Ajab Khan rose to prominence during a period when the Non-Cooperation Movement—the first civil disobedience campaign in colonial India—had recently ended.
The traumatic memory of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre still lingered, fueling resentment against British rule.
Ajab Khan was falsely accused of stealing a rifle while serving in the British Army. During a subsequent search of his village, Bosti Khel, British soldiers mistreat the local women, sparking Ajab Khan's fury upon his return.
Determined to seek revenge, Ajab Khan storms the Kohat cantonment on April 14, 1923, and abducts Miss Mollie Ellis, the daughter of Major Ellis, from their home. In the process, his brother kills the major’s wife when she tries to alert the guards. An extensive search for Miss Mollie begins.
Ajab Khan takes Miss Mollie to the tribal areas. Mollie's accounts confirmed that she was treated with respect and care. Despite offering a substantial bounty for his capture, the British fail to apprehend him.
Eventually, a jirga comprising tribal elders and the political administration convenes, leading to Miss Mollie's safe return to the DC of Kohat and Major Ellis. The British accept d all of Khan’s conditions, including the release of captives and the return of seized ammunition.
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