The Afrīdī ( Aprīdai, plur. اپريدي Aprīdī; ) are a Pashtun tribe present mostly in tribal areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
The Afridis are most dominant in the Spin Ghar range west of Peshawar in Tribal areas of modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, covering most of the Khyber Pass and Maidan in Tirah
Etymology and origins
Etymology
Herodotus, in his Histories, mentions an Indian tribe
named Aparytai (Ἀπαρύται) inhabiting the Achaemenid satrapy of
Arachosia.
and
Olaf Caroe have linked them with the Afridi tribe:
Origins
The origin of the Afridis is uncertain.
Among the Afridi six Ḵaybar clans are generally distinguished: the Kūkī Ḵēl, Kambar Ḵēl, Kamar Ḵēl, Malek-dīn Ḵēl, Sepāh, and Zakkā Ḵēl (or Zəḵā Ḵēl), in the Khyber pass region. In addition, there are two "assimilated clans" not recognized by the first six, the Akā Ḵēl, settled south of the Bārā river in contact with the Ōrakzī, and the Ādam Ḵēl, occupying a mountainous region between Peshawar and Kohat. This complex clan structure, perhaps reflects the diversity of the origins of the different ethnic groups forming this great tribe.
History
Resistance against the Mughals
The Afridis and their allies
Khalils were first mentioned in the
Baburnama of Mughal Emperor
Babur as violent tribes in need of subduing.
[A. S. Beveridge, Babor-nama London, 1922 repr., p. 412] The Afridi tribes controlled the Khyber Pass, which has served as a corridor connecting the Indian subcontinent with
Afghanistan and Central Asia. Its strategic value was not lost on the Mughals to whom the Afridis were implacably hostile.
[ History of Khyber Agency: Gateway to the Subcontinent , Office of the Political Agent, Khyber Agency]
Over the course of Mughal rule, Emperors Akbar and Emperor Jahangir both dispatched punitive expeditions to suppress the Afridis, with little success.
Under the leadership of Darya Khan Afridi, they engaged in protracted warfare against the Mughal army in the 1670s.[ Khyber.org, 3 July 2005] Allegedly, only five Mughal soldiers made it out of the battle alive and the rest of the Mughals were brutally slaughtered.
British Raj
During the First, Second, and Third Anglo-Afghan Wars, Afridis fought against the British; these skirmishes comprised some of the fiercest fighting of the
.
[L. Thomas, Beyond Khyber Pass, London, n.d. (ca. 1925)] Ajab Khan Afridi was a well-known independence activist against the
British Raj.
The British colonial administration regarded the Pashtun Afridi tribesmen as "martial tribe" under the Martial race.
First Kashmir War
Shortly after the Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan, Afridi tribesmen were among the ranks of the
Khasadar that invaded the
princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in October 1947, sparking the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 and the ongoing
Kashmir conflict.
[M.K. Teng (2001) Kashmir: The Bitter Truth Kashmir Information Network] Today, Afridis make use of their dominant positions along the
Durand Line in areas of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province by controlling transport and various businesses, including trade in armaments, munitions and goods.
[ The excessive figure sometimes mentioned in Afghanistan reflects in a particular way the Afghan claim to Pashtunistan and actually represents an estimate of the whole of the Afridi tribe on both sides of the frontier.] Beside commercial activities, the Afridis also occupy substantial representation among Pakistan Armed Forces and paramilitary forces such as
Khyber Rifles.
Clans
The Afridi Tribe is subclassified into eight sub-tribes (Ḵels), which reflect the different ethnic groups which joined to make the Afrīdīs:
-
Kūkī Ḵēl
-
Ali Khel
-
Kambar Ḵēl
-
Zakkā/Zəḵā Ḵēl
-
Kamar/Kamraʾī Ḵēl
-
Malek-dīn Ḵēl
-
Sepāh
-
Aka Khel
-
Ādam Ḵēl
Religion
Afridis follow the
Sunni Islam of
Islam. Their conversion to Islam is attributed to Sultan (Emperor) Mahmud of Ghazni by
Denzil Ibbetson[Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H. A. Rose "A Glossary of The Tribes & Castes of The Punjab & North-West Frontier Province", 1911 AD, Page 217, Vol. III, Published by Asian Educational Services] and Haroon Rashid.
[History of the Pathans by Haroon Rashid Published by Haroon Rashid, 2002 Item notes: v. 1 Page 45 Original from the University of Michigan]
List of notable Afridis
In Sports
-
Ghaus Mohammad, Indian Tennis player (First Indian to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon)
-
Shahid Afridi, Pakistani cricketer and former national captain
-
Shaheen Afridi, Pakistani cricketer
-
Umar Gul, of Malak Din Khel; Pakistani International cricketer
-
Abbas Afridi, Pakistani cricketer
-
Riaz Afridi, Pakistani cricketer and coach
-
Ashfaq Afridi, Pakistani cricketer
-
Ahmed Shehzad, Pakistani cricketer
-
Sameen Gul, Pakistani cricketer
-
Yasir Afridi, Pakistani footballer
-
Rehmat Gul Afridi of Malak Din Khel; Pakistani Athlete and Journalist
Politicians
-
Abbas Khan Afridi, Pakistani politician who has been a member of senate, federal minister and state minister. He is also a reputable trader and businessman in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
-
Zakir Husain, third President of India, from 13 May 1967 until his death on 3 May 1969
-
Malik Mehrun Nisa Afridi, twice member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from Pakistan Peoples Party
-
Asghar Khan, Pakistani Air Marshal who built up the Pakistan Air Force as its first Native Commander-in-Chief, served as President of Pakistan International Airlines and a Pacifism Human Rights Activist Politician serving as Chairman of the Solidarity movement
-
Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Pakistani politician and senator, Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan and a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Literature
-
Josh Malihabadi Indian born Pakistani Urdu Poet Known as Shaer-e-inqilaab ( Poet of revolution).
Combatants
-
Ajab Khan Afridi, a rebel fighter during the British Raj who carried out an attack on British forces, sparking the Afridi Redshirts Rebellion
-
Darya Khan Afridi, a national hero of Afghanistan who closed the gates of Khyber District and ambushed the Mughal Empire of Aurangzeb raining down their firepower onto the confused mass, reconquering the lands of the Khyber Pass, famed warrior of the Afghan-Mughal Wars
-
Sher Ali Afridi, former policeman from Peshawar who assassinated Lord Mayo, the Viceroy of British India, in 1872
-
Nawab Faqir Muhammad Khan 'Goya' An Indian warrior and poet who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Oudh State, Holkar State, and the Pindari forces.
-
Mir Mast Khan Afridi, defected from the British Army during the First World War and recruited fellow ethnic Pashtun soldiers of the Tribal Belt for the Ottoman cause operating from Afghanistan
[M. Fahim Jemadar Mir Mast Khan Afridi: An Unsung Afridi Pashtun Hero Who Refused to Fight against Ottoman Army and Deserted the British Raj (2020) Pakistan Info]
-
Malik Wali Khan Kuki Khel Afridi, Kashmir Jihad Veteran and Activist of the Bannu Resolution in Independent Pakistan.
[ History of Pashtuns - Pashtunistan & Malik Wali Kuki Khel][ Pakistan Old Memories (2022) Leader of the Kuki Khel Afridis]
-
Khushdil Khan Afridi, military general in the Pakistan Army.
Malik Meer Ahmad Shah Kuki khel, Mania Khel Afridi, war
Malik Haji Gulli Shah Kuki khel Mania Khel kashmir
Businessman
-
Javed Afridi, owner of PSL team Peshawar Zalmi and owner of Haier Pakistan
-
Abbas Khan Afridi, a politician and Businessman, He is the founder and CEO of Afridi Traders and holds shares in other projects.
Martyrs
-
Fareeda Kokikhel Afridi, Woman's rights activist who founded the Society for Appraisal and Women Empowerment in Rural Areas and assassinated by religious extremists
Others
-
Monawar Khan Afridi, a brigadier in the British Indian Army, notably a doctor during the Burma Campaign working against Malaria and later served as the third Vice-Chancellor for the University of Peshawar
-
Yahya Afridi is a Pakistani jurist who is currently serving as the chief justice of Pakistan since 26 October 2024. He previously served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan since 28 June 2018. Prior to his elevation to the Supreme Court, Afridi served as chief justice of the Peshawar High Court from 2016 to 2018, and as a justice of the PHC from 2010 to 2016.
-
Khatir Afridi, Pashto poet from Pakistan
-
Shakeel Afridi, a physician from Pakistan
-
Ayub Afridi, a drug smuggler from Pakistan
-
Ahmad Kamal Faridi (Colonel Fareedi, Colonel Faridi), a character of Ibn-e-Safi, world renowned mystery writer/novelist of Pakistan. Ibn-e-Safi showed in his two novels (out of 125 novels) of Jasoosi Dunya ( The Spy World) novel number 52 and novel number 117 that Colonel Fareedi belongs to Afridi tribe.
-
Malik Sher Muhammad Khan Afridi, Chief of Sepah. He along with the Maliks of the Khyber Agency visited Kolkata by train from Peshawar along with Political Agent, Colonel Robert Warburton.
["Review of Eighteen Years in the Khyber, 1879–1898 by Col. Sir Robert Warburton"]
-
Malik Muhammad Akbar Afridi Sepah, 1946–1998, former Chieftain of the Bara of Khyber Agency, met Princess Diana and former British Prime Minister John Major during their visits to Peshawar, Pakistan.
-
Zeek Afridi, a Pashto singer from Peshawar
-
Mangal Bagh, also known as Mangal Bagh Afridi, was the leader of Lashkar-e-Islam, a militant group operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
-
Pir Atta Muhammad Afridi, chief of Akhorwal clan in Dara Adam Khel and chairman of Akhorwal coal company famous for his strong leadership. across the region of Dara Adam Khel to stabilize political and tribal instability.
Afridis of Farrukhabad & Malihabad
The Afridis of Farrukhabad & Malihabad are descendants of the
Afridi Pashtun tribe of the
Ali Khel branch, originally from the
Khyber Pass region (present-day
Pakistan). The community is primarily settled in
Farrukhabad and
Malihabad (in the
Lucknow district of
Uttar Pradesh), where they played significant military, political, and literary roles during the 18th and 19th centuries.
History
The first known ancestor to settle in India was Jahan Khan Afridi, who migrated from Khyber along with his tribe and settled in Farrukhabad. He served as Commander-in-Chief under Muhammad Khan Bangash, the *Bawan Hazari* of the Bangash principality.
Jahan Khan Afridi had eight sons, whose descendants remain in Farrukhabad. One of them, Muhammad Khan Afridi, became the Deputy and Prime Minister of the Farrukhabad State. The ruler Qaim Khan later entrusted the administration of the state to him and retired from governance to focus on religious devotion.
Jahan Khan’s cousin, Yar Beg Khan Afridi, was invited to India along with his five brothers. Initially, they settled in Farrukhabad, but due to political disputes, they later joined Safdar Jang of Awadh. These brothers became known across North India as the “Paanch Bhaiye” (Five Brothers), each commanding his own military regiment (*risala*).
Eventually, the family settled in Qawalhar, a locality of Malihabad, which was inhabited by the Diler Khan Pathans. Some members later returned to Farrukhabad and the Khyber region, while others remained in Malihabad, where their descendants became prominent figures in culture, administration, and literature.
Notable Figures
Nawab Faqir Muhammad Khan "Goya"
A descendant of Buland Khan (son of Yar Beg Khan Afridi),
Nawab Faqir Muhammad Khan "Goya" was a prominent Commander-in-Chief who served under the
Holkar State,
Tonk State, and
Awadh Army. He was also a distinguished
Urdu poetry and prose writer, known for his refined literary style and influence in the courts of North India.
Josh Malihabadi
Shabbir Hasan Khan "Josh Malihabadi", great-grandson of Nawab Goya, became one of the most celebrated poets of
Urdu literature. Known as the "Shair-e-Inquilab" (Poet of Revolution), he was honoured with the
Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his literary contributions.
Ghaus Mohammad Khan
Ghaus Mohammad Khan (Padma Shri), also from the same Afridi lineage, is regarded as
India’s first international
tennis player and one of the country’s earliest sports pioneers.
Dr. Zakir Husain
Dr. Zakir Husain (1897–1969), the third President of India, was a descendant of the Afridi family of Farrukhabad. He was an eminent educationist, co-founder of Jamia Millia Islamia, and the first Muslim to hold the office of President of India. His lineage connects to the same Afridi Pathan families that migrated from Farrukhabad to other parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Salman Khurshid
Salman Khurshid, a senior Indian National Congress politician, lawyer, and former Minister of External Affairs, also traces his ancestry to the Afridi Pathans of Farrukhabad. He is the grandson of Dr. Zakir Husain and continues the family’s legacy of public service and education.
Cultural and Historical Legacy
The Afridi families of Malihabad remain one of the most influential
Pathan lineages in
Uttar Pradesh. Their heritage is closely linked to the region’s history, culture, and poetry. The family produced several poets, freedom fighters, and scholars who contributed to India’s cultural and political landscape during the colonial and post-independence periods.
The Afridis of Malihabad are also credited with developing and expanding the region’s mango orchards. Under the patronage and landholdings of the Afridi Pathan families, Malihabad became the center of mango cultivation in Asia.
External links
