Syeda Qanita Begum
Syeda Qanita Begum : A Pioneer in Pashto Literature Syeda Qanita Begum, born on April 21, 1908, in Sra Dherai (also known as Surkh Dheri or Baghicha Dheri in Mardan, Pakistan), is a significant figure in Pashto literature and cultural history. Coming from an educated Pathan "Mian" family, her father, Mian Waseeuddin, was a director in the Archaeological Department and earned recognition in Ziarat as "Baitano Mian Sahib". Her father was resident of a small village in mardan, Baghicha Dheri (then called Surkh Dheri) and served in the Archeological Survey of India, and was awarded the title of Khan Bahadur and Khan Sahib for his service under Sir Aurel Stein and Sir John Marshall in excavating and cataloging the Gandhara and Ashoka sites at Swat, Takht-e-Bahi, Sudher and Taxila, among others. He was a member of the Kakakhel Miangan,living in baghicha dheri, mardan, a clan of sunni Syeds, whose members can all trace their descent from ...