Chakesar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chakesar Tehsil تحصیل چکیسر چکېسر تحصیل‎
Tehsil and village
Country	Pakistan

Chakesar is a town and a special administrative area called a tehsil. It's located in the Shangla District of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. You can find it about 6 kilometers northwest of the famous Indus River, right on its bank. Chakesar became a tehsil in 2017. Most people here make a living through farming.

Where is Chakesar located?

Chakesar sits in a valley that's about 5 kilometers wide and 11 kilometers long. It's like a flat area formed by a river, and it's about 3,722 feet above sea level. This area is special because it's where two huge land masses, the Indian and Eurasian continents, crashed into each other a long, long time ago. This collision zone is famous for having valuable stones like emeralds and rubies!

What is the land like in Chakesar?

Chakesar Tehsil is in the Shangla district. Its exact location is 34° 47′ 8′′ North and 72° 46′ 11′′ East. It's surrounded by other tehsils: Alpuri to the northwest, Martung to the south, Puran to the northwest, and Besham to the east.

Many mountains and valleys surround Chakesar. The weather is usually mild in summer but gets very cold in winter. Temperatures can drop below freezing in December, January, and February. People often burn wood to cook and keep their homes warm. This causes a problem called deforestation, where too many trees are cut down. This is a big concern for the future of the area.

What is Chakesar's history?

Chakesar has a rich history! Long ago, it was home to many Buddhist holy people called hermits. There was also a small Hindu community living here. It's even believed that Alexander the Great, a famous ancient Greek king, fought a battle against the local people near here in 326 BC, at a place called Pir Sar.

How did Chakesar get its name?

The name Chakesar comes from an older name, "Char Hesar." This means "four fortresses." In the past, this village was very important for the Shangla district. To protect it from invaders, the local people built four fortresses around the village. Because of these four fortresses, it was called Char Hesar, which later changed to Chakesar.

Who lives in Chakesar?

Most of the people living in Chakesar belong to the Azi Khel tribe, which is a major part of the Pashtun Yousafzai tribe. The village is traditionally divided into four main areas, and different groups or "sects" live in each. These include the Khan Khel, Malak Khel, Begum Khel, Ghowara Khel, Imnakhel, Baba Khel, Musakhel, Kakakhel, Gujjars, and Shahs.

There is also a small Hindu community of about seven or eight families who live in the village.

Locally, the leading people are called "Pukhtana." This word means "leaders." The Pashto language, also called Pukhto, is spoken here. Pukhto is also a special code of conduct, sometimes called Pukhtunwali. Historically, the Pukhtana were responsible for keeping law and order in Chakesar and nearby villages like Puran and Martung. They were the ones who followed and enforced the "Pukhto" code. Today, the descendants of these ancient leaders are still called Pukhtana. Each smaller group or "clan" within the Pukhtana often has "Khel" in its name, which means "tribe." About 5,000 of the 75,000 people in Chakesar are Pukhtana.

What are the villages and settlements like?

Chakesar Tehsil is made up of four main areas called Union Councils. These are Chakesar, Opal, Bunerwal, and Sarkool.

Union Council Chakesar

• Ghari Hujra
• Kamar Hujra
• Manz Hujra
• Kuza Hujra
• Khadang
• Ranzra

Union Council Opal

• Opal
• Karora
• Tachat
• Ponial
• Danakol
• Darkaly
• Kandaw
• Chedam
• Seero
• Bashir Abad
• Shalmanoo

Union Council Buner waal

• Katkor
• Shawawoo
• Langbar
• Dandai
• Said Abad
• Shumbar
• Jawzanoo

Union Council Sarkool

• Gunanger
• Maseer
• Mareer
• Goshoo

Water and farming in Chakesar

Chakesar has plenty of water! There are many springs and small rivers, called "Khowar" by the locals, that have water all year round. People here grow wheat, maize (corn), and rice as their main crops. They also grow fruits and vegetables. Farming mostly depends on rain. Luckily, Chakesar gets a good amount of rain each year, especially during the monsoon season in July and August.

However, in recent years, climate change has started to affect the Chakesar valley. The weather patterns are changing, which can make farming harder.

Chakesar got connected to the national electricity grid and digital telephone network in the late 1990s.

What are the schools like in Chakesar?

Both public (government) and private schools are working to improve education in Chakesar.

Public schools

• Shaheed Nawab Ali Centennial Model high school Chakesar, SNCMHS
• Govt High School Shawawoo, Chakesar
• Govt High School Danakool Chakesar
• Govt High School Karora, Chakesar
• Govt High School opal, Chakesar
• Govt High School Gulibat, Chakesar
• Govt High School Karora, Chakesar
• Govt Middle School Sundia Chakesar
• Govt Middle School Said Abad Chakesar
• Govt Middle School Khadang Chakesar
• Govt Middle School Dawoot Chakesar
• Govt Middle School Barpaw (Samseer) Chakesar
• Govt Middle School Gunager Chakesar, GHS, DSS
• Govt Middle School Ponyal, Chakesar
• Govt Girls Higher Secondary School, Chakesar
• Govt English medium Primary school kuzpaw Chakesar
• Govt Primary school Barpaw Chakesar
• Govt Primary school Shawawoo, Chakesar

Private schools

• Chakesar Public High School and College, Chakesar
• Chakesar Model School, Chakesar
• Hira Model School, Chakesar
• Himalayan Model High School
• Imperial Model School Chakesar

Colleges

• Govt Degree College, Chakesar
• Madaris (religious schools)

What animals live in Chakesar?

Scientists have recently found a type of insect called Idricerus decrepitus in Chakesar, which is a new discovery for this area!

Birds of Chakesar

From 2019 to 2022, researchers studied the birds in Chakesar Valley. They found 38 different kinds of birds! These birds belong to many different families and groups, including songbirds, pigeons, kingfishers, and birds of prey like eagles. Some common birds seen there include mynas, sparrows, bulbuls, and various types of wagtails and flycatchers. This research showed that many bird species live in Chakesar that had not been recorded there before.