Afridi

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Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox ethnic group

The Afrīdī (Template:Langx Aprīdai, plur. Template:Lang Aprīdī; Template:Langx) are a Pashtun tribe present mostly in tribal areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

The Afridis are most dominant in the Spin Ghar range west of Peshawar in Tribal areas of modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, covering most of the Khyber Pass and Maidan in Tirah<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> which is their Native Tribal Territory. They are the closest to Orakzai in their language, culture and geographic areas.

Etymology and origins

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Etymology

Herodotus, in his Histories, mentions an Indian tribe<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> named Aparytai (Ἀπαρύται) inhabiting the Achaemenid satrapy of Arachosia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Thomas Holdich and Olaf Caroe have linked them with the Afridi tribe:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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The Sattagydae, Gandarii, Dadicae, and Aparytae (Ἀπαρύται) paid together a hundred and seventy talents; this was the seventh province{{#if:|

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Origins

The origin of the Afridis is uncertain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=afridi>Template:Cite web</ref> Among the Afridi six Ḵaybar clans are generally distinguished: the Kūkī Ḵēl, Kambar Ḵēl, Kamar Ḵēl, Malek-dīn Ḵēl, Sepāh, and Zakkā Ḵēl (or Zəḵā Ḵēl), in the Khyber pass region. In addition, there are two "assimilated clans" not recognized by the first six, the Akā Ḵēl, settled south of the Bārā river in contact with the Ōrakzī, and the Ādam Ḵēl, occupying a mountainous region between Peshawar and Kohat. This complex clan structure,  perhaps reflects the diversity of the origins of the different ethnic groups forming this great tribe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Resistance against the Mughals

The Afridis and their allies Khalils were first mentioned in the memoirs of Mughal Emperor Babar as violent tribes in need of subduing.<ref>A. S. Beveridge, Babor-nama London, 1922 [repr. 1969], p. 412</ref> The Afridi tribes controlled the Khyber Pass, which has served as a corridor connecting the Indian subcontinent with Afghanistan and Central Asia. Its strategic value was not lost on the Mughals to whom the Afridis were implacably hostile.<ref name = "Agent">History of Khyber Agency: Gateway to the Subcontinent Template:Webarchive, Office of the Political Agent, Khyber Agency</ref>

Over the course of Mughal rule, Emperors Akbar and Jahangir both dispatched punitive expeditions to suppress the Afridis, with little success.<ref name="afridi" />

Under the leadership of Darya Khan Afridi, they engaged in protracted warfare against the Mughal army in the 1670s.<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Dead link</ref> The Afridis once destroyed two large Mughal armies of Emperor Aurangzeb: in 1672, in a surprise attack between Peshawar and Kabul, and in the winter of 1673, in an ambush in the mountain passes.<ref name=richards /> The emperor sent his Rajput general Rai Tulsidas with reinforcements into the mountains to suffocate the revolt and liberate the mountain.<ref name=richards>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Usurped Khyber.org, 3 July 2005</ref> Allegedly, only five Mughal soldiers made it out of the battle alive and the rest of the Mughals were brutally slaughtered.<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

British Raj

During the First, Second, and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars, Afridis fought against the British; these skirmishes comprised some of the fiercest fighting of the Anglo-Afghan Wars.<ref>L. Thomas, Beyond Khyber Pass, London, n.d. (ca. 1925)</ref> Ajab Khan Afridi was a well-known independence activist against the British Raj.

The British colonial administration regarded the Pashtun Afridi tribesmen as "martial tribe" under the martial races theory.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> Different Afridi clans also cooperated with the British in exchange for subsidies, and some even served with the Khyber Rifles, an auxiliary force of the British Indian Army.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

First Kashmir War

Shortly after the Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan, Afridi tribesmen were among the ranks of the Pashtun militias that invaded the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in October 1947, sparking the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 and the ongoing Kashmir conflict.<ref>M.K. Teng (2001) Kashmir: The Bitter Truth Template:Webarchive Kashmir Information Network</ref> Today, Afridis make use of their dominant positions along the Durand Line in areas of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province by controlling transport and various businesses, including trade in armaments, munitions and goods.<ref name="India2">Template:Usurped The excessive figure sometimes mentioned in Afghanistan reflects in a particular way the Afghan claim to Pashtunistan and actually represents an estimate of the whole of the Afridi tribe on both sides of the frontier.</ref> Beside commercial activities, the Afridis also occupy substantial representation among Pakistan Armed Forces and paramilitary forces such as Khyber Rifles.

Clans

File:Pashtun Tribes - Afridi.png

The Afridi Tribe is subclassified into eight sub-tribes (Ḵels), which reflect the different ethnic groups which joined to make the Afrīdīs:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="afridi2">Template:Cite web</ref>

  • Kūkī Ḵēl
  • Ali Khel
  • Kambar Ḵēl
  • Zakkā/Zəḵā Ḵēl
  • Kamar/Kamraʾī Ḵēl
  • Malek-dīn Ḵēl
  • Sepāh
  • Akā Ḵēl
  • Ādam Ḵēl

Religion

Afridis follow the Sunni sect of Islam. Their conversion to Islam is attributed to Sultan (Emperor) Mahmud of Ghazni by Denzil Ibbetson<ref>Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H. A. Rose "A Glossary of The Tribes & Castes of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province", 1911 AD, Page 217, Vol. III, Published by Asian Educational Services</ref> and Haroon Rashid.<ref>History of the Pathans by Haroon Rashid Published by Haroon Rashid, 2002 Item notes: v. 1 Page 45 Original from the University of Michigan</ref>

List of notable Afridis

File:President Zakir Husain 1998 stamp of India (cropped).jpg
Dr. Zakir Hussain First muslim President of India
File:Josh Malihabadi.jpg
Josh Malihabadi Urdu Poet
File:Shahid Afridi in 2017.jpg
Shahid Afridi in 2017

In Sports

Politicians

Literature

  • Josh Malihabadi Indian born Pakistani Urdu Poet Known as Shaer-e-inqilaab ( Poet of revolution).

Combatants

Businessman

Martyrs

Others

Afridis of Farrukhabad & Malihabad

The Afridis of Farrukhabad & Malihabad are descendants of the Afridi Pashtun tribe of the Ali Khel branch, originally from the Khyber Pass region (present-day Pakistan). The community is primarily settled in Farrukhabad and Malihabad (in the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh), where they played significant military, political, and literary roles during the 18th and 19th centuries.

History

The first known ancestor to settle in India was Jahan Khan Afridi, who migrated from Khyber along with his tribe and settled in Farrukhabad. He served as Commander-in-Chief under Muhammad Khan Bangash, the *Bawan Hazari* of the Bangash principality.

Jahan Khan Afridi had eight sons, whose descendants remain in Farrukhabad. One of them, Muhammad Khan Afridi, became the Deputy and Prime Minister of the Farrukhabad State. The ruler Qaim Khan later entrusted the administration of the state to him and retired from governance to focus on religious devotion.

Jahan Khan’s cousin, Yar Beg Khan Afridi, was invited to India along with his five brothers. Initially, they settled in Farrukhabad, but due to political disputes, they later joined Safdar Jang of Awadh. These brothers became known across North India as the “Paanch Bhaiye” (Five Brothers), each commanding his own military regiment (*risala*).

Eventually, the family settled in Qawalhar, a locality of Malihabad, which was inhabited by the Amanzai Pathans. Some members later returned to Farrukhabad and the Khyber region, while others remained in Malihabad, where their descendants became prominent figures in culture, administration, and literature.

Notable Figures

Nawab Faqir Muhammad Khan "Goya"

A descendant of Buland Khan (son of Yar Beg Khan Afridi), Nawab Faqir Muhammad Khan "Goya" was a prominent Commander-in-Chief who served under the Holkar State, Tonk State, and Awadh Army. He was also a distinguished Urdu poet and prose writer, known for his refined literary style and influence in the courts of North India.

Josh Malihabadi

Shabbir Hasan Khan "Josh Malihabadi", great-grandson of Nawab Goya, became one of the most celebrated poets of Urdu literature. Known as the "Shair-e-Inquilab" (Poet of Revolution), he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his literary contributions.

Ghaus Mohammad Khan

Ghaus Mohammad Khan (Padma Shri), also from the same Afridi lineage, is regarded as India’s first international tennis player and one of the country’s earliest sports pioneers.

Dr. Zakir Husain

Dr. Zakir Husain (1897–1969), the third President of India, was a descendant of the Afridi family of Farrukhabad. He was an eminent educationist, co-founder of Jamia Millia Islamia, and the first Muslim to hold the office of President of India. His lineage connects to the same Afridi Pathan families that migrated from Farrukhabad to other parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Salman Khurshid

Salman Khurshid, a senior Indian National Congress politician, lawyer, and former Minister of External Affairs, also traces his ancestry to the Afridi Pathans of Farrukhabad. He is the grandson of Dr. Zakir Husain and continues the family’s legacy of public service and education.

Cultural and Historical Legacy

The Afridi families of Malihabad remain one of the most influential Pathan lineages in Uttar Pradesh. Their heritage is closely linked to the region’s history, culture, and poetry. The family produced several poets, freedom fighters, and scholars who contributed to India’s cultural and political landscape during the colonial and post-independence periods.

The Afridis of Malihabad are also credited with developing and expanding the region’s mango orchards. Under the patronage and landholdings of the Afridi Pathan families, Malihabad became the center of mango cultivation in Asia.

References

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