Kayani (tribe)

The Kayanis (Urdu: کیانی ) (and numerous variants, to include 'Kiani', 'Keyani', 'Kaianee') are an agnatic clan with branches in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.

Their oral tradition considers them to be of Iranian origin and descendants of the mythological Kayanian dynasty. Consequently, members of the group often carry 'Kayani' or one of its numerous variants as a surname, or may even consider themselves to have aristocratic lineage.

Kayanis are found predominantly in Sistan in Easter Iran, the Potohar region of Pakistan's Punjab region, in the Hazara region of the Northwest Frontier Province, and in some parts of Balochistan.

Various subgroups that identify themselves as Kayanis include the Affendi, the Tarkhanite and Shahrais'ya clans of Gilgit, and the Gakhars Kayani Mughals of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan.