History

The Dera Ismail Khan tract has been a seat of ancient civilization as has been proved by the excavation of Rehman Dheri. The archeological settlements of the Kafir Kot fort and temple tell the tale of Hindu Shahi domination.

Then came the Muslim-Pashtun tribes influx of migration from the Suleman Range in 12th and 13th centuries. The Lodhi tribes of Prangi, Suri, Sarwani and Bilach were the first settlers. These with the exception of Bilach of Paniala were gradually ousted by the Lohani tribes whose sub branches Daulat Khel, Marwat and Miankhel got settled in "Daman". In the beginning of 17th century Kati Khel branch of Daulat Khel settled in Tank under Khan Zaman Khan, who managed to push Marwat further north to the desert area of Lakki. As the Gandapurs helped him in this adventure, therefore, he arranged for their settlement in the center of "Daman", the area that they now occupy.

In 1467 Hussain Shah, the Langha ruler of Multan gave this area to a Baloch Chief, Sohrab Khan, who established posts and forts to guard against raiders from the West. The town of Dera Ismail Khan was founded on the name of his son Ismail Khan somewhere in the beginning of 16th century.

In the end of 18th century the area went under the direct rule of Ahmad Shah Abdali, whose son Taimur Shah gave the Nawabi of Dera Ismail Khan to the Sadozai Chief Nawab Muhammad Khan, a cousin of the ruler of Multan Nawab Muzaffar Khan Sadozai. The Sikhs took it over in 1836 just before the death of Ranjit Singh and appointed their own Governor here. In 1847-48, the first British officer Sir Herbert Edwards visited the area. He was then the Additional Resident at Lahore.

After the second Sikh war in 1849 the British like the rest of Punjab too annexed this district. In the beginning the Bannu district was a part of Dera Ismail Khan district but later in 1861 Bannu was separated from Dera Ismail Khan district. The Dera Ismail Khan district from 1861 to 1901 had five tehsils i.e. Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Kulachi, Bhakkar and Lieya. Dera Ismail Khan was also made the divisional headquarter of the Derajat in 1861 and remained as such till the formation of NWFP as a separate province in November 1901. The Vahova circle of Dera Ghazi Khan district was also till then part of Kulachi sub-division of Dera Ismail Khan district.

In 1901, when NWFP was created, the trans-Indus area of Bhakkar, Lieya and Vahova cicle of Dera Ghazi Khan were separated and given to Punjab. The Dera Ismail Khan district since then had been having three tehsils Dera Ismail Khan, Kulachi and Tank till recently wherein 1992 Tank was upgraded to the status of district and Paharpur to a tehsil/sub division in 1995.

Dera Ismil Khan has been once again the divisional headquarter since the formation of one unit in 1955. The only other division in this province then was Pehawar.