This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN 978-969-696-937-2 (Ebook)
ISBN 978-969-696-938-9 (Print)

Preface

It has been my desire for quite some time to bring together and collate the history of the Pukhtuns and to present it to the nation in the form of a book. The initiation of the national movement in the Frontier Province and my joining it gave further impetus to this desire because, to protect a nation from shame and destruction, it must be aware of its history.

A nation that starts rising from a state of progressive decay depends greatly upon its history for this transition. In this world, every nation cites examples of and takes lessons from the achievements of its elders and prepares itself for moving ahead in the comity of nations. A study of our history reveals that, like the history of other nations, that of the Pukhtuns is also very grand, especially, their sacrifices for the freedom of their nation. As compared to other nations, these sacrifices, if not more, are definitely not less in magnitude and this is the reason for my desire to present to my Pukhtun brothers the conditions that were encountered by our elders of bygone days and thereby serve my nation in this noble task.

For doing so, time and freedom from other responsibilities are of the essence, and because of my varied preoccupations, I was unable to fulfill this desire until December 1931, when the British Government lost its patience with our political struggle and decided to carry out wholesale arrests of our workers and leadership. The party workers of the Khudai Khidmatgar Movement were arrested and sent to various jails in the Frontier Province, while four of us, namely, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Doctor Khan Sahib, Saadullah Khan (Doctor Khan Sahib’s son) and myself, were sent far away from our province to different jails in India. For some months, we were all held in solitary confinement, but later, I was shifted to the Central Jail, Banaras, alongwith Saadullah Khan, where we spent time together. During this period, I was able to find time to fulfill my cherished desire and I started writing this history. However, to write a historical account, the availability of the relevant books and documents is essential and for this, I was at the mercy of the jail officials for assistance; I do not mean to say that the latter refused to help me, but to get every book was not an easy task for them. Anyway, whatever material they could lay their hands on was provided to me and I started my work. In this, I am very grateful to my dear friend Saadullah Khan for his generous help; most of the time I would be dictating the subject matter and he would be writing it, and not only that, he was also a great help in the study of the different books and other material.

On our release from jail, I got caught up in my other responsibilities again and the manuscript of my book kept lying unattended. I realized that the printing of the whole book would require a considerable amount of time and it would therefore be advisable to print it in our national newspaper and magazine, ‘Pukhtun’, in installments. The newspaper started printing three to four pages of my work in every issue and this carried on for some months, but then I realized that this system of four pages per issue did not do justice to the subject as it resulted in partial coverage of events, giving a disjointed picture. I, therefore, discontinued the printing of the book piecemeal in the ‘Pukhtun’ and for some time the manuscript kept lying in wait to be published.

I was approached by many friends as well as others who were fond of history and had been following its installments in the ‘Pukhtun’ to print the ‘history’ in book form as it would be very beneficial to the public, however, I just could not find the time to do so. As luck would have it, we were arrested once again in 1942 and were locked up at the Peshawar Central Jail; I took this as another opportunity to complete my work and decided to ask for a copy of the manuscript of my book to take a fresh look at it and to carry out improvements, additions, clarifications, and fine polishing before sending it to the printers. The manuscript was in the custody of the editor of the ‘Pukhtun’ newspaper from whom I had it delivered to me and I started revising and restructuring it afresh. In this, I was ably assisted by my friends, Khan Amir Mohammad Khan, Kamdar Khan (late), and Munfa’at Khan, who were at the time under confinement with me. I was able to carry out the necessary changes during my stay in the jail cell, but on my release from confinement, I was again given the responsibility of running a ministry, a full-time affair because of which, as the saying in Pushto goes, “one cannot even find time to scratch one’s head”; so, once again, the book kept lying in manuscript form for some more time. Despite my intense desire to print the book at the earliest, I was helpless in the matter. I, therefore, requested the editor of the ‘Pukhtun’, Abdul Khaliq Khaleeq, to assist me in getting it printed; he graciously agreed and it was with his help that the first volume of the ‘Da Pukhtano Tarikh’ (History of the Pukhtuns) was published and I am hopeful that the remaining volumes will also soon be published.

I do not claim that this is a comprehensive complete history as there are many gaps in our knowledge of the past. I have not had the opportunity to visit Afghanistan personally so certain names of different regions may be inaccurate, however, the oversight is not intentional. Similarly, certain events may have been recorded contrary to the facts, but here again, my views are based on the books and documents from which I have gleaned the information and this is besides the fact that I have tried to avoid using unreliable and doubtful sources and only referred to those that I felt were authentic. I do not consider it necessary to mention the names of the sources that I have consulted in writing this book here as they have been recorded in the book at the places where they have been referred to. Most of these documents have been written by Britishers and they may reflect their political policies for which certain events may have been misrepresented by them; for this inaccuracy, I would like to offer my apologies to all Pukhtun brothers and especially my Afghan Pukhtun brothers as I had no other option in the matter.

The Pukhtuns have a long history and I have considered only the later period, that is, from 1622 CE to 1879 CE. The earlier period covers the period from Mahmud Ghaznavi to Bahlol Lodhi and Sher Shah. The second period started thereafter, which I have covered in these volumes.

Ataullah

Qazi Ataullah Khan

About The
Author

Qazi Ataullah Khan was a prominent leader of the Khudai Khidmatgar Movement that had been initiated by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan-Badshah Khan to gain independence from the British and to awaken the masses to the need for the realization of their rights. Hailing from a village Landai Yarghaji on the outskirts of Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he completed his early education at Peshawar and then joined the Aligarh University from where he graduated and completed his LLB degree in 1918. He started his legal practice at Mardan and also joined the Khudai Khidmatgar Movement under the leadership of Badshah Khan; he soon proved his mettle in both these spheres and emerged as a leading lawyer and a capable thinker and organizer for which he became known all over Northern India.

Qazi Ataullah Khan was a towering figure among the Khudai Khidmatgars in their struggle to get rid of the British yoke and for this, they became his sworn enemies and had him arrested several times as a political prisoner. He was subjected to the harshest inhuman treatment in jails all over British India over a period of twelve years, but they could not break his spirit and, despite this attitude of the British authorities, he rose to the post of a Minister in both the Congress governments in the NWFP in the cabinet of Dr Khan Sahib. Education of his people was an obsession and as the Minister of Education, he authored the first Education Policy of the Province, declared Pushto as a compulsory subject in all the schools of the Province, and converted all schools to Anglo-Indian status in place of a Vernacular status which, at the time, was a revolutionary step.

During his long periods of incarceration in the jails of India and later in Pakistan, he refused to be cowed down and, being a committed patriot, busied himself in writing a history of the Pukhtuns which he continued to the end of his life while a political prisoner in Mach jail. His herculean effort culminated in the publishing of ‘Da Pukhtano Tarikh’- History of the Pukhtuns, written in the Pushto language in four volumes.

Translator’s Note

The translation of the Pukhtano Tarikh has been a labor of love for the efforts of a great patriot, Qazi Ataullah Khan, whose lifelong desire was to awaken the dormant Pukhtun nation from its deep slumber and apathy to its deserved status in the annals of nations. In the preface to the book, he emphasizes that a knowledge of the history of one’s elders and past is essential for a nation to attain freedom and preserve it. Unlike the written history that we have been fed, which K K Aziz refers to in his book ‘The Murder of History’ by various authors, the ‘Pukhtano Tarikh’ is raw unexpurgated history that is hair-raising and a must-read for all Pukhtuns who have a regard for their status in the eyes of the world.

While translating this history, I have endeavored to religiously follow the text and ideas as expressed by the author to bring out the essence of the past events that he intended to convey to the reader; I have also ensured that the format adopted by the author is followed with minimal changes. Volume 1 starts with a brief coverage of the origins of the Pukhtun race, the various tribes, and the regions inhabited by them. The author also gives an alternate view of the origins of the Pukhtuns as an Appendix to Volume 1 which is presently accepted as the more viable theory of their beginnings. This is also borne out by the latest DNA findings that trace Pukhtun ancestry to Indo-Euoropean, Central Asian, South Central Asian, Turkic, Mongolian, and Indian influences but not Semitic or, in other words, Jewish influences. The main thrust of the author covers the period starting from the year 1622 CE, the period when the Pukhtuns rose in arms for the attainment of their freedom and independence, with the Ghaljis leading the renaissance of the race as they overran and ruled the Persian Empire for two generations. Close in their footsteps came Ahmad Shah Durrani who built and consolidated a Pukhtun Empire stretching from the Oxus in the north to the Arabian Sea in the south and from Irani Khurasan in the west to Kashmir and the Punjab in the east. The decline and breakup of this Empire have been painstakingly covered by the author in the four Volumes to highlight the reasons for its decline and downfall and to awaken the Pukhtuns from their deep apathy. The author has reiterated his firm belief in democratic governance as opposed to dictatorial or one-man rule in his comments at various stages.

As the study of Pushto as a language at schools in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa is no longer compulsory, it is hoped that the translation of this epic attempt of the author will benefit a larger cross-section of Pukhtuns and with the author’s insights and comments at appropriate junctures in the text, awaken them and get them to realize the debilitating effects of their internal dissensions and attitudes that are not allowing them to emerge as a united and strong entity.

I would like to express my gratitude to the family of Qazi Ataullah Khan, specifically his daughter, Mrs. Khalida Isa Khan, and his son Dr. Qazi Hamidullah, for their support in this endeavor. Thanks are due to Dr Muhammad Ali Dinakhel of Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar for assistance in the translation of a Pushto ballad by the poet Muezi. Last, but not least, I am grateful to my family for its patience and wholehearted support.

Brigadier Abdul Samad Khan (Retired)

Brigadier Abdul Samad Khan (Retired)

About The Translator

Abdul Samad Khan beongs to the Alikozai line of Pukhtuns, hailing from Tehkalbala, Peshawar. A distinguished military officer with a Mechanical Engineering degree and an MSc. in Production Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, he has held various important appointments in the army. He has also served in the Heavy Industries, Taxila and Pakistan Ordnance Factories, Wah. He retired from the army with the rank of a Brigadier.

After retirement, he ventured into the field of industry and was the Chief Executive Officer of Olympia Paper and Board Mills, Peshawar, of which he was part owner. He has been on the Executive Board of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He has also been a Member of the Syndicate of the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar. He is the President of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Foundation, Peshawar.

Born and bred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he feels strongly about the wasted talent of the Pukhtun and has translated the seminal work of Qazi Ataulah Khan from Pukhto to English to awaken his Pukhtun brothers to their vast potential. In this vein, he has also been assisting in the editing of another vital publication on the Pukhtun, the exhaustive "History of the Pathans" by Brigadier Haroon Rashid.

He lives with his family in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

PUKHTUN ROOTS AND ORIGINS

Pukhtun Roots 1
Pukhtun Tribes 07

III. Afghanistan’s Territories and Occupied Lands 21

PUKHTUNS AND THE STATE OF THEIR LAND FROM THE YEAR 1622 CE

Mughal and Persian Rule over the Pukhtuns 43
Mir Wais Hotak Ghaljai: Leader of Pukhtun Re-unification
and Independence. 51
Mir Mahmud Hotak Ghaljai and Pukhtun Rule over Iran. 68

VII. Mir Ashraf and the end of Pukhtun Rule over Iran. 86

VIII. Nadir Shah. 94

Ahmad Shah and Durrani Rule. 100
Ahmad Shah: Personality, Character and Attributes 129
Taimur Shah. 134

XII.Zaman Shah. 163

XIII. Shah Mahmud. 179

XIV. Shah Shuja. 189

Minister Fateh Khan. 209

XIV. The Rule of the Barakzais 237

XVII. Dost Mohammad Khan. 255

XVIII. Iran’s Invasion of Herat and its Heroic Defence by the Pakhtuns under the Leadership of Yar Mohammad Khan Alikozai 273

APPENDIX ……………………………………………………297

History of the Pukhtuns

(Da Pukhtano Tarikh)

Volume 01

PUKHTUN ROOTS AND ORIGINS

I. Pukhtun Roots

There are various traditions about the actual roots of the Pukhtuns. European historians hold divergent views about the actual origins of this race and, for this very reason, have not been able to reach any definite conclusion. As opposed to them, Pukhtun writers hold the view that the Pukhtun race has actually descended from the ten lost tribes of Israel who were expelled, along with other Jews, from Jerusalem when it was captured by Nebuchadnezzar. Some of these ten tribes, as per Jewish lore, migrated to Central Asia and settled in the mountains of Ghor, while others went to Arabia and settled in the vicinity of Makkah.

According to the historians, these ten tribes were the descendants of a person by the name of Afghana and thus, came to be known as Afghans. Some historians are of the view that Afghana was the grandson of the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) from his wife Hajira (RA) and was a descendant of Hazrat Ismail (AS). Others say that Afghana was the son of Arabia, who was the son of Talut (AS), the King of the Israelis (who is also mentioned in the holy Quran in the second para, Surah Al Baqarah, Ayat 247). These tribes, until the arrival of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), were followers of the Jewish faith; Khalid Bin Walid (RA), a well-known companion of the Holy Prophet, is reputed to be from this Afghan tribe. During the Holy Prophet’s time, Khalid Bin Walid (RA), on conversion to Islam, invited his tribesmen who had been living in the mountains of Ghor since the days of old to accept Islam as their religion. These Afghans, prior to accepting Islam, organized a Jirga (delegation) under the leadership of a Pukhtun named Qais to go to Makkah and appear before the Holy Prophet to study and understand the religion of Islam. The Holy Prophet treated this Jirga with respect and gave Qais the title of ‘Malik Abdur Rashid’.

The entire Jirga embraced Islam in the presence of the Holy Prophet, who, when they were returning, blessed them with his prayers and sent some Arab mubalighs (missionaries) with them to propagate the teachings of Islam. Within the space of about forty years, all the tribes were converted to Islam.

Certain historians, in support of their contention that the Pukhtuns have Jewish origins, refer to an incident that occurred at the time of the invasion of India by Nadir Shah of Persia. It is said that when he arrived at Peshawar, the Yusafzai elders, to prove their Jewish credentials presented him with, in addition to numerous other items that were used by the Jews in the performance of their religious rituals, a copy of the Torah that was written in the Hebrew language. The Jews in Nadir Shah’s force recognized all the items and accepted them as the descendants of the Jews.

In this connection, the views of Abdullah Khan Hirati, a Pukhtun historian, are also worth consideration. He says that Talut (AS), the King of the Jews, had two sons named Afghan and Jalut; Afghan was the ancestor of the Pukhtuns and for this reason, they came to be known as Afghans. After the reigns of Daud (AS) and Sulaiman (AS), who were descendants of Talut (AS), civil war broke out among the Jews which continued up to the time of the Romans, when they seized Jerusalem and destroyed it; seventy thousand Jews were slaughtered and the ones who remained were taken to Babylon as captives. The Afghan tribe, out of fear, fled from Judea and settled in Arabia. As Arabia was mostly a sandy desert with very scant vegetation, they could not feed their cattle and so started moving eastwards towards India.

Abdullah Khan Hirati continues that one tribe, the Abdalis, stayed in Arabia, and during the time of the Khilafat of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), they established marital relations with Khalid Bin Walid, the famous companion of the Holy Prophet; this event enhanced their power and stature in the area. When the Arabs defeated the Persians, the Abdalis settled in the newly acquired territories and occupied the provinces of Faras and Kirman. They remained there up to the onslaught of Changez Khan on Iran when reacting to the cruelty and high-handedness of the Mongols, they left Iran and moved towards India via Mekran in Sindh and Multan. However, the inhabitants of these areas did not welcome them and, after numerous battles and skirmishes, pushed them towards the Sulaiman Range where they joined up with the other Afghan tribes. At that time, the Afghans consisted of forty tribes, all tracing their lineage to Afghan, the son of Talut (AS).

As opposed to the above view, certain historians are of the opinion that Afghan is not a Pushto word and is derived from the Arabic language. When the Arabs captured this land, they started referring to the Pukhtuns, because of their disunity, fighting, and shouting during their jirgas (meetings), as Afghans, which, in Arabic, means shouting or making a noise.

In contemporary accepted modern history, the word Afghan was first used by historians with reference to the Pukhtuns during the time of Sultan Abu Saeed Mirza (1316 CE) and received general acceptance during the reign of Shah Abbas-e-Azam (a great ruler of Iran in 1587 CE).

Niamatullah, a renowned historian of the Pukhtuns, has written in one of his books that there are no reliable books or traditions about the actual roots of the Pukhtuns because after the Prophet Musa (AS) overcame the Pharaoh and wrested Jerusalem and Syria from him, the region was later attacked and overcome by the Romans who reduced Jerusalem to rubble and expelled the Bani Israel from the land. Thereafter, they kept moving from one region to another, at times putting up in the mountains and at times in the settled areas, living like gypsies; in the process, their faculties of scholarship and religious knowledge suffered and, slowly and slowly, they lost all their acquired knowledge and abilities of old. The writing of history was totally alien to them, whatever knowledge and arts that they had acquired during their independence and rule were totally forgotten after the loss of their kingdom and government. A nation tends to become backward in its knowledge and arts when it loses its independence and sovereign status. It was due to this that the Bani Israel lost the ability and the desire to record national events and write about their history.

Niamatullah writes further that though there are no historical writings or books about the origins of the Pukhtuns, there are numerous old traditions that have been passed down from person to person amongst the people; from these traditions, one is led to the conclusion that Ibn-e-Yamin Bin Yakub (AS) had a grandson by the name of Qais whose entire ancestral property consisted of four sheep. Qais had a very handsome son named Sarol who, because of his tall stature was called Talut. Talut, in addition to the four sheep, also kept an ass for fetching water from the river Nile for domestic use. One day, it so happened that two out of the four sheep got lost; while searching for them, he came across a young man from the Lawi tribe by the name of Ismail who, on seeing Talut, took some oil out of his bag and massaged Talut’s head with it; in a short while, his hair took the shape of a crown and Ismail, on seeing this, greeted him and hailed him as the King of the Bani Israel. With the passage of time, Sarol married twice into the Lawi tribe; from one of these marriages, he had a daughter who later got married to Daud (AS), the youngest of twelve brothers. These brothers had together fought with great valor and courage for the Bani Israel against the Amalaqa tribe and in recognition of their services, King Talut made Daud (AS) responsible for the governance and administration of a large portion of his kingdom. The latter handled his responsibilities with great diligence, justice, sincerity, and dedication and created such a name for himself amongst the people that, on the death of Talut, they appointed him as their King, that is, the King of the Bani Israel. A short while after the death of Talut, both his wives were blessed with sons; one was named Barakia, and the other, Aramia. Daud (AS) treated both the widows of Talut with great care and respect and when their sons came of age, he gave them each the leadership of one of the tribes. Barakia and Aramia, because of their boldness, bravery, justice, and fair play, established such good and efficient administrations in their areas of responsibility that the news of their abilities and capabilities reached every nook and corner of the land. Because of their sterling qualities of leadership, Daud (AS) appointed Barakia as his prime minister and Aramia as the commander of his forces. On account of their pleasant demeanor, fairness, justice, bravery and depth of knowledge, the general public’s happiness knew no bounds. Commerce, communications, business, and agriculture made unprecedented progress and there was peace and prosperity all around. After some time, both Barakia and Aramia got married and each of them was blessed by God with a son; Barakia’s son was named Asif and Aramia named his son Afghana.

Barakia and Aramia both died their natural deaths as time rolled on. On the death of Daud (AS), his son, Sulaiman (AS) became the King of the Bani Israel. He appointed Asif and Afghana to the positions that had been held by their respective fathers. In addition to the post of the Commander of the forces, Afghana was also made responsible for developing and building Jerusalem, a task that was completed by him during his lifetime. As time went on, God Almighty bestowed his blessings on both the houses of Asif and Afghana and the former begot eighteen sons while the latter had forty sons; during the rule of Sulaiman (AS), there was no other tribe as strong and as large as these two tribes amongst the Bani Israel.

Life went on and ages swept by until the Romans appeared on the scene and took hold of Syria. They tried to force the Bani Israel to accept Caesar as a god to be worshipped by all. The Bani Israel refused to accept him as a deity because of which there was strife and many battles were fought between them; the Romans were too strong for them and eventually, after exposing them to extreme hardships and cruelty, expelled most of them from Syria with only the few who accepted Caesar as a deity being allowed to stay.

The expelled tribes of the Bani Israel took refuge in the mountains of Ghor and some in the mountains of Feroza; thus the tribes of Asif and Afghana both got settled in these mountains where they were continuously at war with the indigenous infidels and idol worshippers until, slowly and slowly, the latter were all eliminated. These tribes gradually grew larger and as a result of their size, boldness and bravery, they started spreading from these mountainous regions to Kohistan, Kabul, Kandahar and Ghazni.

Some of the Bani Israel tribes, on expulsion from Syria, had moved to Arabia because having been forced to abandon the house of God built by Daud (AS) and Sulaiman (AS), it was natural for them to go to the house of God built by Ibrahim (AS). With this intention, they moved to Arabia and settled in the vicinity of Makkah where they continued worshipping one God. Fifteen hundred years after the passing away of Sulaiman (AS), the holy Prophet, Muhammad (SAW) was born. After the ninth year of the prophet-hood of Muhammad (SAW), one of his great companions, Khalid bin Walid (RA), who was an eminent leader of the Bani Israel and head of the Khalidi Afghans (the Bangashes are known as Khalidi Afghans), wrote a letter to the Pukhtuns of Ghor to give them the good news of the prophet-hood of Muhammad (SAW).

On the receipt of this letter, a Jirga of Pukhtun elders, under the leadership of a person by the name of Qais, left for Madina. The genealogy of Qais could be traced to Talut (AS) through thirty-seven generations. On arrival at Madina, the jirga appeared before the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), pledged allegiance to him straightaway, and embraced Islam.

The Holy Prophet treated the jirga members with courtesy and respect and blessed them with his prayers. He gave them all Arabic names and Qais was named Abdur Rashid; the title of Malik that the Bani Israel had given to his great-grandfather Talut (AS) was also bestowed upon him by the Holy Prophet. When the Pukhtun Jirga, on their return journey, was taking leave, the Holy Prophet bestowed another title, ‘Bataan’, on Malik Abdur Rashid; the word Bataan in the Syrian language is used for the keel of a boat and the title meant that Malik Abdur Rashid would be the keel or, in other words, the backbone of his people. When Malik Abdur Rashid returned to the mountains of Ghor, he led and guided his people so ably that in a very short while, the whole nation embraced Islam.

Khalid bin Walid (RA) gave his daughter’s hand in marriage to Qais Abdur Rashid, from whom God Almighty blessed him with three sons. The eldest was named Saraban, the second was Betan, and the third was Gurgusht. With the passage of time, their descendants multiplied in number and they became the progenitors of very large tribes.

Saraban had two sons, Sharakhban and Qarashban. Sharakhban had five sons who became the progenitors of the Abdali (Durranis), Tarin, Sherani, and Khetran or Ketran tribes. Qarashban is the forefather of the Yusafzi, Muhammadzi, Khalil, Mohmand, Daudzi, and Gukiani tribes. Betan’s daughter was married to a Persian and from them rose the Pukhtun tribes of Ghaljis, Lodhis, and Tatoris. Gurgusht had three sons from whom rose the Kakar, Wazir, Shitak, Turi, Khattak, Afridi, and Shinwari tribes.

The conclusion that can be drawn from the above is that in the opinion of the Pukhtun historians, the Pukhtuns are Bani Israel. Their habits, looks, demeanor and way of living are also similar to the Bani Israel. Even at this time, the names of certain places and mountains are similar, for example, Khyber is the name of a famous Jewish region in Arabia, while in the land of the Pukhtuns, it is the area that is inhabited by the Afridis and the Shinwaris. Sudam is an area in Yusafzai territory and it is also the name of a city of the Bani Israel. Similarly, the words Jalil and Jalala have been derived from Galilee which is the name of a famous Palestinian sea. In the same way, the Koh-e-Sulaiman Range of mountains got its name from Sulaiman (AS), a prophet and a great king of the Jews. The Arabs, initially, used to refer to the Pukhtuns as the Sulaimanis whereas the Pukhtuns have always called themselves Pukhtuns.

Amongst the European writers, Sir William Jones is of the opinion that the origins of the Pukhtuns are probably Jewish while others, like Professor Doran of Kharkov and the Honourable Mount Stewart Elphinstone, etc., are of the view that the actual origins of the Pukhtun race are obscure because they have been living in the mountains of Ghor and the Sulaiman Range (in which all the southern mountain ranges are included) since ages. Farishta also says that the Pukhtuns were living in the mountains of northeastern Afghanistan in the 9^th century CE and were, at the time, ruled by the Arabian Samani Kingdom, however, those living in the mountains of Ghor had never been subjugated by anyone, and had always remained independent and free.

II. Pukhtun Tribes

The Pukhtun tribes are divided into two main branches, the Pukhtuns of Western Afghanistan and of Eastern Afghanistan. The Pukhtuns of Western Afghanistan consist of very large tribes such as:

Abdali
Ghalji
Tarin
Barhesi
Kakar
Nasir
Wardak
Powindah

The Abdalis are presently referred to as Durranis and this name was first given to them by Ahmad Shah Abdali, who had been crowned King in 1747 CE and had assumed the title of ‘Dur-e-Durran’. Abdal was the grandson of Saraban and the ancestor of this tribe. He had one son, Tarin, who in turn, had two sons, Zeerak and Panjpah.

Zeerak was the progenitor of three branches and Panjpah of five branches of the Pukhtuns. The genealogical trees of these are illustrated in these pages.

The genealogical tree of the Ghalji, one of the Tribes originating from Bibi Matto, the daughter of Betan, the second son of Qais Abdur Rashid, is as under:

The other tribes of the Ghaljis are the Ibrahim or Burhan tribes which also include the Ali Khel and the Ishaq tribes. The Sulaiman Khel has two branches; one branch consists of the Qaiser Khel and the Ismailzi who are settled to the east of Ghaznikhel while the other branch consists of the Sultanzi or Stanizi and Ahmadzi.

Sherpa is also a tribe of the Ghalji which is located to the north of the river Kabul in the Koh-e-Damaan mountains. The Kharoti tribe is another Ghalji tribe.

Eastern Afghanistan is occupied by the Bar Durranis and the Damaanis.

Bar Durranis

The Bar Durrani tribes include the Bar Mohmands, Afridis, Shinwaris, Orakzis, Gigianris, Yusafzis, Utmankhels, Tarkalis, Khalils, Kuz Mohmands, Muhammadzis, Daudzis, Bangash and Khattak. These tribes live in the geographical area bounded by the Hindu Kush Range to the northwest, the river Indus in the east, and to the south, the Salt Range and the Koh-e-Sulaiman Range.

Damaanis

The Damaanis consist of the Jajis, Turis, Esakhels, Shitaks, Bannuchis, Khwisis, Dawar, Marwat, Wazirs, Sheranis, Zamaris, Daulatkhels, Miankhels, Babarh and Storianis; the last four are also referred to as the Lohanis. The Khaisoris are also considered amongst the Damaanis. To the west of the Daulatkhels are the Tatoris, Mianis, and the Bitanis. Damaan is the area south of the Salt Ranges going southwards along the Koh-e-Sulaiman Range in length and its width extends up to the river Indus. The people living along the river Indus are mostly Baluch.

In addition to the above-mentioned tribes, there are numerous other non-Pukhtun tribes in Afghanistan and its neighboring states, such as the Uzbek, Aimak, Hazaras, Qazalbash, Irani Baluch, Arabs, Tajiks, Red Kafirs, and many other well-known tribes/nationalities.

Abdalis (Durranis)

The royal family of Afghanistan at this time belongs to the Muhammadzi tribe of the Barakzi branch of the Abdalis. This tribe, because of its size and the fact that it is ruling the country, is very influential and powerful.

The Durrani tribe is spread over an area that is about four hundred miles in length and one hundred and forty miles in width. Its northern limits extend to the Hindu Kush, Koh-e-Baba, Koh-e-Sufaid and Koh-e-Toor in the area where the Hazaras and the Aimaks reside. Its western limits are up to the Persian border which extends towards Seestan and the desert in the south which extends up to the border with Baluchistan. Its southern limit is the Shurabak and the Khawaja Imran mountains. These mountains form their boundary with the Tarins and the Kakars. To their east is the country of the Ghaljis. The area of the Abdali land is about the size of the British Isles or perhaps slightly larger. The region is mainly mountainous while the areas around the rivers are very fertile. The Helmand, Farah Rud, Khush Rud and Ghandab are its main rivers. South of the Helmand River is the Garam Sehr land which extends from Girshk to Seestan.

The area comprising the western portion of the Durrani land is very fertile and it extends up to the Siah Bund Mountains in the northwest. The valleys in these mountains are very cool and full of grass and though they belong to the Taimuri Aimak, the Durrani shepherds take their flocks to graze in these valleys during the summer season. The area around Kandahar is very fertile and is irrigated by numerous streams of the Argandab River. The region is known for its tobacco. In the southeast portion of the Durrani land are the mountains of Khwaja Imran which are inhabited by the Achakzi tribe of the Durranis. Further south from the Khwaja Imran Range are the Tughi mountains which are inhabited by the Achakzi in their western reaches while the eastern portion, which extends up to Zhob is held by the Kakars.

Ahmad Shah Durrani died in the year 1773 CE at a village, Marghai, located in the northeast region of the Khwaja Imran mountains.

Before the rule of the Durranis, the country was ruled by the Ghalji tribe. Ahmad Shah Abdali was the first Durrani king. He was from the Saddozi branch of the Popalzi tribe, a major tribe of the Durranis. The Popalzais are concentrated around the city of Safaa in the Tarnak mountains, about forty miles east of Kandahar. Some Saddozais live in Kandahar and some in the mountains to the north of Kandahar. In the year 1731 CE, Nadir Shah, the ruler of Iran, laid siege to Hirat and after an intense battle, took hold of the city. A large number of Saddozais were forced to leave the area and they got settled in Dera Ismail Khan and Multan. The Saddozais were mainly shepherds, however, a large number also tilled the land as farmers.

The Barakzi tribe is numerically much larger than the Saddozais. The tribe inhabits the area to the south of Kandahar in the mountains of Afghanistan, on the banks of the Helmand River. The elders of this tribe, even during the rule of the Saddozais, held important portfolios and positions in all the affairs of state. At the time of the selection of Ahmad Shah Abdali as king, one of the candidates who was considered was Haji Jamal Khan, an elder of the Barakzais. Haji Jamal Khan was the father of Sardar Painda Khan and the grandfather of the famous minister, Fateh Khan. Genealogically, he is linked with the present King of Afghanistan as outlined in the genealogical tree on the following page.

The Barakzais are also mainly shepherds while some are farmers of the land.

The Achakzais were at first accepted as a branch of the Barakzais but Ahmad Shah, in order to control them, separated them and made them a distinct entity. They inhabit the Shah Imran mountains and the plain areas in their neighborhood with their northwestern limits at Shor-ul-Mak which is, mostly, a fertile area.

The Nurzi are numerically as strong as the Barakzais, but because they are settled in the mountains to the west of the Durranis and the deserts of Seestan, they are not as influential and well-placed as the Barakzai. They are mostly shepherds and their area is spread over the area to the south of the other Durranis. The mountains are full of greenery.

The Alizai live in the arable areas of Zamindwara and are generally engaged in farming the land.

The Alikozi live next to the Alizai and the Helmand River is the dividing line between them.

The Ishaqzai live to the south of Zamindwara and their source of living is through the tending and grazing of sheep and farming of the land.

Makuwi and Khugiani are small tribes who reside mostly in Kandahar while some live amongst the Nurzi.

The total population of the Durranis is fifteen to sixteen lakhs. All these tribes are very brave, hospitable and excellent fighters. The large cities in their area are Hirat, Kandahar, Girshk, and Farah. Certain historians are of the view that Kandahar was first built by the Persian King Lehrasap, who is also credited with the founding of Hirat, however, other reliable writers are of the view that the city was first established by Alexander the Great of Greece. The city remained as such up to the end of the rule of the Ghalji tribe, however, Shah Hussain, the King of Iran, during his rule built a new city at this site and named it Hussainabad. The famous king, Nadir Shah, wanted to change the location of this city and for this reason built a new city next to it, calling it Nadirabad. Finally, Ahmad Shah built the present city, named it Ahmad Shahi, and gave it the title of Ashraf-ul-Balad. All said and done, amongst the people at large, its accepted name is Kandahar.

Certain people are of the view that in the days of old, this was a very big city during the Hindu rule, when its emperor had established Ghandara from which it derived its name, Kandahar. The present limits of the city were laid down personally by Ahmad Shah and its layout and plan are also according to his original plan. During his rule, it was the capital of the Durrani kingdom. His son, Taimur Shah, who succeeded him, shifted his capital to Kabul. Kandahar is larger than Hirat in area; an exact estimate of its population is not available because no population census of these cities has ever been carried out, however, it is generally accepted that it is one lakh and twenty thousand persons. Ahmad Shah is buried in this city and it is the home of many other known Durrani families. Ahmad Shah’s mausoleum is treated with great respect and veneration by all Pukhtuns. Any person who is under threat of attack, harm, or even death, gets total protection in the precincts of the mausoleum. According to this tradition, even the King of Afghanistan does not have the authority to extradite anyone who takes sanctuary in the precincts of the mausoleum; Ahmad Shah Durrani is revered by all Pukhtuns as a man of God.

There is a large Hindu population in the city, but the Durranis are more numerous. People of other nationalities found in the city are Tajiks, Aimaks, Persians, Seestanis, Baluchs, and some Uzbeks, Arabs, Armenians and Jews.

Hirat is about four hundred miles to the northwest of Kandahar and the route to it passes through Girshk and Sakhrahwar. Girshk is about seventy miles from Kandahar on the banks of the Helmand River and Farah is a further one hundred and seventy miles away on the banks of the same river; a further seventy-one miles onwards to the north is Sakhrahwar. Hirat is situated ninety-three miles to the north of Sakhrahwar and it stretches about three miles from north to south and slightly more from east to west. During the reign of Sultan Hussain Mirza (a descendant of Taimur), this city was a center of learning and the arts. Maulana Abdur Rahman Jami (1414 CE to 1492 CE) was a resident of this city; he was the author of the books Yusaf Zulaikha, Baharistan, Nafkhat-ul-Ins and Haft Aurang. Khwaja Ata, whose actual name was Ata bin Muhammad al-Hussaini Nishapuri and who wrote the book Rozatul Ahbab was from Hirat. Anwar Ali Sher Nawai, though a Mughal, was a resident of this city as a courtier in the court of Sultan Hussain Mirza. Hirat, being the capital of the kingdom, had the honor of attracting all the intellectuals of Khurasan and Turkistan to the court of Sultan Hussain Mirza. Ali Sher Nawai was one of them and he was the writer of the books Gharaib-ul-Saghr, Nawadr-ul-Shab, Badi-ul-Wast, and Fawaid-ul-Kabr.

He was born in the year 1440 CE and died in 1500 CE. Mullah Abdul Ghafur, a student of Maulana Jami was also from this city and he wrote a commentary on Maulana Jami`s famous book, Nafkhat-ul-Ins. In 1506 CE, Emperor Babur was on a visit to Khurasan when he was informed about the illness of Mullah Abdul Ghafur; because of the latter’s status as an intellectual, the King made a special visit to enquire about his health. Qazi Ikhtiar, who wrote on the subject of Behr, was from this city. Mir Khond, whose actual name was Mir Khawand Shah and who wrote the history Rozat-ul-Safa in eight volumes was also from Hirat; he died in 1498 CE. His son, Khawand, whose actual name was Ghiasuddin Muhammad Khawand Mir, was the author of Khulasat-ul-Khabar written in 1498 CE, and Habib-ul-Sehr written in 1521 CE He was born in 1475 CE and died in 1535 CE near Delhi; he is buried next to Nizamuddin Aulia. Banai, the author of Behram-o-Behroz, was a resident of this city and was killed in 1513 CE during the slaughter of the people of Krish, an old city of Khurasan, by Amir Naeem, who was a general of Shah Ismail. Abdullah Hatifi, a nephew of Maulana Abdur Rahman Jami lived in Hirat; one of his books was the famous love story of Laila Majnun.

The shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Ansaar, Guzr Gah, is in Hirat. Imam Fakhruddin Razi, who was born in 1150 CE and died in 1210 CE is also buried here.

The old name of Hirat was Hari and during the time of Alexander, the King of Greece, a large and famous province also carried this name for a long time. This city was the capital of the dynasty of Amir Taimur for quite some time. The city was captured by Shebani Khan Uzbek in the year 1507 CE. It then came under the sway of the Safvi Kings of Iran and was wrested from them by the Abdalis in 1715 CE. Nadir Shah of Iran then recaptured it in 1731 CE, but when Ahmad Shah Durrani was crowned as the ruler of the Pukhtuns, he regained it in the year 1749 CE The city boasts of a magnificent mosque that was built by Sultan Ghiasuddin Ghori in the 12^th century CE. The inhabitants of the city generally belong to the Shia Sect. Durranis, Mughals, and Aimaks are also settled here. The area all around the city is inhabited by the Tajiks. During the rule of the Saddozi, one of the sons of the King used to live in the city as its Governor. According to this practice, during Ahmad Shah’s reign, his son, Taimur Shah, and during Taimur Shah`s reign, his son, Shah Mahmud, and after him, his brother, Haji Ferozuddin, remained as Governors of Hirat. The population of the city is about one lakh individuals.

Barethi

The Barethi are settled in the area of Shurabak to the north of which is the territory of the Durranis and to the south is the land of the Baluch; to the east are the Khwaja Imran mountains which are famous as Roghabi and Spin Tezai, while on the other side of these mountains, is the area of Pishin. To the west is the desert of Seestan. The Baluch are settled around Nushki in the south, which is about fifty to sixty miles from Shurabak. The river Lora passes through Shurabak due to which the area is very fertile and green. The total area of this region is about sixty square miles.

Tarins

To the east of the Barethi lies Pishin, the land of the Tarins. This tribe has two branches, the Tor Tarins and the Spin Tarins. To the north of Pishin are mountains that separate it from the Durrani territory; in the east, it is separated by mountains from the Kakars. Its size measures about eighty miles from north to south and about forty miles from east to west. This area is also drained by the Lora River and its inhabitants are mainly tillers of the soil. A large number of Syeds are settled in Pishin.

Spin Tarins occupy the Zaori Valley and the plain area between Pishin and the Koh-e-Sulaiman Range. The areas of the Spin Tareens and the Tor Tareens are separated by Kakar-held territory.

Ghalji

The Ghalji occupy the land lying to the northeast of the Durrani territory. Their area extends up to the Hindukush Range in the northwest, but between Kabul and Ghazni, there is a strip of about sixty miles that is occupied by the Wardags. In the north, the river Panjshir flows between them and the Kohistan-e-Kabul and after joining the river Kabul, flows beyond the Ghalji territory right up to Jalalabad in the east. Near Jalalabad, their area touches the Bar Durrani territory and its eastern limit stretches along the Koh-e-Sulaiman Range to the southeast where it touches the Wani area. In the southwest, it is separated from the Arghasan territory by mountains.

About eighty-five miles to the northeast of Kandahar lies the city of Qalat-e-Ghalji on the right bank of the river Tarnak. This is the capital of the Tokhi tribe of the Ghaljis. It is 5770 feet above sea level and the Tokhi tribe is settled all along the Tarnak Valley to the west of Qalat-e-Ghalji. East of this city lives the Hotakis whose territory is referred to by the names Holatagh, Ghundan, and Patonae and its capital is Qila Abdur Rehman which is a big fort of the Ghalji dynasty. It is situated in the district of Ghwarae Marghae. Northeast of Holatagh lies the area of Gurashta and Katawaz; southeast of Holatagh is the country of the Kharotis. To the west and south of Ghazni, is the area of the Shilgar. Ghazni is 7726 feet above sea level; nine hundred years ago, it was the capital of a large empire stretching from the Tigris River to the river Ganges and from the Oxus River to the Persian Gulf. These days, the city has lost its importance and its present state does not reflect its past grandeur. Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi is buried here and so are Bahlol, the Wise, and Hakeem Sina. Firdausi stayed here for some time. The city boasts of a dam on the river Ghazni that was built by Mahmud Ghaznavi for irrigation purposes and it stands to this day. It is inhabited mostly by Tajiks and Hazaras. To its north is a valley in which the Wardag are settled while in the east and along the Koh-e-Sulaiman Range are the Ghaljis. The population of the city at present is fifteen thousand. Gardez lies to the northeast of Ghazni and is the territory of the Alikhel Ghaljis with a population of only ten thousand. Zadrmal and Togar are also situated in this area where the Ahmadzi and the Zahak Ghalji live. The Tajiks also live along with the Ghaljis in this area. The fertile land all around Kabul, up to a radius of a hundred miles, is held by the Tajiks and the Ghaljis. The distance from Kandahar to Ghazni is 225 miles; further north is Kabul which is 315 miles from Kandahar and 103 miles from Jalalabad in the east.

Kabul is the present-day capital of Afghanistan. It is 90 miles from Ghazni and its height is 6508 feet above sea level. It has mountains on three sides. The Bala Hisar houses the palaces of the previous kings. It is a very beautiful city and the river Kabul flows in its foreground. It is surrounded by numerous orchards. Emperor Babar is buried atop a hillock on its outskirts. It has four districts, namely, Bat Khak, Logar, Paghman, and Koh-e-Daman. They are all very fertile, with fruit orchards all around. Paghman lies to the west of Kabul, Logar to the south, and Koh-e-Daman to the north; the last named is located at the foot of the mountains, has plenty of water for agriculture, and is probably the most fertile and green area in the whole of Afghanistan. Koh-e-Daman and its neighbouring areas are inhabited by the Tajiks who are generally referred to as Kabulis. They have always played a major role in the rebellions in Afghanistan.

The area from the Kabul River valley up to Jalalabad and a little further is known as Ghalji territory; it is in the shape of a rectangle with a length of 180 miles and a width of 80 miles. In bygone days, the Ghaljis were the most organized and the strongest among all the Pukhtuns. During 1712 and 1713 CE, when some Pukhtun areas were under the Persians and some under the Mughals, the Ghaljis, under the leadership of Mir Wais Ghaljai, freed their country from Iran and not only that, his son Mir Mahmud later defeated and conquered the whole of Iran. They ruled Iran for two generations until the second Pukhtun king was forced to vacate the throne when Nadir Shah appeared on the scene. Even today, numerous Ghaljis are settled in the Kirman region as an aftermath of the Pukhtun victories and rule over Iran. After Nadir Shah, power went into the hands of the Durranis.

Mir Wais was from the Hotaki tribe and his ministers were from the Tokhi tribe. As mentioned earlier, the Hotaki tribe occupies Qila Abdur Rahman and its neighboring areas Gorashta and Hola Tagh. The Tokhis inhabit the territory lying to the west of this area, south of the Mokar mountains. The Tokhis are more in number than the Hotakis and the upper Tarnak region is a part of their territory. The Taraki tribe resides in Makhur and its surrounding areas. The Andars occupy Shilgar and the country around it. The Kharotis are settled in the mountains that lie between the Gomal Valley and the Koh-e-Sulaiman to the east of Katawaz. The Alikhel live around Zormal; to their east are the Koh-e-Sulaiman high mountains while they are separated from Gardez in the north as well by a branch of these mountains. To the west and the south are the limits of the Gomal though some portion of the Gomal is occupied by the Wanis, going northwards from it.

The largest tribe of the Ghaljis is the Sulaimankhel. The Qaiserkhel and the Ismailzi tribes of this branch live to the south and east of Ghazni and some are also found in the area of Zormal amongst the Alikhel. The Stanezi or Sultanzi tribes of the Sulaimankhel live to the north of the Wardaks while the Ahmadzi inhabit the area to the east of Logar in Astamor and Paigai. The Zahak tribe lives in Kharwar and Paghman while the Sherpah, also a Ghalji tribe, lives with the Tajiks in Koh-e-Daman and along the northern bank of the river Kabul up to Jalalabad.

Wardag

The area inhabited by this tribe has the Koh-e-Baba mountains in the west and is surrounded by the Ghaljis in the other three directions with the Logar Ghaljis in the east, the Alikhel Ghaljis in the south and Pashman in the north.

Kakar

The Kakars occupy an area of about 100 square miles. To their west are the Baluch, in the south the Spin Tarin, to the east is the Koh-e-Sulaiman Range, and in the northwest are Arghesan and Pishin. In the north, their area touches the boundary of the Achakzais which joins up with that of the Ghaljis. The Bolan Valley is to the south of the Kakars and further south is Kalat. The area is interspersed by the valleys of Barshor, Tor Marghai, Narin, Togai, and Hanna.

Kasai

This is a branch of the Kakars and is settled in the Shaal Valley. Ahmad Shah Durrani had gifted this valley to Nasir Khan, a Sardar of the Baluch, in recognition of his services and it therefore now forms a part of Baluchistan but the Kasais, a Pukhtun tribe, inhabits it. Another branch of the Kakars, the Pannis, is settled in Sibi in the plains of Seestan.

The Luni Pukhtoons inhabit Zora, Tal, and Ochotialay. The area between the river Zhob and Parrae Bori is occupied by Haripal, Babri, Musakhel, and Aesot Kakars. This area, which is crisscrossed by streams and storm drains is very fertile. To the west, the Kakars live around the Kanchogai valley and are known as Sunaiti Kakars. The limits of their area stretch from Zorkai to Sewna Dagh. In Darra-e-Bori, there is a branch of the Kakar Pukhtuns who are referred to by the name Saraan. The Kakar territories lie generally between mountains and valleys and they earn their livelihood through tending sheep, goats, and camels.

Nasir

The Nasir tribe does not have a permanent abode and are mainly Kochian or in other words, nomads or gypsies. During spring, they, tending to their sheep, spend their days and nights in the land of the Tokhi and Hotaki Ghalji. They move in groups of twenty to a hundred and twenty families in search of grass and water, moving camp from one place to another. When winter draws near, they move down to the warm Damaan plains. The route to these plains passes through the Waziri country and while passing through this territory, on reaching Kanjur on the banks of the river Gomal, they divide themselves into two groups for security purposes and they make and break camp turn by turn until they move out of the territory. The Waziris keep attacking their caravans, day and night, for loot and plunder. The Kochis (Nasirs) are well-prepared for this onslaught so that, for most of the time, there are running battles between them.

In this manner, in the din of fighting and shouting, they come out of the area through the Zarkanay Valley to enter the plains of the Damaan where they spread out. They live for most of the time in tents that are pitched up by the womenfolk in the camp. The women do not observe purdah but are known for their chastity and good character. With the first signs of melting snow on the mountain peaks of the Sulaiman Range, they get together once again and start their return journey to Khurasan. Their tents and mats are made from the wool of their sheep and camels; they use goat’s hair from their goats to make sacks for the storage and carriage of flour and their other belongings on the backs of their animals. Sheepskin from their sheep is used for making coats and rugs; milk from their sheep and goats is utilized for making cheese and butter for their consumption. They own large flocks of sheep and camels.

III. Afghanistan’s Territories and Occupied Lands

The areas acquired through conquests include the area of Balkh, which is inhabited by the Hazaras. It is also referred to as Turkistan territory and, in the present day Afghanistan, it is the province of Mazar-e-Sharif. Its northern limit is the river Oxus and in the south, the western portion of the Hindukush and the Koh-e-Baba mountains. To the east is Badakhshan and to the west is the desert. The region measures about 250 miles from east to west and from 100 to 120 miles from north to south. The area is famous for breeding horses. It is divided into many districts, namely, Mazar-e-Sharif, Khanabad, Maimana, Indkho, Shpergan, Balkh, Khilm, Hazrat Imam, Qunduz, Khost, Andrab and Talikhan. These days, the province is divided into two regions, Mazar-e-Sharif and Maimana. Maimana, Inkho, and Shpergan are inhabited by Uzbeks, but there are also some Turkmenistanis settled there.

Balkh is a very old city and the area all around it is also referred to as Balkh. During the time of Alexander the Great of Greece, this city was known as Bactria; much earlier than that, this was the capital city of the famous Persian King Khusro who is known in Europe as Cyrus the Great. Historians have referred to this city as Um-ul-Bilad or ‘The Mother of All Cities’, however, these days, it has lost all its grandeur. There are about 400 villages in Balkh and fourteen canals irrigate the area. The land is very fertile. The population is just about ten thousand people.

Khilm, the territory that lies to the south of Balkh is all mountainous country with its capital at Tashkorghan; the district of Hazrat Imam is now part of Khilm. The area of Qunduz which partly consists of the Hindukush mountains in the south also has some very fertile and beautiful valleys. Its plain areas are extremely fertile and the city of Qunduz is very pretty and full of orchards. Khost and Andrab have now become a part of Qunduz and the general population is Tajik. Talikan is situated close to Badakhshan.

The population of Balkh is mostly Uzbek who first crossed the river Oxus in 1501 CE under the leadership of Shaibani Khan and captured Bokhara, Khawarism, and Farghana from Babar and his brothers, the descendants of Amir Taimur. Babar, who was nineteen years of age at the time, escaped to Kabul to take refuge with his maternal uncles, Sultan Mahmud Khan and Sultan Ahmad Khan, the sons of Yunas Khan, however, once there, he murdered both of them and plundered and laid waste the whole land. Even to this day, except for Balkh, the Uzbeks occupy Khawarism, Bokhara, and Farghana. They are actually descended from the Tartars and are a branch of the Turks, though their language is quite different from that of the Western Turks; Uzbeks are actually Chinese Tartars.

The difference between the Pukhtuns and the Uzbeks is that amongst the former, the form of governance is democratic (Jirga system) while that of the latter is dictatorial (one-man rule). The Afghan King carries out all acts of governance through consultation with the people and on the advice of the Jirga. The appearance and facial features of the Uzbeks are also quite different from those of the Pukhtuns. They have broad foreheads, high cheekbones, sparse beards, and small eyes. Their belief in Islamic Shariat is very strong and they do not believe in tradition. They are expert riders, whether rich or poor, and are very brave fighters. In addition to the Uzbeks, Tajiks also live in the Balkh region, as well, as some Arabs.

The Aimaak and Hazara nations are settled between Kabul and Hirat in the Koh-e-Baba, Koh-e-Sufaid and Koh-e-Siah mountains, jointly referred to as Kohistan-e-Ghor (the mountains of Ghor). To their north is the land of the Uzbeks and to the south lies the area of the Durranis and the Ghaljis. The region is largely mountainous and is a hundred miles long and two hundred miles in breadth. The Pukhtun tribes were first settled in these mountains and from here, they spread out to other areas of Afghanistan. Historians are of the view that the Aimaak and the Hazaras are both of Tartar stock and are the descendants of the Mongols. Their spoken language is Persian. Abul Fazl writes that they came with the Mongol King Manku Khan, the grandson of Changez Khan. The Aimaak are Sunni Muslims and the Hazaras are of the Shia sect. Their habits, natures, and looks indicate that they are of the same stock. The Aimaaks occupy the western portion of the mountains and the Hazaras are in the eastern part. The Aimaak are divided into four ‘Tapas’ (branches). The Taimuri Hazaras (a separate branch of the Hazaras) include the Kaichak, Darzi, and Zori clans; the rest of the Hazaras are divided into the Jamshedi and the Ferozkohi branches. The Aimaak refer to their immediate elder as ‘Kadkhuda’ and to the next elder as ‘Khan’.

The known branches of the Hazaras are Zangi, Kandi, Joghori, and Poladha. They are settled to the west of Kakur, Karabagh, and Ghazni, while some also live in Kabul. The city of Bamian where some ancient statues of Lord Buddha were found some time back is also situated in their area and for this reason, it can be assumed that this country was, in the past, inhabited by Buddhists. Qazalbash are the descendants of those individuals in the Persian forces who were the servants of the Persian and the Pukhtun kings. They have played a major part in Afghanistan’s politics and wars. The Tajiks in the land of the Durranis live as their vassals.

Bar Durranis

The territory of the Bar Durranis starts from the area to the south of the eastern ranges of the Hindukush mountains and extends up to the Koh-e-Sulaiman mountains. This includes the mountains of Kafiristan, Bajaur, and the plains of Peshawar.

The largest tribe among them is that of the Yusafzai. Their territory in the northwest is bounded by the Uthmankhel mountains, in the north by the Hindukush range, to the east is the river Indus and the area across it on its left bank, in the south is the river Kabul, and to their west is the area of Hashtnagar. The tribe has two branches referred to as Yusafzai and Mandanri. The Yusafzai occupy Panjkoray, which includes Dir, Swat (Upper Swat and Lower Swat), Bunair, and Dam Tor, which is an area located across the Indus River in the Hazara district. The Mandanr live in the area north of the confluence of the river Indus and the river Kabul up to Chamla and in the west up to Hashtnagar and includes the areas of Chamla, Mardan, and Swabi.

North of Mardan lies Swat and Bunair, both separated from one another by high mountains and, similarly, there are mountains between Bunair and Chamla.

Swat is divided into Upper Swat and Lower Swat. The former is a valley, about sixty miles long that is at places five to ten miles broad and is very fertile. The latter occupies an area that is about the same in length but much broader. The river Landay flows along the middle of these two areas. The Upper Swat Canal, which irrigates the Mardan and Swabi areas, has been taken from this river. The Panjkora and Dir area lies to the northwest of Swat; Dir is its well-known city through which the Panjkora River flows and the land on either side of the river is very fertile, while the mountains are also very green and forested. Bunair is a mountainous area with numerous valleys; Barauchi is its main storm drain that flows into the river Indus at Darband.

Gadanah is a branch of the Yusafzai that inhabits both sides of the river Indus and Dam Tor is located in their territory. Chamla is a huge valley to the south of Bunair with Chingli as its large settlement where some Indian Mujahideen are also settled.

The area of Mardan is to the west of Chamla and is connected to it by the Ambela Kandao(pass). To the south of Chamla is the area of Swabi which also has Mardan to its west; Swabi and Mardan are both plain areas with mountains only along their northern limits.

The Yusafzai have been living in this area for over four hundred years. They are originally from the Garo and Nushki region of Seestan on the rim of the Lut desert. They are, in fact, a branch of the Khukye or Khashi Pukhtuns whose other branches are Gigianri, Tarklanri, and Muhammadzi. At the end of the thirteenth century CE and the beginning of the fourteenth century CE, these tribes were driven out of the area by others, and some of them got settled in Khurasan, while some in and around Kabul. The Yusafzai, in a very short period, grew so strong that Ulagh Beg, the son of Abu Saeed Mirza, a descendant of Amir Taimur and an uncle of Emperor Babar, asked them for assistance in his bid to capture the throne of Kabul; this area had been in the hands of the descendants of Amir Taimur since a very long time until it was wrested from them after the death of Abu Saeed Mirza. The Yusafzai were instrumental in getting the throne back for Ulagh Beg who, on the occasion of his coronation, treated them with great respect and showered them with titles and property. However, being extremely independent and headstrong, this tribe was wont to disobeying and defying the king’s directions, and therefore, Ulagh Beg, after consolidating his position that had also been strengthened by the arrival of a large number of Mongols from his native land, initiated moves to get rid of the Yusafzais. Initially, he tried to create a rift between the Yusafzai and the Gigianri; when that did not work, he attacked them directly with his forces. The Yusafzai had the upper hand in the encounter, forcing Ulagh Beg to call a peace Jirga; during the Jirga, he had all the Yusafzai elders murdered through deceit. Their homes were then destroyed by his forces and the tribe was expelled from the area. The Yusafzai, as a result of the treatment meted out to them, moved over toward Peshawar. At the time, Laghman was in the hands of the Turklanris; the Afridis and the Bangash were at their present locations, but Nangarhar, the whole of the Peshawar region, Chach, Hazara and the territory to the east of it right up to the river Jehlum were under the control of the Dalazak Pukhtuns. Between the area of the Dalazaks and the Hindukush mountains was the kingdom of Swat on both sides of the river Indus which was ruled by Sultan Wais. This kingdom was spread over an area starting from Baramula in Kashmir on the banks of the river Jhelum up to the banks of the river Swat.

The Yusafzais, when they first arrived, were the guests of the Dalazaks and were allowed to stay in the Doaba area that lies between the river Kabul and the river Swat and is bound by the mountains of the Mohmand tribe in the north and the west; however, as their numbers grew with the arrival of more families, this area was not enough to hold them and they wrested the territory of Bajaur from the Dalazaks by force. They then, slowly and slowly, after sustained fighting, took control of all the territory north of the river Kabul; thereafter, they turned their attention to Sultan Wais and ejected him from the kingdom of Swat. The latter escaped to Kafiristan and established his rule there and his descendants ruled the area for a long time.

While all this fighting was going on, Ulagh beg died in Kabul; his son, Abdur Razaq Mirza was a small child at the time and Babar, who had been expelled from his kingdom in Central Asia by his enemies and the Uzbeks, seized the opportunity and took hold of Kabul to become its King.

At the instigation of the Dalazaks, Babar carried out a number of attacks on the Yusafzai, killing a large number of them; he took hold of Bajaur and came up to Katlang and Shahbaz Garhi in search of loot and plunder. His forces also entered the Swabi area. During all this fighting, the Yusafzais took to hiding in the mountains and were never comprehensively and completely defeated. Finally, in order to put an end to the fighting, Babar decided to placate the Yusafzais by marrying the daughter of their leader, Shah Mansoor. The daughter’s name was Bibi Mubaraka.

The Yusafzais, thereafter, captured all the territories from the Dalazaks and divided them amongst themselves. The Mohammadzi, who at that time were settled in Khurasan, moved over eastwards and were given the territory of Hashtnagar. The Gigianri, who were occupying an area in the neighborhood of Kabul, were expelled from there by Babar and on arrival in the Yusafzai area, were allotted the Doaba area and a portion of Bajaur, however, at present, there are no Gigianri in Bajaur. The Uthmankhel were given the territory east of Bajaur, while the Tarklanri settled in Bajaur. The areas of Panjkora, Swat, Bunair, Chamla, Mardan, and Swabi were occupied by the Yusafzai and the Mandanr. The Yusafzai have three branches, namely, the Akozi, the Malezi, and the Lawezi; the Malezi and Akozi are settled in Swat and Panjkora, and the Lawezi in Bunair. The Jadoons are also a branch of the Yusafzais.

Amongst all the Pukhtun tribes, the Yusafzais are the most democratic and no Khan or Malik can carry out any work or operation without the consultation, advice, and approval of the tribe. However, they are always fighting amongst themselves and because of this internal disunity, they have wasted their independent status. It was due to this very trait that the Khan of Dir was able to establish himself as the ruler of his tribe. Also, Mian Gul Aurangzeb, the grandson of the Akhund of Swat, was able to assume control over the whole of Swat and Bunair as its ruler.

In the days of old, there was no Khan amongst the whole of the Yusafzai who could boast of the authority to rule his tribe except in the Panjkora and Dir territory, where Qasim Khan, because of his ability and wealth, had assumed the Khanship and leadership of the Malezi tribe and established his rule in the area. He bolstered his influence and authority through forays into the land of the Kafirs to subdue them and gain their allegiance; he also carried out attacks on the Kashgar kingdoms to force them to submit to his power and defeated them. Out of all the Yusafzai, he was the sole leader who had the power to catch hold of, free, or kill the Malezi at will and because of his control, there was hardly any fighting between various tribes in his area as compared to other tribes.

The main cities in Mandanr are Mardan, Hoti, and Swabi. In Bunair, the known places are Dagar and the Pir Baba shrine; in Upper Swat, Saidu and Mingora are well-known while Allahdand, Batkhela, Chakdara, Malakand, Thana, Dargai, and Sakhakot are the main localities in Lower Swat. Panjkora’s main city is Dir.

The Yusafzai tribe is settled in other parts of India as well. If a comparison is made, a larger number of Eastern Pukhtuns have migrated in large numbers to India than the Western Pukhtuns. The reason for this is that the latter earn their livelihood through rearing sheep, camels, and other animals and as their area is sparsely populated, enough land is available in the numerous mountains and valleys for the grazing of livestock; in addition, they marry at a late age and as a result, their population remains within limits. On the other hand, most of the Pukhtuns of eastern Afghanistan earn their living through agriculture and as they have a tradition of early marriage, their population outgrows the availability of land for cultivation. It is for this reason that the eastern Pukhtuns have, from time to time, turned their attention towards India. Farakhabad, Bhopal, Karnal, and Rohilkand are teeming with Pukhtuns. The Nawab of Rampur is an elder of the Pukhtuns of Awadh; the city of Bareilly boasts of a large number of Pukhtuns while they also have a large population in Nagina.

About a hundred years back, their language and habits were akin to those of the Bar Durrani, but with the passage of time, slowly and slowly, their lingua franca has changed, though they have retained their love for independence and democracy and, as compared to others, their battles with the British were far bloodier and more bravely fought than those of the other Indian people. Because of their love for agriculture in their own land, they created a heaven on earth in Rohilkand. The British, in several publications, have praised the bravery, prowess, and hard work of the Rohillas. The famous British politician, Burke, has with great clarity, lauded the ability and bravery of these people. The Pukhtuns have built beautiful cities and large settlements in the region, such as the earlier-mentioned places of Bareily and Nagina.

Bajaur is the land of the Tarklanis or Tarklanri. Their territory in the west is up to the southern mountains of the Hindukush Range, in the north it has the Hindukush and the Uthmankhel mountains, in the center is the valley leading east to Panjkora and to the south are the mountains of the Bar Mohmands. The Bajaur area consists of undulating plains and is about twentyfive miles long from east to west and twelve miles wide from north to south. Being surrounded by mountains on all sides, the region boasts of numerous beautiful valleys and like Peshawar, is very fertile. Nawagai and Bajaur are well-known places. Between Panjkora and the Bajaur Plain, lies the Barhway Valley. Though Bajaur is the land of the Tarklanis, the mountains in the north and the west are inhabited by the Kafirs who have now embraced Islam. The plain areas are held by the Rudbarian, a name by which they refer to every Tarklani. Bajaur is separated from Swat by the Uthmankhel mountains.

The Uthmankhel territory is generally mountainous but there are also some plain areas in the immediate vicinity of Bajaur and some area next to Lower Swat. The young men of this tribe are very tall, strong, and handsome. The women work in the fields alongside the men. To the Southwest of the Uthmankhel mountains is the land of the Bar Mohmand; the mountains and plains to the northwest of the Kabul River are also inhabited by them. The whole area consists of boulders and rock with very little cultivable land. The mountainous areas are cool and the plain areas warm with hot winds blowing across them. The town of Shabqadar is connected to Jalalabad by a road that stretches across the Mohmand territory through the Karrappa valley. Lalpura, Kaama, and Goshta are large settlements in the area; out of these, Lalpura and Kaama are fertile areas and the occupation of the Mohmands of these areas is mainly agriculture. In the neighborhood of Jalalabad, Shinwaris, Ghaljis, and Mohmands are settled. Two Khels or branches of the Bar Mohmands are Kochis (gypsies) who earn their living by tending to their sheep, goats, and camels. With the advent of spring, they move their belongings and livestock towards Khurasan to spend the summer on the banks of the Helmand River.

To the southwest of the Mohmands is the territory of the Afridis and the Shinwaris who live in the mountains to the north and south of the Khyber Pass. The territory stretches from the right bank of the river Kabul, between the areas of Jalalabad and Peshawar, southwards across the mountains right up to the land of the Bangash. To its east is the region of Peshawar. The Khyberis (inhabitants of Khyber) consist of three tribes that are ethnically totally different and independent of one another; these are the Shinwaris, the Afridis, and the Orakzis.

Shinwaris are numerically less than the other two tribes and live in the mountains to the north of the Khyber Pass. Owing to the importance of this pass and its dominance, these tribesmen are politically very significant. About every conqueror that has invaded India from the west has had to negotiate his way through this pass and has faced untold difficulties and losses because of the nature and tendency of these tribes to take advantage of intruders and their ingrained greed for loot and plunder from all those who pass through their territory. They are very brave and headstrong and since time immemorial, lead an independent life. In addition to the loot and plunder that they have gathered from all who have gone through their territory, they have extracted privileges and pensions from almost every king. The Khyber Pass is about twenty-five miles long and its width varies from four hundred yards at certain places to sixteen hundred yards at others. The route mostly follows or crosses various storm drains and only recently, the British have constructed two metal roads and a railway line through the pass. The valley is flanked by steep mountains on both sides along which the British have established pickets and posts for the protection of the route. The tribesmen wear sandals made of straw. They carry fine weapons even up to the poorest individual but use them mostly in their infighting within the tribe. They are extremely fond of their independence and guard it fiercely. The Bar Mohmands are similar in their habits and customs.

During the winters, these people come down to the plains of Peshawar and Khajuri. They are very good marksmen and in the mountainous terrain, are capable of holding up very large forces.

To the south of the Yusafzai area are the Khattaks and to their west, the Mohammadzi. Further west, are the Gigianri, and to the south of the Mohammadzi and the Gigianri are the Daudzi. South of the Daudzi are the Khalil and further south are the Kuz Mohmand and the Khalisa areas.

The Muhammadzi and the Gigianri, as mentioned earlier, are settled to the west of the Yusafzai in the area to the north of the river Kabul. The Muhammadzi are numerically more than the Gigianri and their territory is referred to as Hashtnaghar (meaning eight settlements) because of its eight well-known areas. The Gigianri area is known as Doaba (meaning an area that is bound by two water courses) because it is situated between two rivers.

The Mohmand, Khalil, and Daudzi are referred to as ‘Ghoriakhel’. Around about 1450 CE, they used to live to the west of Ghazni along the banks of the river Tarnak. Babar, in his autobiography Tuzk-e-Babari, makes a mention of this tribe in that in the year 1507 CE, they were occupying the area around the settlements of Mashad and Samkanah which, after research, appear to have been located to the south of Ghazni. When Babar set forth for the invasion of the land of the Ghalji in 1507 CE and made a stop at Sarda (Sarda is twenty-five to thirty miles south of Ghazni), he says that he was informed that there were large tribes of Mohmands in Mashad and Samkanah and that he was advised by his nobles to ravage and plunder their region, but he refused and declared that he did not consider it appropriate as it would harm his reputation. These tribes came down to Peshawar during the time of Kamran, the son of Babar, with whose assistance they pushed the Dalazak Pukhtuns out of the area towards the river Indus. As these people had been living in the plain settled areas, the government of the day, from time to time, used to treat them very harshly as compared to the Yusafzai. Because of their proximity to the urban centers, as compared to the Yusafzai, they were more civilized and well-mannered. Peshawar is a very big city in their territory and during the rule of the Pukhtuns in Kabul, the King used to shift to it during the winters. Shah Shuja, in particular, was very fond of this city. In actuality, the Bar Mohmand and the Kuz Mohmand are the same people but, as of today, they have nothing in common. Chamkani, a place near Peshawar, houses the shrine of Mian Umar who was the Pir (spiritual guide) of Ahmad Shah Abdali. The Khalil and the Daudzi are also settled in Peshawar with the Mohmands. The Daudzi are more numerous than the Khalils.

Khattaks

The territory of the Khattaks is very large, stretching from the river Kabul in the north to the Salt Range in the south. Its length is about a hundred miles and is about fifty miles wide. Towards the east, its limit is the river Indus but some Khattaks also live across the Indus and Makhad is a well-known place in their area. To their west are the Khalils, Mohmands, Afridis, Aurakzis, and Bangash, and to the south are the Pukhtuns of Bannu and Damaan, the Gohani Pukhtuns.

The Khattaks broadly have two branches, the Northern Khattaks and the Southern Khattaks. The Southern Khattak region is all mountainous while the Northern Khattaks have plain areas in their territory, however, the whole area is stony. The mountains are all barren red sandstone while the water is brackish with no trace of sweet water over large stretches of land. The southern valleys are inhabited by Saghar and Barak Khattaks. Malgin, Lachai, Teri, Latambar and Karak are the well-known towns in this area. In the vicinity of Teri, there are salt mines. In the Northern Khattak territory, the well-known places are Akora and Dangarzi. The shrine of Kaka Sahib is also in this area.

Bangash

The Bangash occupy the country to the south of the Afridis and the Aurakzis. To their east and southeast are the Khattaks, in the south are the Wazirs, and to the west are the Turis. The land is in the shape of a large valley and its plain areas are fertile. The inhabitants of the plains are referred to as the Kuz Bangash and those of the mountainous area as the Bar Bangash. The city of Kohat is in the Bangash area as also the towns of Hangu and Tal. The Nawabs of Farakhabad are from the Bangash tribe.

Turis

In the area to the west of the Bangash live the Turis. They are all from the Shia sect, as also are some of the Bar Bangash. The terrain of the land of the Turis is similar to that of the Bangash and the plain areas are fertile. Further to the west in the same valley are the Jajian who are of the Sunni sect and their area extends up to the Koh-e-Sulaiman Range. Their area is less in size than that of the Turis and is not as fertile while the climate is much colder. In the days gone by, the route from Sindh to Kabul ran through the territory of the Jajian via the Koh-e-Sulaiman, going past Ghazni to its northeast. The Jajis and the Turis do not form a part of the Bar Durrani and, as a matter of fact, are tribes of the Damaan.

Isa Khel

The land of the Isa Khel starts from the river Indus. It is about thirty miles long and twelve miles broad and is enclosed by mountains on three sides with the river Indus on the fourth side. The land is very fertile and is thickly populated. There is plenty of water with irrigation channels covering the whole area and the villages lie in the shade of trees and green foliage. The temporary islands formed on the river bed during winter are owned by the Isa Khel while some also live across the river. To the west of the mountains of the Isa Khel live the Shitaks and further west is the area of Bannu which is fed by the Kurram river and is very fertile and developed.

Beyond Bannu is the valley of the Dawars which extends up to the territory of the Jidran with its limit at the Koh-e-Sulaiman Range. This area is very thickly populated. To the north of the Dawars is Khost which lies between them and the Kurram territory. East of the Kurram is the Dargai area which is inhabited by the Turis.

Marwats

The Marwat country is sandy and dry and is dependent solely on rainwater for its agriculture. It has an area of about thirty-five square miles and stretches from Bannu to the plains of the river Indus. Next to them and between the mountains and the river Indus, is the home of the Khaisuri tribe. South of the Marwats along the Sulaiman Range is the Southern portion of the Damaan which is inhabited by the Miankhel, Daulatkhel, Gandapur, Babarh, and Storianis. Daulatkhel, Miankhel, Babarh, Storiani, Isakhel, Marwat, and Khaisuris are also referred to as Lohanris. Immediately to the south of the Marwats are the Gandapurs and the Daulatkhel and their land, as compared to that of the Marwats, is more fertile. The river Gomal flows through their territory and irrigates their land. The large settlements in the area of the Gandapurs are Kulachi, Takwarha, and Luni. Tank is a big town in the Daulatkhel area. To the west of the Daulatkhel are the Taituri, Miani, and Betani tribes; these are thought to be a branch of the Daulatkhel. There is also a route to Kabul from this area that goes past Tank.

The Miankhel live to the south of the Daulatkhel. Daraban is a large town in their area. To the south of the Miankhel are the Babarh and further south are the Storiani. The main settlement of the Babarhs is Choda and that of the Storianis is Urmak. One significant difference between the Bar Durranis and the Damaanis used to be that the latter wore their hair very long, but with the coming of the Britishers, that has changed, and now they all look alike with their hair cropped short.

In the Damaani areas, you can still find some families of Suris and Lodhis. Suris are those Pukhtuns who are the descendants of the first Pukhtun kingdom that was established by Shahabuddin Ghori and his descendants. The famous king, Sher Shah, who defeated Humayun, the son of Emperor Babar, was a Suri.

The Lodhis have also ruled Hindustan for a long time. Babar, the Mughal, defeated the last king of this dynasty to take the throne of Delhi.

In addition to the tribes mentioned above, the Damaan territory plays host to the Sulaimankhel, Kharoti, and Nasir Kochis, all nomads, in the winter season.

That’s the end of the free sample

You have read 12% of History of the Pukhtuns - Pashtun History Book. The full e-book picks up right where this stopped.

Unlocks the moment your payment clears
Reads in any browser — nothing to install
Abdul Samad Khan earns a royalty on every copy

Buy the e-book — Rs 2,000

See all editions, reviews and details

History of the Pukhtuns - Pashtun History Book Buy — Rs 2,000

Featured Authors

Fatima Ahmed

Mumtaz H Chaudhry

Maria Shahzad

Prof. Muhammad Rais Alvi

Rameen Ali

Dr. Rashid Ahmed Shad

Featured Books

Dust

Fajr and Noor- Islamic Poetry Book

Taleem Aman, Ba-Tareeq Aman / تعلیم امن بطریق امن - Moral values book

Shah Jahan - fantasy drama book

Medical Emergencies - Acute Medicine Textbook

From Partition to Pioneer - Pakistan's medical pioneer biography book

History of the Pukhtuns - Pashtun History Book

History of the Pukhtuns

(Da Pukhtano Tarikh)

by

Qazi Ataullah Khan

translation by

Abdul Samad Khan

Preface

About The Author

Translator’s Note

About The Translator

Contents

History of the Pukhtuns

(Da Pukhtano Tarikh)

Volume 01

PUKHTUN ROOTS AND ORIGINS

I.

Pukhtun Roots

II.

Pukhtun Tribes

Bar Durranis

Damaanis

Abdalis (Durranis)

Barethi

Tarins

Ghalji

Wardag

Kakar

Kasai

Nasir

III.

Afghanistan’s Territories and Occupied Lands

Bar Durranis

Khattaks

Bangash

Turis

Isa Khel

Marwats

That’s the end of the free sample

About The
Author