History of the Pashtun people
Darya Khan Daudzai was a horse trader from a village near Peshawar who later joined Mughal service and became a high ranking Mughal mansabdar. In 1630 he joined the rebellion of Khan Jahan Lodi for the restoration of Pashtun rule in India. Their efforts did not meet with success and they suffered defeats at the … Read more
The Miyana tribe belongs to the Saraban division of Pashtuns. They are found in Baluchistan province of Pakistan. Most of its branches have become extinct or have lost their identity. Their en-mass migration to India greatly weakened them and they fell easy prey to their Baloch neighbours. Luni, Jafar, Zamari and Gharshin tribes are remnants … Read more
Mausoleum of Shaikh Imam al-Din (a Khalil Pashtun), Palosai, Peshawar. According to Persian inscription on the site, Shaikh Imam al-Din died in 1650 AD and the mausoleum was constructed in 1653 AD. He was grandson of Shaikh Qasim Sulaimani, a renowned saint of Akbar’s reign.  Â
An inscription in Mangrul (Sangli district, Maharashtra state, India) dated to 1626 AD mentions the toponym Afghanistan. The geographic term Afghanistan of early 17th century corresponded with the Pashtun belt or Pakhtunkhwa. It stretched from Swat to Sibi (a town in Balochistan province of Pakistan), and from Kabul to Hasan Abdal (a town in … Read more
In 1610s, the Mughal governor of Siwi fort (i.e. Sibi fort in modern Baluchistan, Pakistan) killed more than one thousand Pashtuns by boiling them alive in large cauldrons to create awe and terror in the hearts of the unruly population. The name of that Mughal officer was Quje Ali and and he was a Turkoman … Read more
During the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, a family of Pashtuns rose to prominence in the Ghazipur region of modern Uttar Pradesh (India). Four brothers (Niazi Pashtuns) Ghous, Hatim, Pahar and Inayat were in the service of the army of viceroy of the province. The wife of the Viceroy accompanied him on one of his … Read more
A group of blue-clad Pashtuns left a lasting impression on Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708), to the extent that the latter made it compulsory for his followers to wear blue dress in homage to those Pashtuns. According to Siyar-ul-Mutakherin, once when Guru Gobind Singh (the founder of Khalsa) was hunted down by Mughal troops, he found … Read more
Origin legend According to the legends prevalent amongst the Orakzai elders, Tirah was formerly occupied by the Hindu non-Pashtun race, called the Tirahis whose descendants are, to this day, found in some villages as ‘Hamsaya‘ (dependents) of the Orakzai. Tirahis were ruled by different rajas whose names can still be traced in several places in … Read more
Diler Khan, whose proper name was Jalal Khan, had reputation of being one of the best and bravest generals of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir. Bhimsen Saxena (a Hindu soldier who served under Aurangzeb) praise his military talents as follow:- “Dilir Khan Afghan, the holder of the punj-hazari rank, surpassed and excelled all the contemporary … Read more
By Barmazid In 1672 AD, a small incident triggered a huge war in Pakhtunkhwa. In that year some Mughal troops stationed in Kunar insulted a Parachi woman who was there to sell and buy. Some Pashtun men belonging to Safi tribe witnessed that and killed those troops for insulting that woman. Hussain Beg Khan, the … Read more