History of the Pashtun people
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In 1556 AD Seydi Ali Reis, an Ottoman Admiral, travelled through the Khyber Pass and saw two rhinos there. In his book “Mirat ul Mamalik”, Seydi Ali Reis writes : “After crossing the rivers Khushab and Nilab (Indus) in ships, I set foot upon the shore of Bakhtar (Kabulistan). In the beginning of the month … Read more
After the fall of Tughlaq dynasty, the empire of Delhi fell into the hands of Malik Khizr Khan, who founded the Syed dynasty. The author of Tarikh Mubarik Shahi trace the family of Khizr Khan to that of the Prophet Muhammad but according to Muntakhab al-Lubab, Khizr Khan was an Afghan (i.e. a Pashtun). “He, … Read more
Walwar means (the bride price). In tribal usage walwar is the right of the father to receive for his daughter’s marriage or the right of the brother to receive for his sister’s marriage. [1] After the girl is approved , the father of the bridegroom with some of his relations ( maraka) goes to girl’s father, and if the … Read more
There were Afghans in the Deccan at an early period, and there was a Lodi Afghan noble in the service of ruler of Bijapur as early as 1492-1493 AD. Adil Shah Yusuf, the founder of the dynasty which ruled over the Bijapur Kingdom , was the son of Usmanli Sultan, Murad, who died in 1450 … Read more
The Pashtuns had a chequered history within the Mughal nobility. The short-lived Sur dynasty, followed by the Mughal restoration, made the Pashtun chiefs suspects in the eyes of the Mughals. Akbar thoroughly disliked the Pashtuns as a body. According to Manucci, Akbar left it as a law to his descendants that the that Pashtuns should … Read more
Multan Khan Afridi, a Zakha Khel of Tirah, was a marauder, ‘Paladin’ and a hero of the anti-British locals of Peshawar valley. He was a tall and handsome Afridi, who had served as a Sepoy in the 26th Punjab regiment, and therefore was well versed in platoon level tactics, which he used with effect for … Read more
In Sindh, following the death of Ghulam Shah Kalhora in 1772, a bitter civil war broke out between the Kalhoras and Talpur, a Baloch tribe. In 1773 Timur Shah Durrani relocated the capital of the Durrani empire from Kandahar to Kabul. This put the empire’s center even further from Sindh and Balochistan . But in … Read more
List of Pashtun tribes Sarbani tribes Abdali/Durrani (including Ishaqzai, Alizai, Achakzai, Alokzai, Popalzai, Barakzai, Nurzai, Saddozai) Tarin (including Zaimusht, Wanechi and Raisani) Sherani (including Babar, Jalwani and Haripal) Miana (including Luni, Nahar, Gharshin and Jafar) Ormur Yousafzai (including Mandanr) Tarklanri Gigyani Mohmand Khalil Daudzai Zamand (including Kheshgi and Muhammadzai) Kasi Shinwari Chamkani Ghurghushti tribes Kakar … Read more
In 1665 there was born at Mau-Rashidabad an Afghan named Muhammad Khan Bangash [1] who was destined to play a very important part in the affairs of the Mughal empire and to found what almost became an independent local dynasty. . At the age of about twenty Muhammad Khan joined the bands of Afghan freebooters … Read more
In 1733 the ruler of Kalat encroached upon the Pashtun territories and succeeded in capturing the fort at Shal (Quetta). When the news of the invasion reached the ears of Shah Hussain Hotak (king of Kandahar), he set out from Kandahar with an army to dislodge Balochs from Shal and to reduce them to submission. … Read more