Tahirkheli
Encyclopedia
The Tahir 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, which are a subtribe of the Tareen
. The Tareen
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
.
. 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, Sar Bulland Khan 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.
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,US.
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
tribe who mainly dwell in the Hazara region
Hazara Division
On the dissolution of West Pakistan in 1970, Hazara District and the two tribal agencies were merged to form the new Hazara Division with its capital at Abbottabad...
of the North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Most Tahirkhelis have adopted the language of Hindko, which is the native language of the people of Haripur
Haripur District
Haripur is a district in the Hazara region of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, province of Pakistan with an altitude of around above sea level. Haripur District has the highest Human Development Index of all the districts in the Hazara....
. However, there is still a substantial number of Tahirkhelis that speak Pashto
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
in areas such as Topi
Topi
The Tsessebe , is one of five subspecies in the binomial class D. lunatus. The other subspecies include Korrigum , Tiang , Coastal Topi , and Topi . Tesessebe are found primarily in Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa...
, Swabi
Swabi
Swabi is the capital of Swabi District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 34°7'0N 72°28'0E. Its residents are referred to as 'Swabiwaal.'-Geography:...
, Ghazi, and Qazipur
Qazipur
Qazipur is one of the 44 union councils, administrative subdivions, of Haripur District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Qazipur is located at 33°59'34N 72°36'11E and lies to the west of the district capital Haripur-References:...
. They are ethnically Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
and are of the Alizai
Alizai (tribe)
The Alizai are Pashtun Tribe of Afghanistan and Balochistan . The Alizai tribe usually reside in Afghanistan and Balochistan as well as various areas of Tarbela Dam and Attock. Alizai is the biggest tribe of Afghanistan and the Alizai tribe are considered to be a warrior tribe since their...
and Yousafzai
Yousafzai
The Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
Pathan tribes, which are a subtribe of the Tareen
Tareen
The Tareen are a prominent Sarbanri Pashtun tribe residing in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. They are one of the largest Pashtun tribes.-History:...
. The Tareen
Tareen
The Tareen are a prominent Sarbanri Pashtun tribe residing in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. They are one of the largest Pashtun tribes.-History:...
are descendents of Saraban son of Qais Abdur Rashid
Qais Abdur Rashid
Qais Abdur Rashid Khan , also known as Kesh, Kish, Qesh and Imraul Qais is a legendary ancestor of the Pashtun race, claimed to be the first ethnic Pashtun who travelled to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia during the early days of Islam.) He is believed to be the 37th descendent of King Saul .He...
. Tahirkhelis follow the Pukhtunwali code of conduct.
Tahirkhelis are a well-respected, wealthy, landowning tribe. Their history can be traced back to Kandahar, Afghanistan
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
and Eastern Iran
Eastern Iranian peoples
The Eastern Iranian peoples are historical ethno-linguistic groups frequently mentioned in Avesta as well as Sanskrit and Pali literature, who are identified by their use of Eastern Iranian languages which diversified out of the Common Indo-Iranian in the course of the early Iron Age...
.
History and origin
The origin of Pashtuns is debated, however recent evidence has suggested that they could be among the lost Jewish tribesTen Lost Tribes
The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to those tribes of ancient Israel that formed the Kingdom of Israel and which disappeared from Biblical and all other historical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed in about 720 BC by ancient Assyria...
. Other evidence points to heavy Greek
Ancient Macedonians
The Macedonians originated from inhabitants of the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, in the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axios...
and Turkish
Göktürks
The Göktürks or Kök Türks, were a nomadic confederation of peoples in medieval Inner Asia. Known in Chinese sources as 突厥 , the Göktürks under the leadership of Bumin Qaghan The Göktürks or Kök Türks, (Old Turkic: Türük or Kök Türük or Türük; Celestial Turks) were a nomadic confederation of...
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
Haripur District
Haripur is a district in the Hazara region of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, province of Pakistan with an altitude of around above sea level. Haripur District has the highest Human Development Index of all the districts in the Hazara....
region, Tahir Baba was gifted all the land in that area by Abdali as a commemoration for his regiments bravery. Tahir Baba's son, Sar Bulland Khan 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
Hazara District
Hazara District was a district of Peshawar Division in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan until 1976.The Imperial Gazetteer of India described the district as follows..-Khatris and Khokhran:...
and Haripur as fierce warriors, Tahirkhelis are now seen as a politically powerful and land owning tribe.
After their migration to Hazara
Hazara Division
On the dissolution of West Pakistan in 1970, Hazara District and the two tribal agencies were merged to form the new Hazara Division with its capital at Abbottabad...
, which occurred in the late-18th century, most Tahirkhelis settled in that area. The earliest written accounts of British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
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.
Distribution
In recent generations, Tahirkhelis have inhabited the eastern Indus RiverIndus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
banks near the villages of Khalo, Eesaa and Salam Khand as well as Khairbara, Ghazi and other various parts of the Haripur
Haripur District
Haripur is a district in the Hazara region of Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, province of Pakistan with an altitude of around above sea level. Haripur District has the highest Human Development Index of all the districts in the Hazara....
of the North West Frontier Province and Attock District
Attock District
Attock District is a district in the north-west Punjab Province of Pakistan.The district was created in April 1904 by the merger of Talagang Tehsil in the Jhelum District with the Pindigheb, Fatehjang and Attock tehsils from Rawalpindi District of the Punjab province of British India.Attock...
of Punjab.
There are small Tahirkheli communities residing outside of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
as well, such as in London, England, Birmingham, England, Bradford,England, Cardiff, Wales, Northern California,US and North Carolina,US.
Famous Tahirkhelis
- Ayub Khan (Maternal)
- Shirin R. Tahir-KheliShirin R. Tahir-KheliDr. Prof. Shirin R. Tahir-Kheli is a Pakistani-American political scientist and an Ambassador. In 2008, she was the senior advisor for women's empowerment to the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and was Senior director for Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations at the...