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The tribal belt which skirts the international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan
is a legacy left by the British who made several abortive attempts to push
forward into Afghanistan.
Now, Federally administered, the many tribes inhabiting this rugged mountain
area, north and south of the famed Khyber Pass, enjoy certain amount of
autonomy to preserve their own way of life - they have become symbol of
defiance and cultural pride but are devout Muslims since they said goodbye to
their idols with the advent of Islam in Central Asia. For all overlords, the
tribal people have been a terror, may they be Mughals or the Sikhs or the
British. They gave them a tough time and many legends exist which speak of
their bravery and courage. They drive their code of ethics from their
religion and the local tradition which they jealously guard. However, over
the past decade or two, modern influence, with the spread of education and
contact with the world outside, are making inroads into tribal society. Men
are taking to trade and commerce, scope for agriculture being limited because
of the paucity of arable land.
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