Tahir Khel
The Tahir Kheli (also Tar Kheli) are a Pashtun tribe who mainly dwell in the Hazara region of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Most Tahirkhelis have adopted the language of Hindko, which is the native language of the people of Haripur. However, there is still a substantial number of Tahirkhelis that speak Pashto in areas such as Topi, Swabi, Ghazi, and Qazipur. They are ethnically Pashtun and are of the Alizai and Yousafzai Pathan tribes. They are descendents of Saraban son of Qais Abdur Rashid. Tahirkhelis follow the Pukhtunwali code of conduct. Tahirkhelis are a well-respected, wealthy, landowning tribe. Their history can be traced back to Kandahar, Afghanistan and Eastern Iran.[1]
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[edit] History and origin
The origin of Pashtuns is debated, however recent evidence has suggested that they could be among the lost Jewish tribes. Other evidence points to heavy Greek and Turkish ancestry.
Tahirkhelis get their name from their forefather "Tahir Baba", a commander for Alizais under Ahmed Shah Abdali. After fighting for Abdali, and leading his men to a sweeping victory in the entire Haripur region, Tahir Baba was gifted all the land in that area by Abdali as a commemoration for his regiments bravery. Tahir Baba's son, Bulland Khan Tanoli was seen as the first "Tahirkheli" or "son of Tahir". By the early 1900's Tahirkheli's had become the politically powerful family of the region and adapted to the Hindkowan people around them. Some Tahirkhelis also adopted their language of Hindko.
Once revered throughout Hazara and Haripur as fierce warriors, Tahirkhelis are now seen as a politically powerful and land owning tribe.
After their migration to Hazara, which occurred in the late-18th century, most Tahirkhelis settled in that area. The earliest written accounts of British encounters with the Tahirkhelis is by Watson’s Gazeteer of the early-20th century, during an evaluation of ancient art from the area of the Hazara.[2]
[edit] Distribution
In recent generations, Tahirkhelis have inhabited the eastern Indus River banks near the villages of Khalo, Eesaa and Salam Khand as well as Khairbara, Ghazi and other various parts of the Haripur of the North West Frontier Province and Attock District of Punjab.
There are small Tahirkheli communities residing outside of Pakistan as well, such as in London, England, Birmingham, England, Bradford,England, Cardiff, Wales, Northern California,US and [[North Carolina
[edit] Notable Tahirkhelis
[edit] References
- ^ Olaf Caroe The Pathans 1984
- ^ J. W. Frembgen, "Religious Folk Art as an Expression of Identity: Muslim Tombstones in the Hazara Mountains of Pakistan" Vol. 1, 1998
