Malalai da Maiwand (Cultural Legend & Myth)

History THREAD

“Malalai da maiwand” was real? Or just cultural fiction?

When u Google “Malalai da Maiwand”, U will almost see a very plagiarized article written by different websites.
A lot of progressive Pakhtoons will proudly......

share the tapa & celebrate her bravery, that 19 years old daughter of a shepherd made flag from her veil & started tapay to help the afghan soldiers which eventually lead them to victory in the battle of Maiwand.

Malala yousafzai, Malalai joya & The daughter of hamid Karzai.....

are named after her.

There is a national medal & university after her name.

NO doubt, it’s a beautiful folklore, there are just few big problems with the authenticity of the story.

1. It look like an adaptation of another fictional character already present in French literature during French revolution.
Yes, “Marianne of France”.
First the name was used in 1792 by a poet in a song & then painted in 1830.
Still adored by many French & consider............

a symbol of liberty, freedom & revolution.

(BTW “Lady liberty” of great uncle Sam is also depiction of Marriane (French designed & helped Americans to made that statue)

why they need women fictional heroes & saviors that time, is another story..................

2. NO British historian of THAT TIME referred or mention Malalai’s name. Even the local records are missing. No authentic site lead us to the name. NONE has even mention such incident in the battle of Maiwand.

The oldest book of that time is written by
Howard hensman didn’t....

mention her, or any such incident.

(Few websites claimed that Hensman mentioned that one woman was found among the dead at Ahmed Khel)…..
Now the problem is, Hensman may have mention it, (I read it, I didn’t find it, but let’s say he mentioned, the question is..............

the battle of ahmed khail was on 19th april 1880, while battle of maiwand was 27th july 1880.
& founding women dead doesn’t prove anything either.

Another afghan historian Muhammad Siddiq farhang wrote a three volume book “Afghanistan in the past five centuries” a very .......

distinguish piece in afghan history, failed to even mention her.

3. After (40-60) years to the battle of Maiwand, the name malalai we heard in the form of tapa.
Many says its habibi the author/discoverer of “pata khazana” who coined it to support the national narrative &

Pakhtoon nationalism.
(Pashto Tolana- 1940, when habibi was the president of Pashto academy)
It’s very possible.
But it’s still hard to say, because it’s unknown & very rarely someone touch that subject. But many critics pointing fingers towards him.......................

(Many acclaimed scholars completely disagree with Habibi’s work on history & call it total fabrication, but that’s another topic for another time)

Even in afghan literature, is there any reference of malalai in 19th century or before 20th century?
If yes, one should..........

provide it to the academic research forums. So the historians & academics look into it.

But there is nothing.

How did her tapa survived so far when she died at the war? That too at the time of hardcore bloodiest battle? They are confuse about her age, but the tapa is in........

exact same format.
How?
Due to very low literacy rate, formal education & no evidence, unfortunately we rely on western historians.

There are a lot of cultural & commonsensical questions too about that era, that character & the veil story in pakhtoon culture............

that too 140 years ago, it’s just a lot to digest.

I think the people who praise her, owe us that much explanation.

One should not forget that Malalai’s name was also mis/used by Taliban during female suicide bombing & recruiting. Check the famous Conversation of “Mula Omar..

& “Ayman Zawahiri”.

Everyone milk this character in their own way, while the western historians are completely silent & neutral researchers consider it nothing more than a myth, a folklore & cultural legend.
History stand on solid proofs. It need evidence...............

if word-of-mouth is history then we should include King Arthur, characters of Mahabaharat & Helen of troy etc to the history.

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