Yusufzai

Flag of the Afghan Yusufzai Tribe. Made from historical Texts & references.

The Yūsufzai (also Youssofzay, Yousefzai, Yousafzai, Esapzey, Yousufi, or Yūsufi) (Pashto: يوسفزی, Persian and Urdu: یوسف زئی) is one of the largest Pashtun (Afghans) tribes. The majority of the Yusufzai tribe reside in parts of Western Afghanistan,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas near the Afghan-Pakistan border.

They are the predominant population in the districts of Konar, Ningarhar, Dir, Swat, Mardan District, Malakand, Swabi, Buner, Shangla, Haripur District [Khalabat Town Ship and Tarbela] and in Mansehra and Battagram. There is also a Yusufzai clan of Dehwar tribe in the Mastung district of Balochistan who speak Persian with some mixture of Birahvi words.

Tribal divisions

Yusufzai was the younger son of Manday along with his elder brother Omar. Omar died early and left behind his son Mandanr who married the daughter of his uncle Yusuf. The descendents of both Yusuf and Mandanr are together called Yusufzai.

The descendants of Yusuf inhabit Konar, Jalalabad, Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, and Malakand while the descendants of Mandanh live in Swabi and Mardan. The begotten tribe of Yusufzai's are the Utmanzai having 3 major subdivions Alizai, Akazai and Kanazai, of Tarbela (now live in Khalabat Town Ship, District Haripur and Nawanshehr District Abbottabad).

Most Yusafzai speak the northern variant of "Pukhtu" with the hard "kh" replacing the softer "sh" of southern Afghan or Pashtun tribes. Yusafzai are named after Yusaf who was the son of Manday along with Umar. Mandanr, the son of Umar had four sons namely Munu, Razar, Hazar and Mahmood.

History

The flag of the Yusufzai's show the tribes history and lineage- The White circle: Unified, unbroken & Islam 4 stars: 4 sons of Qis/Kesh/Qais Abdur Rashid Crown: Representation of Qis/Kesh/Qais Abdur Rashid & his Bani Israel lineage which is from the Ancient Royal House of Israel Lion with Flag: The Lion of Judah/The Bravery of the Afghans & the emblem of many Afghan Kingdoms Olive Tree: Descent from the House of Israel/Bani Israel Black Background: The world in troment, pain & ignorance, showing the messianic dedication of Afghans that spread Islam through kings and Sufis throughout India.

Tribal Symbolism on Coat of Arms- Crown: The Yusufzais have always been considered among the Afghans as elders. This is because they descend from Hazrat Yusuf AH (Prophet Joseph). They have had many kingdoms and empires among which King Dost Muhammad Khan was one of the last great kings. In a royal ceremony in Kabul, he asked a couple of Jews if they knew their tribale lineage, which they didnt, upon which the king told them about his descent from the Tribe of Joseph the Prophet of Israel. Knight: The Yusufzai have always been famous knights that swept through the battlefields conquering everything in their path. Wheat and Agriculture: Yusufzai farmers and cultivators are renowned for their skill. Book: They are known for their literary contributions. Of the two standard dialects of Pukhto, one being Qandahari, the other is the Yusufzai dialect, known for its clearity and a aristocratic prowess and usage.

Green Background: The Traditional color of the Yusufzais.

They migrated from Kandahar when Mirza Ulugh Beg was governor. He succeeded his father, Shah Rukh, who was a son of Timur (Taimur-e-Lang), in 1446 A.D. In the time of Babur, who first came to Kabul in 1504 A.D., Peshawar had been colonized by Afghan tribes, such as the Swatis and Dilazaks. On his second visit, fourteen years later, he found the Yusufzais had spread into Swat. The current settlement of the Yusufzais must have come about after this time.

The Yusufzai took much of their current lands from the Afghan Dilazaks and Swatis, after a single decisive battle fought on the plains between the villages of Gadar and Langarkot. Babur helped subdue the tribes fighting the Yususfzais, using matchlocks for the first time against the Jahangiri sultan, Mir Haider Ali Gebri of Bajour. In previous battles the armies of Babur where never able to defeat the Yusufzai. In one instance Babur sent an army of 100,000 against the Yusufzai with elephants only to have the entire army almost completely routed.

Wars and famous personalities

The Yousafzai tribe came to Swat in approximately 1450 and began fighting with former Pushtun tribes of Afridi, Tanoli, Swati and Dilazak. After several bloody battles between the Tanolis and the Yousafzais , Sultan Ameer Khan Tanoli was killed while fighting with Yousafzais at Topi (near Swabi). The Tanolis were pushed to the eastern bank of river Indus.

The Yousafzai tribes ruled northern India for centuries. The British army tried to take control of the Yusufzai parts of northern India but were defeated. Few Yusufzai tribes migrated to Ludhiana, India and became Landlords there. They were the enemy of British and showed great resistance against them in war of independence 1857. Prominently Nawab Abdul Rahman Khan Yousafzai of Jhajjar. He was burnt to fire by British on showing resistance against them. Before Independence of Indo-Pak 1947, his clan migrated to Pakistan. They have settled Sialkot, Lahore and Multan. The Yusufzai have fought the British in the 18th and 19th century, especially the clans of Swat and Black Mountain of Hazara. The battle of Ambela, Sura took place in 1863. Bakht Khan Rohilla (1797–1859) was the nominal Commander-in-chief of Indian rebel forces in the Indian Rebellian of 1857 against the British East India Company. He too was a Yousafzai

During the Indo-Pak 1948 war, the first tribal lashkar sent to fight in Kashmir was sent by the Yousafzais from Dir, Mardan & Swabi, numbering 5000. Lashkar was also sent by the wali (Miangul Abdul-Haqq Jahan Zeb 1908–1987) of swat in 1948. This Lashkar was commanded by Khan Bahadur Muhammad Afarin Khan (1900–1980,Chakesar, Distt. Shangla).

The war hero of Pakistan, Captain Kernal Sher Khan, who showed great valour in Kargil was from the Swabi district and belonged to the Yūsufzai tribe. Another prominent personality of Yousafzai is former Pakistan cricket captain, Younis Khan from Kamalzai, Mardan, who lead Pakistan cricket team win the T20 world cup 2009.

Demographics

Three sections of the tribe, the Hassanzai, Akazai and Chagharzai, inhabit the west slopes of the Black Mountain, and the Yusufzai country stretches to the Utman Khel territory. The population demographics of Yusufzais is unknown but there are more than 3 million Pashtu speaking Yusufzais. The main districts of Yousafzais are Swat,Shangla, Mardan, Malakand, Swabi, Haripur and Dargai. A small colony of Yousafzai lives in Multan who speak Urdu.

Sub-Tribes

• Musa Khel . MoghalKhel(Bannu) • Amazai • Ahmed khel • Akazai • Azikhel • Babozai • Shamozai • Chagharzai • Hassanzai • Isazai • Kamalzai • Niamatkhel • Maddakhel • Malizai • Maturizai • Ranizai • Razarh • Utmanzai • Rohilla • Jalozai • Shamizai • Nikpikhel • Suleman Khel • Mahabat Khel • Meta Khel . Bara Khel

.

See also

• Pashtunistan

For Moghal Khel Bannu... http://www.khyber.org/publications/031-035/leadingfamilies.shtml#Jafar%20Khan%20of%20Ghoriwal

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links

• Pashtun Tribes at Khyber.org
• Northwest Frontier Province at gov.pk
• History of Swat at Swatian.com