The Afridis are most dominant in theSpin Ghar range west ofPeshawar in Tribal areas of modern-dayKhyber Pakhtunkhwa, covering most of theKhyber Pass andMaidan inTirah[1] which is their Native Tribal Territory. They are the closest to Orakzai in their language, culture and geographic areas.
The origin of the Afridis is uncertain.[8][9] 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.[10]
The Afridis and their alliesKhalils were first mentioned in thememoirs of Mughal EmperorBabar as violent tribes in need of subduing.[11] The Afridi tribes controlled the Khyber Pass, which has served as a corridor connecting theIndian subcontinent withAfghanistan and Central Asia. Its strategic value was not lost on the Mughals to whom the Afridis were implacably hostile.[12]
Over the course of Mughal rule, EmperorsAkbar andJahangir both dispatched punitive expeditions to suppress the Afridis, with little success.[9]
Under the leadership ofDarya Khan Afridi, they engaged in protracted warfare against theMughal army in the 1670s.[13] The Afridis once destroyed two largeMughal armies of EmperorAurangzeb: in 1672, in a surprise attack betweenPeshawar andKabul, and in the winter of 1673, in an ambush in the mountain passes.[14] The emperor sent hisRajput general Rai Tulsidas with reinforcements into the mountains to suffocate the revolt and liberate the mountain.[14][15] Allegedly, only five Mughal soldiers made it out of the battle alive and the rest of the Mughals were brutally slaughtered.[16][17][18]
The British colonial administration regarded the Pashtun Afridi tribesmen as "martial tribe" under themartial races theory.[20] Different Afridi clans also cooperated with the British in exchange for subsidies, and some even served with theKhyber Rifles, an auxiliary force of theBritish Indian Army.[20][21]
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.
Ahmad Kamal Faridi (Colonel Fareedi, Colonel Faridi), a character ofIbn-e-Safi, world renowned mystery writer/novelist of Pakistan. Ibn-e-Safi showed in his two novels (out of 125 novels) ofJasoosi Dunya (The Spy World) novel number 52 and novel number 117 that Colonel Fareedi belongs to Afridi tribe.
Malik Sher Muhammad Khan Afridi, Chief ofSepah. He along with the Maliks of theKhyber Agency visitedKolkata by train fromPeshawar along with Political Agent, ColonelRobert Warburton.[31] He also was a key figure in the relations between the Pathans especially theAfridis and the British Government during the 19th century, also mentioned in the bookEighteen Years in the Khyber.[32]
Mangal Bagh, also known as Mangal Bagh Afridi, was the leader ofLashkar-e-Islam, a militant group operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pir Atta Muhammad Afridi, chief ofAkhorwal clan inDara 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.[33]
The Afridis of Farrukhabad & Malihabad are descendants of theAfridiPashtun tribe of theAli Khel branch, originally from theKhyber Pass region (present-dayPakistan). The community is primarily settled inFarrukhabad andMalihabad (in theLucknow district ofUttar Pradesh), where they played significant military, political, and literary roles during the 18th and 19th centuries.
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 underMuhammad 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 joinedSafdar Jang ofAwadh. 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 ofMalihabad, which was inhabited by theAmanzaiPathans. 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.
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 theHolkar State,Tonk State, andAwadh Army. He was also a distinguishedUrdu poet and prose writer, known for his refined literary style and influence in the courts of North India.
Ghaus Mohammad Khan (Padma Shri), also from the same Afridi lineage, is regarded asIndia’s first internationaltennis player and one of the country’s earliest sports pioneers.
Dr. Zakir Husain (1897–1969), the thirdPresident of India, was a descendant of the Afridi family of Farrukhabad. He was an eminent educationist, co-founder ofJamia 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.
The Afridi families of Malihabad remain one of the most influentialPathan lineages inUttar 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.
^abRichards, John F. (1996), "Imperial expansion under Aurangzeb 1658–1869. Testing the limits of the empire: the Northwest.",The Mughal Empire, New Cambridge history of India: The Mughals and their contemporaries, vol. 5 (illustrated, reprint ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 170–171,ISBN978-0-521-56603-2
^Afridi demographics in Pakistan and Afghanistan The excessive figure sometimes mentioned in Afghanistan reflects in a particular way the Afghan claim toPashtunistan and actually represents an estimate of the whole of the Afridi tribe on both sides of the frontier.
^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
^History of the Pathans by Haroon Rashid Published by Haroon Rashid, 2002 Item notes: v. 1 Page 45 Original from the University of Michigan
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