Afridi
Afridi (Pashto: اپريدي, Urdu: آفریدی, Hindi: आफ़रीदी), classically called the Abaörteans (Template:Pron-en; Template:Lang-lat), is the name of a Pashtun (Pathan) tribe. The Afridis inhabit about 1,000 square miles (3,000 km²) of rough hilly area in the eastern Safed Koh range, west of the Peshawar Valley and east of Torkham, and Maidan in Tirah, which can be accessed by the Kajurhi plains and the valleys of Bara and Churah. Some Afridi clans also inhabit India, most noted are the Kuki Khel of Jammu and Kashmir and in some parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.[1][2][3] The tribe contains about 415,000 people.
History
The famous historian Herodotus mentions a country bordering on the banks of the Indus occupied by a people called the Pactyans[4] who were divided into four[citation needed] nations, one which was the Aparthea, or Aparutai, identified with the modern Afridis. They lay claim to an inaccessible upland area of refuge, the Tirah and its central place, Maidan and at Bagh[citation needed]. As a result, they have literally have been able to force every passing conqueror to pay toll[citation needed] tax for use or passage through the Khyber Pass.
Panini the great Sanskrit grammarian who himself hailed from Shalatur , a village located near the confluence of the Kabul and Indus river, has also mentioned the names of some of the northwestern tribes like the Madhumants (Mohmands) and Aprits (Afridis) in his Ashtadhayayi (5th century BC)[5]
Some writers such as Haroon Rashid [6] think that some tribes like the Afridis and Khattaks are indigenous, considering, for instance, that the Afridis inhabited this terrain even during pre-historic times, which is before the recorded movement of other notable Pashtun tribes to their present abodes[citation needed]. Olaf Caroe and Aurel Stein are reported to have suggested that the Afridis may be the original inhabitants of the Gandhara area rather than an integral part of the great clans allegedly descended from the tribes of Israel. Thus, the Afridi tribe is one of the infamous Karlanri tribes, who have a formidable reputation as warriors.
Some historians[who?] think that Afridis are the direct descendants of the Greeks. During the time of Alexander The Great, some of his troops made this terrain their permanent abode. The Albanians[original research?] amongst his troops constitute a considerable number in the Pashtun population.[citation needed]
According to Pashtun folklore, the Afridi tribe can trace its origin back to the eponymous ancestor of all Pashtuns, Qais Abdur Rashid, through his youngest son, Karlan. Some[who?] claim that Afridis are in fact one of the lost tribes (Ephraim) of the ancient Israelites.
Conversion to Islam
The Afridi conversion to Islam is attributed to Mahumad of Ghazni who invaded the region by several sources including Ibbetson and others such as Haroon Rashid
The Afridi were nominally converted to Islam by Mahmud of Ghazni [7]
Mahmud of Ghazni nominally converted the Afridis to Islam[8]
Clans
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2008) |
| Tribe | Subtribes | Clans of Tribe | Division of Clans | Subdivsion | Section of Subdivision | Minor Fractions | Other Fractions | ||||||||
| Afridi | Adam Khel
Kala Khel hassan khel akhurwal gadya khel pirwal khel bulaqi khel |
Gallai | Zargun Khel | Muhammad Khel | |||||||||||
| Tor Sapar | Feroz Khel | ||||||||||||||
| Aka Khel | Sanzal Khel | Mada Khel | Sultan Khel | Mirghat Khel | Marouf Khel | Maeri Khel | |||||||||
| Kuki Khel | Hassan Khel | ||||||||||||||
| Salor Plarai | |||||||||||||||
| Abal Sakander | Hassan Khel | Kattia Khel | Futteh Khel | ||||||||||||
| Mohmand Khel | Dildar Khel | Behram Kor | Adala Kor | ||||||||||||
| Mannia Khel | Mashi Khel | Feroz Khel | |||||||||||||
| Kambar Khel | Bar Kambar Khel | ||||||||||||||
| Shalubar Kambar Khel | Dray Plari | Zona Khel | Zapari | ||||||||||||
| Sheikhmal Khel | |||||||||||||||
| Wand | |||||||||||||||
| Kamar Khel | |||||||||||||||
| Malikdeen Khel | Umar Khan Khel | Shahi Khel | |||||||||||||
| Sipah | Urmuz Khel | Abdul Khel | dreywandi | Ghaibi Khel | karakhel | sarkhankhel | Pero Khel | surankhel | shiekhan | ||||||
| Landi Khel | Abdul Rahman Khel | ||||||||||||||
| Zakha Khel | Budai | Pakhai | Hassan Khel | Nikki Khel | Ahmad Khel |
All of the Afridi clans have their own areas in the Tirah, and most of them extend down into the Khyber Pass over which they have always exercised the right of toll. The Malikdin Khel live in the center of the Tirah and hold Bagh, the traditional meeting place of Afridi jirgas or assemblies. The Aka Khel are scattered in the hills south of Jamrud. All of this area is included in the Khyber Agency. The Adam Khel live in the hills between Peshawar and Kohat. Their preserve is the Kohat Pass. In which several of the most important Afridi gun factories are located. The Adam khel Afridis are further divided into seven clans.
Religion
Most Afridis follow the religion of Islam. The Afridis are said to have been initially converted to Islam during the time of Mahmud of Ghazni, and then during the time of Muhammad of Ghor. The Afridis are found to throng the Masjids at the time of prayers. A pleasant surprise comes, at the time of Eid Milad-ul-Nabi (the Holy Prophet's birthday), when the festival is held with unusual fervour and religious zeal, which is a spectacular sight. They are also observed to subscribe to many religious rituals[specify].
Description
Olaf Caroe refers to their Grecian features, standing as a model of the Greek god Apollo, and the elderly lot resembling Zeus[page needed]. To Spain they convey an impression of an assembly of Old Testament Prophets because of their light skin[citation needed], Hebraic cast of features[verification needed] and beards.
Cuisine
Meat is an important part of their diet which they eat in the form of döner kabab (minced meat fried in oil in a special way), lamb curry (lamb is the favourite meat of Afridis in contrast with other groups in Pakistan who mostly like goat), chicken curry, goat curry and much more. The hotels in Peshawar Namak Mandi Bazar represent the traditional food of Afridis, especially Lamb Karahi. In vegetable cuisine bindi (okra), rajma (kidney beans), dal (lentils) and sag (spinach) are notable. Their desserts include kheer (rice pudding), meenchai (sugared noodles). They drink a lot of chai (green tea).
Prominent Afridis
- Shahid Afridi, a well known cricketer of Pakistan.
- Misri Khan Khatir Afridi, a prominent poet who wrote over 40,000 poems in his only four year
- Haji Ayub Afridi, prominent drug smuggler and politician
- Abdul Afridi, First Year Historian at The University of Warwick 2009-2010
See also
References
- ^ "Indians with Biblical Roots". Think Israel. Retrieved 2009–06–11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Special focus on Gujjars, Paharis: CM". Daily Excelsior. Retrieved 2009–06–11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Study of the Pathan Communities in Four States of India, Khyber.org (retrieved 30 January 2008)
- ^ Pakistan and the emergence of Islamic militancy in Afghanistan By Rizwan Hussain Page 16
- ^ page 64 India and Central Asia By J. N. Roy, J.N. Roy And B.B. Kumar, Astha Bharati (Organization), Indian Council for Cultural Relations
- ^ Dr. Yaseen Iqbal Yousafzay. "Book review-History of the Pathans: The Sarabani Pathans Volume I by Haroon Rashid". Archived from the original on 2009-10-24.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose "A Glossary of The Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province", 1911 AD, Page 217, Vol III,Published by Asian Educational Services
- ^ History of the Pathans By Haroon Rashid Published by Haroon Rashid, 2002 Item notes: v. 1 Page 45 Original from the University of Michigan
External links
it is represented by all afridi cleans malikdenkhel m d k and so on