The Ghilzai is a super-tribe of Batani [[confederation]] of [[Pashtun tribes]] whose origin is somewhat controversal. Etymologically the word ''Ghilzai'' is derived from ''Gharzai'' ('''غلزې'''), meaning "son of mountain"<ref>{{cite encyclopedia| last=Morgenstierne |first=G.|title = AF<u>GH</u>ĀN| encyclopedia = [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]]| edition = CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0| publisher = Koninklijke Brill NV| location = Leiden, The Netherlands| year = 1999}}</ref> or "swordsman"<ref>Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province, H.A. Rose, pg. 241</ref>. Some oriental scholars hold that the Ghilzais are the descendants of a mixed race of Hephthalite and Pakhtas who have been living in Afghanistan since the [[Vedic period]].<ref name="Khaljies are Afghan">{{cite web |url=http://www.alamahabibi.com/English%20Articles/Khaljies_are_Afghan.htm |title=Khaljies are Afghan |work=[[Abdul Hai Habibi]]|publisher=alamahabibi.com|accessdate=19 August 2012}}</ref>. The first and the most plausible theory however suggests that they descended at least in part from the [[Ghurids]].{{Quote|Ḡhalzaī tribal genealogies in general trace their early descent from the union of either Shah Ḥosayn, a [[Ghurids|Ghurid]] (q.v.) prince and, Bībī Mātō , a granddaughter of [[Qais Abdur Rashid|Qays ʿAbd al-Rašīd]], the putative ancestor of all Pashtuns, or Mokarram Shah, a Pashtun prince from [[Ghor Province|Ḡūr]], and the daughter of a Persian notable...<ref>[http://www.iranica.com/newsite/index.isc?Article=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/unicode/v10f6/v10f637.html ''Ḡalzī'']</ref><ref> M.J. Hanifi, in [[Encyclopædia Iranica]]M. Jamil Hanifi}}[[File:Sultan-Allahudeen-Gherzai.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Alauddin Khilji|Ala-ud-din Khilji]], second [[sultan]] of the [[Khilji dynasty]]|alt=Drawing of bearded man in medieval Arabic clothing.]]</ref>.This theory of decent from Bibi Mato, daughter of Batani, is also supported by one of the oldest books on Pashtuns ''Makhzen-e-Afghani''<ref name="ReferenceA">citation|last=Dorn|first=Bernhard|title=History of the Afghans: translated from the persian of Niamat Ullah|year=1836|location=London|publisher=Oriental Translation Fund for Great-Britain and Ireland, page-49</ref>. The book narrates that Ghilzai, son of Mato, was blessed with three sons: Ibrahim, Toor (Tuan) and Poor (Buran). Ibrahim had two sons; Haijub and Sahbak. Haijub was further blessed with thirteen sons; [[Tanoli]] (Tanokhel), [[Sulaimankhel]], [[Ali Khel]], Omerkhel, Karikhel, Hameerkhel, Varaki, Chani, Donver and Paroki.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> As such, the tribes comprising decendents of Bibi Mato collectively constitute the Ghilzai confideration of Pakhtuns.However, the other theory suggest that they descended from the [[Khalaj people|Khalaj]] or [[Khilji dynasty]],<ref>''Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province'', H. A. Rose, p. 241.</ref><ref>''At the Court of Amîr: A Narrative'', by John Alfred Gray, p. 203.</ref><ref>[http://www.khyber.org/articles/2005/TheKhalajWestoftheOxus.shtml ]{{dead link|date=April 2014}}</ref> who entered Afghanistan in the 10th century. According to [[Mountstuart Elphinstone|Elphinstone]], the Khilji, "though [[Turkic peoples|Turks]]([[Turco-Mongols]]) by descent...had so long settled among the Afghans that they had almost identified with that people."<ref>''A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases: Hobson-Jobson'', by C. Burnell, Henry Yule, p. 371.</ref>.
The Ghilzai is a super-tribe of Batani [[confederation]] of [[Pashtun tribes]] whose origin is somewhat controversal. Etymologically the word ''Ghilzai'' is derived from ''Gharzai'' ('''غلزې'''), meaning "son of mountain"<ref>{{cite encyclopedia| last=Morgenstierne |first=G.|title = AF<u>GH</u>ĀN| encyclopedia = [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]]| edition = CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0| publisher = Koninklijke Brill NV| location = Leiden, The Netherlands| year = 1999}}</ref> or "swordsman"<ref>Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province, H.A. Rose, pg. 241</ref>. Some oriental scholars hold that the Ghilzais are the descendants of a mixed race of Hephthalite and Pakhtas who have been living in Afghanistan since the [[Vedic period]].<ref name="Khaljies are Afghan">{{cite web |url=http://www.alamahabibi.com/English%20Articles/Khaljies_are_Afghan.htm |title=Khaljies are Afghan |work=[[Abdul Hai Habibi]]|publisher=alamahabibi.com|accessdate=19 August 2012}}</ref>. The first and the most plausible theory however suggests that they descended at least in part from the [[Ghurids]]:
<Blockquote> " Ghalzaī tribal genealogies in general trace their early descent from the union of either Shah Ḥosayn, a [[Ghurids|Ghurid]] (q.v.) prince and, Bībī Mātō , a granddaughter of [[Qais Abdur Rashid|Qays ʿAbd al-Rašīd]], the putative ancestor of all Pashtuns, or Mokarram Shah, a Pashtun prince from [[Ghor Province|Ḡūr]], and the daughter of a Persian notable..."<ref>[http://www.iranica.com/newsite/index.isc?Article=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/unicode/v10f6/v10f637.html ''Ḡalzī'']</ref><ref> M.J. Hanifi, in [[Encyclopædia Iranica]]M. Jamil Hanifi}}[[File:Sultan-Allahudeen-Gherzai.jpg|thumb|150px|[[Alauddin Khilji|Ala-ud-din Khilji]], second [[sultan]] of the [[Khilji dynasty]]|alt=Drawing of bearded man in medieval Arabic clothing.]]</ref>.This theory of decent from Bibi Mato, daughter of Batani, is also supported by one of the oldest books on Pashtuns ''Makhzen-e-Afghani''<ref name="ReferenceA">citation|last=Dorn|first=Bernhard|title=History of the Afghans: translated from the persian of Niamat Ullah|year=1836|location=London|publisher=Oriental Translation Fund for Great-Britain and Ireland, page-49</ref>. The book narrates that Ghilzai, son of Mato, was blessed with three sons: Ibrahim, Toor (Tuan) and Poor (Buran). Ibrahim had two sons; Haijub and Sahbak. Haijub was further blessed with thirteen sons; [[Tanoli]] (Tanokhel), [[Sulaimankhel]], [[Ali Khel]], Omerkhel, Karikhel, Hameerkhel, Varaki, Chani, Donver and Paroki.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> As such, the tribes comprising decendents of Bibi Mato collectively constitute the Ghilzai confideration of Pakhtuns.However, the other theory suggest that they descended from the [[Khalaj people|Khalaj]] or [[Khilji dynasty]],<ref>''Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province'', H. A. Rose, p. 241.</ref><ref>''At the Court of Amîr: A Narrative'', by John Alfred Gray, p. 203.</ref><ref>[http://www.khyber.org/articles/2005/TheKhalajWestoftheOxus.shtml ]{{dead link|date=April 2014}}</ref> who entered Afghanistan in the 10th century. According to [[Mountstuart Elphinstone|Elphinstone]], the Khilji, "though [[Turkic peoples|Turks]]([[Turco-Mongols]]) by descent...had so long settled among the Afghans that they had almost identified with that people."<ref>''A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases: Hobson-Jobson'', by C. Burnell, Henry Yule, p. 371.</ref>.
The Ghilzai (Pashto: غلزی), also known historically as Ghilji (Pashto: غلجي), Khilji (Pashto: خلجي) and Gharzai (Pashto: غرزی, ghar literally means "mountain" and zai "born of"), are the second-largest Pashtuntribal confederacy found in Afghanistan and Pakistan[1]. The Ghilzai Tribes are today scattered all over Afghanistan and some parts of Pakistan but mainly in and around the regions between Zabul and Kabul area, and extending into eastern Suleiman Mountains. In Pakistan the Ghilzai Tribes are mostly settled in Balochistan[2] and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa. Many of the migrating Kochi people of Afghanistan belong to the Ghilzai confederacy[1].During the 14th and 15th centuries, various Khilji dynasties took control in the Indian subcontinent, including the Khilji dynasty of Delhi, the Khilji dynasty of Bengal, Lodhi dynasty of Delhi.
The Ghilzai is a super-tribe of Batani confederation of Pashtun tribes whose origin is somewhat controversal. Etymologically the word Ghilzai is derived from Gharzai (غلزې), meaning "son of mountain"[3] or "swordsman"[4]. Some oriental scholars hold that the Ghilzais are the descendants of a mixed race of Hephthalite and Pakhtas who have been living in Afghanistan since the Vedic period.[1]. The first and the most plausible theory however suggests that they descended at least in part from the Ghurids:
" Ghalzaī tribal genealogies in general trace their early descent from the union of either Shah Ḥosayn, a Ghurid (q.v.) prince and, Bībī Mātō , a granddaughter of Qays ʿAbd al-Rašīd, the putative ancestor of all Pashtuns, or Mokarram Shah, a Pashtun prince from Ḡūr, and the daughter of a Persian notable..."[5][6].This theory of decent from Bibi Mato, daughter of Batani, is also supported by one of the oldest books on Pashtuns Makhzen-e-Afghani[7]. The book narrates that Ghilzai, son of Mato, was blessed with three sons: Ibrahim, Toor (Tuan) and Poor (Buran). Ibrahim had two sons; Haijub and Sahbak. Haijub was further blessed with thirteen sons; Tanoli (Tanokhel), Sulaimankhel, Ali Khel, Omerkhel, Karikhel, Hameerkhel, Varaki, Chani, Donver and Paroki.[7] As such, the tribes comprising decendents of Bibi Mato collectively constitute the Ghilzai confideration of Pakhtuns.However, the other theory suggest that they descended from the Khalaj or Khilji dynasty,[8][9][10] who entered Afghanistan in the 10th century. According to Elphinstone, the Khilji, "though Turks(Turco-Mongols) by descent...had so long settled among the Afghans that they had almost identified with that people."[11].
When the Hotak tribe, under the leadership of Mir Wais Hotak revolted against the Safavids in 1709, the Ghilzai came into conflicts with their western neighbors. Mir Wais, an influential Afghan tribal leader and founder of the Hotaki dynasty, had visited the Persian court and studied their military weaknesses. The Afghan tribes rankled under the ruling Shia Safavids because of their continued attempts to convert the Pashtuns from Sunni to Shiaism[12] Spawning Afghan nationalism, Mir Wais succeeded in expelling the Safavids from Kandahar. His eldest son, Mahmud, effected a successful invasion of Persia (now Iran) which culminated in the conquest of Isfahan and the deposition of the Safavid Shah Sultan Husayn. Mahmud was then crowned Shah and ruled for a brief period before being deposed by his own clansmen. His cousin and successor (Ashraf Hotaki) reigned for nearly five years before being killed by Baloch tribes while fleeing towards Kandahar. Their rule ended after the Siege of Kandahar in 1738.
. In Afghanistan the Ghilzai are scattered all over the country but mainly settled around the regions between Zabul and Kabul provinces.The Afghan province of Paktika is considered to be a heartland of the Ghaljai tribe. Ghilzai sub-tribes in Paktika include the Kharoti, especially in the Sar Hawza and Urgon districts, the Andar and the largest single Ghilzai sub-tribe, the Suleimankhel, who are the majority in northern and western areas of Paktika such as; Katawaz. Many members of the Ghilzai tribe, such as; the Kharoti sub-tribe and particularly the Nasher clan were exiled from Loya Paktia (Paktia, Paktika and Khost) to Kunduz in the north by AmirAbdur Rahman Khan due to political reasons[14]. They are predominantly a nomadic group unlike the Durranis who are usually found in permanent settlements.The Ghilzai mostly work as herdsmen as well as construction workers and in other jobs that allow them to travel. Often possessing great mechanical aptitude, the Ghilzai nonetheless have an extremely low literacy rate hovering below 10% in Afghanistan. The Ghilzai regularly cross over between Afghanistan and Pakistan often being exempted from customs due to the acceptance of their nomadic traditions by officials from both countries. Population estimates vary, but they are most likely around 20% to 25% of the population of Afghanistan and probably number over 9 million in Afghanistan alone with 4 million or more found in neighboring Pakistan mostly in Quetta.
Ghilzai in Pakistan
The Ghilzai super-tribe in Pakistan is usually recognized by its tribes and sub-tribes located in various parts of the country.In Quetta many members of Ghilzai tribe such as Kharoti, Suleimankhel, Andar are mainly concentrated in Northern and City Central Areas. Whereas in Kyber Pakhtunkawa, Ghilzai Sub-tribes like Niazi and Tanoli dwell both in plain and hilly areas.
Ghilzai Religion and Customs
The Ghilzais are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school, often devout to their faith and intensely follow the Pashtun code of honor known as Pashtunwali.
The tribesmen own several, tightly bound carpet and fabric businesses in the Middle East and Pakistan, especially in the major city of Karachi. The Ghilzai remain a somewhat divided family, with the Kharoti and the Suleimankhel being traditional rivals.
^ abcitation|last=Dorn|first=Bernhard|title=History of the Afghans: translated from the persian of Niamat Ullah|year=1836|location=London|publisher=Oriental Translation Fund for Great-Britain and Ireland, page-49
^Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province, H. A. Rose, p. 241.
^At the Court of Amîr: A Narrative, by John Alfred Gray, p. 203.
