Nikpikhel

This article is about the Pashtun sub-tribe. For the geographic location, see Nikpikhel (location).

Nikpikhel (also Nekpikhel Pashto: نیکفی خیل') is the name given to the area surrounding Kabal, lying just opposite to Mingora on the Western bank of River Swat, Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Ethnicity

Nikpikhel are children of Malik Nikpikhel,^[who?] who was not a Yusufzai but originally sub-tribe of Shilmani from Mitravi or Mutrawi septs. According to the history when in 1519 Yusufzai and Mandar Khashi Afghans advanced against the last king of Swati Sultan Awais Gabari. The Mitravis had enmity with Sultan thus they joined Yusufzais against Sultan Awais, the Gabari King, and compel him to flee from Manglaware to Upper Dir and Chitral. Nikpikhel occupy the right bank of the Swat River from Dedahara to Ningolai.

Etymology

Nikpi (نیکفی) is Pashto for "fortunate" and khel (خیل) is Pashto for "tribe" or "clan".

Sub-tribes

The Nikpikhel are divided into two clans, Aba Khel and Asha Khel. As of now, there is no definite information on Asha Khel but possibly they reside in areas like Kanju and beyond. However, one of the well known tribe is Nasirkhel, residing in Bara Bandai. Nasirkhel tribe is head tribe of the sub clans i.e Ajukhel, Tawaskhel, Shadokhel and Mandanr.

Aba Khel is divided into Bar ("upper") Aba Khel and Koz ("lower") Aba Khel. Koz Aba Khel includes Dedahara, Gadi, Dagay, Kotlai, Akhud Kilay, Kabal, Sirsinai, Hazara, Aligrama and Malooch. Bar Aba Khel includes Kalakilay, Totano Bandai, Manja, Golden, Devlai, Nasrat, Shahdeari, Samai, Maira, Tall, Dardyal, and Kamyari.

Bar Aba Khel is divided into three clans/tribes, Mata Khel, Zaina Khel, and Sahib Khel. The Mata Khel is futher divided into three sub-clans/tribe (subkhel) that includes Saran Khel, Khushal Khel and Jura Khel. Saran Khel reside in Shahdeari, Totano Bandai (Totanobandai), Golden, Manja and Dardyal. There is no definite information on Zaina Khel. Sahib Khel is futher divided into many subkhel like Baro Khel based in Devlai, Golden, Nasrat, Shalhand, Tagma, Malakana.

References

• Khan Roshan Khan. The history of Youasfzai.^{[when?][where?][who?]}