Tahirkheli

The Tahir Khel (also Tar Khel, Tahirkheli, Tarkheli) are a Pashtun sub-group of the Utman Khel tribe, and are originally from the Hazara region of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Although ethnically Pashtun, Tahirkhelis are a Hindko-speaking people. Their ancestry can be traced back to Afghanistan, and likely Eastern Iran. [ Olaf Caroe, (1984) "The Pathans With an Epilogue on Russia", New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN-10: 0195772210]

In 1749 A.D Ahmad Shah Abdali (The ruler of Afghanistan) came to Peshawar. At that time Boland Khan, the son of Tahir Khan was the landlord of area called "Khare and Gandar" (Ref: Hayat-e-Afghani - written in 1867 by Hayat Khan page 184).

Tahir Khan acquired the land just before Ahmad Shah conquered it and as Ahmad Shah Abdali was happy with Boland Khan, he formally gave this land (Kharee, Gandgar and Hirro) to Boland Khan (Ref: Hayat-e-Afghani - written in 1867 by Hayat Khan page 185).

Tahir Khan belonged to the "ALLIZAI" tribe which is a sub tribe of "UTMAN ZAI". Therefore the Tahirkheli family tree starts as follows -

ALLI ZAI (Branch of Utman Zai)
Ismail Khel (3rd Wife)
Saidu Khel
Jogi Khan
Adeen Khan
Adeen Khan
Taj Khan
Tahir Khan

Tahir Khan migrated to Kharee / Gandger from "Kotha" (A town near Swabi)

After their migration to Hazara, which occurred in the late-18th to early-19th century, most Tahirkhelis settled in the Gandghar Mountains east of the Indus River. The earliest written accounts of British encounters with the Tahirkhelis is by Watson’s Gazeteer of the early-20th century, during an evaluation of ancient art from the area of the Gandghars. [ J. W. Frembgen, "Religious Folk Art as an Expression of Identity: Muslim Tombstones in the Gangar Mountains of Pakistan", "Muqarnas", Vol. 15, 1998]

The Tahirkheli family is a Khan family and has been renowned for being a very prominent land owning family for many generations.

In recent generations, Tahirkhelis have inhabited the eastern Indus River banks near the village Ghazi as well as other various parts of the Haripur and Attock districts. There are small Tahirkheli communities outside of Pakistan as well, such as in California, Bradford, London, North Carolina, and other places of Pakistani expatriation.

ee also

* Hindkowans

ources and notes