Abdul Majid.
The book mentioned the anonymous heroes who contributed to the
construction of Islamia College, including Nawab Dir Aurangzeb, whom the author
wrote about. "On May 10, 1911AD, Commissioner George Rose Capel of the then
NWFP and now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, province called for a meeting of several
prominent leaders from the province to raise funds for the construction of
Islamia College and requested their assistance.
The provincial rulers and chieftains contributed a total of 650,000 rupees to the
commissioner, including 115,000 in cash and 400 Deodar scant trunks
gifted by Nawab Dir. Mia Rehmat Shah Kakakhel contributed one lakh, and Kareem
Baksh Sethi presented 50,000 in cash. It appears that Nawab Dir's contribution
and the timber scant added up to one quarter of the total funds. The public was
unaware of Nawab's generosity.
On the other hand, the people
of Dir and Peshawar including the students are unaware of such huge contribution
of Nawab-e- Dir Aurangzeb. On the other hand, the administration of the Islamia
College named a Hall for Commissioner Rose Capel, a ward on Rehmat Shah, and a
road and a hostel on the Hajji Tarangzai's services, while no such recognitions
for Nawab-e-Dir.
