The Povindah was a class of warrior nomadic traders in present-day Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan, who belonged chiefly to the tribes of Ghilzais Pashtuns. Their name, which designates their occupation, is derived from the same root as the Pushtu word meaning "to graze".
They assembled every autumn on the plains east of Ghazni, with their families, flocks, herds and long strings of camels and horses, laden with the goods of Bokhara and Kandahar; and forming a caravan march through the Kakar and Waziri countries by the Zhob and Gumal passes of the Suliman Hills.
Several of the Ghilji or Ghilzai are almost wholly engaged in the carrying trade between India and Afghanistan and the northern states of Central Asia and have so for many centuries to the exclusion of all other tribes of the country . The principal clans employed in this great carrying trade are the Ahmadzai, Hotak, Niazi, Nasar, Miakhel, Mulla Khel, Daulat Khel, Kundi, Kharoti and the Sulemankhel. From the nature of their occupation they collectively styled, or individually so far as that goes, Povinda and Lawani or Lohani [1]
The Ahmadzai (Pashto: احمدزی) is a Pashtun subtribe of the Ghilji confederacy. The Ahmadzai Pashtun tribe is a Powandah tribe and are traditional nomadic merchant warriors.
In the early part of the 15th century the Niazi and Lodhi tribe, followed their kinsmen from Ghazni into Tank where they lived as Pawindahs for nearly a century [3]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Povindah". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 222.
Kochis or Kuchis are pastoral nomads belonging primarily to the Ghilji Pashtuns. In the southern, western and northern regions of Afghanistan they are also referred to at times as maldar. Some of the most notable Ghilji Kochi tribes include the Kharoti, Niazi, Andar, Akakhel and nasar Ahmadzai. In the Pashto language, the terms are کوچۍ Kochai (singular) and کوچیان Kochian (plural). In the Persian language, کوچی "Kochi" and "Kochiha" are the singular and plural forms (respectively).
Paktika is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharana serves as the provincial capital, while the most populous city is Urgun.
The Marwat is a Pashtun tribe, a branch of the Lohani tribe and belong to Lodi section. The Marwats were named for their ancestor Marwat Khan Lodi.
The Kharoti (Pashto:خروٹی) خروټی) are a Pashtun tribe of Ghilji origin, originating in the central part of Paktika Province, Afghanistan, but can be also found in other parts of the country. The Kharoti settled in Kharotabad in Quetta, British India around 1945.
Lodi is a Pashtun tribe from the Ghilji group of Pashtuns. These tribes were nomadic and migrated by crossing the Gomal Pass throughout the history.
The Ghiljī also spelled Khilji, Khalji, or Ghilzai or Ghilzay (غلزی), are one of the largest Afghan tribes. Their traditional homeland is Ghazni and Qalati Ghilji in Afghanistan but they have also settled in other regions throughout the Afghanistan-Pakistan Pashtun belt. The Khilji dynasty was a dynasty in Delhi Sultanate founded by Jalaluddin Khalji and expanded by Alauddin Khalji who were from Ghilji tribe. The modern nomadic Kochi people are predominantly made up of Ghilji tribes. The Ghilji make up around 20-25% of Afghanistan's total population.
The Hotak dynasty was an Afghan monarchy founded by Ghilji Pashtuns that briefly ruled portions of Iran and Afghanistan during the 1720s. It was established in April 1709 by Mirwais Hotak, who led a successful rebellion against the declining Persian Safavid empire in the region of Loy Kandahar in what is now southern Afghanistan.
Mir Ways ibn Shah 'Alam, also known as Mirwais Khan Hotak was an Afghan ruler from the Ghilji tribe of Pashtuns of Kandahar, Afghanistan, and the founder of the Hotak dynasty.
The Wazirs or Waziris are a Karlani Pashtun tribe found mainly in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. The Utmanzai Wazir are settled in the North Waziristan and Bannu Subdivision Wazir and the Ahmadzai Wazir are in the South Waziristan, and in Domel, Bannu. Those subgroups are in turn divided further, for example into Utmanzai tribes such as the Baka Khel and Jani Khel. The Wazirs speak the Waziristani dialect of Pashto which is similar to the neighboring Banuchi and Dawari dialect but still distinct.
The Bettani, also spelled Baittani or Bhittani, is a Pashtun tribe located mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Bettani are named after Shaykh Beṭ, their legendary ancestor, who is said to be the second son of Qais Abdur Rashid. The Bettanis are Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school. The Bettani confederacy includes the tribes of Bettanis, and the Matti tribes, which are the progeny of BiBi Mattu, the daughter of Sheikh Bettan. These include the Lodi, who are also known as Lohani, as well as the tribes of Marwat, Tanoli, and Niazi. The Shirani tribe has also been referenced as a component of the Bettani confederacy.
The Pashtun tribes, are tribes of the Pashtun people, a large Eastern Iranian ethnic group who speak the Pashto language and follow Pashtunwali, the social code of conduct for Pashtuns. They are found primarily in Afghanistan and Pakistan and form the world's largest tribal society, comprising over 60 million people and between 350 and 400 tribes and clans. They are traditionally divided into four tribal confederacies: the Sarbani (سړبني), the Bettani (بېټني), the Ghurghusht (غرغښت), the Karlani (کرلاڼي) and a few allied tribes of those that are Ismailkhel, Khel, Ludin, Sakzai, and Zai.
The Nasher are a noble Afghan family and Khans of the Pashtun Kharoti (Ghilji) tribe. The family is originally from Qarabagh, Ghazni but founded modern day Kunduz in the early 20th century and lived there until the end of the Barakzai dynasty in the late 20th century.
Tanikhel, Tanoli or Taniwal/TanoKhel is a tribe of Ghilji Pashtuns. Their traditional homeland is Ghazni and Paktia Province of Afghanistan but they have also settled in other regions throughout the Afghanistan-Pakistan Pashtun belt. And In hazara division of Pakistan. In Afghanistan and or other pashto speaking area they speak pashto language in hazara mostly they speak hindko language.
Lōya Paktiā is a historical and cultural region of Afghanistan, comprising the modern Afghan provinces of Khost, Paktia, and Paktika, as well as parts of Logar and compromises Kurram and Waziristan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Loya Paktia is vaguely defined by a common culture and history that is connected to the local indigenous tribes that reside in the region. Particular styles of clothing, articles of clothing, turban styles, turban cloth colors, dialects of Pashto language, etc. may sometimes be associated with specific tribes indigenous to Loya Paktia and thus integrate themselves into regional culture. For instance, a Pashtun tribesman from Loy Kandahar may quickly recognize a Pashtun from Loya Paktia based upon his turban style and color. Likewise, a Pashtun from Loya Paktia may recognize someone from Loy Kandahar based upon his unique style of collarless kameez (shirt) with specific embroidered patterns on the front. There are many subtle and intricate cultural indicators of this type that are not recorded in any known written history but simply known and observed by the tribesmen of the various Pashtun regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Andar are a Ghilji Pashtun sub-tribe. The Andar occupy nearly the whole of the extensive district of Shalgar south of Ghazni The Andar were traditionally known for their skill in the construction and maintenance of large karez. More concentrated in Ghazni Province, they have also a significant presence in Paktia. During the 19th century they joined in the Ghilji revolt and many were summarily sent into internal exile. Somewhat inexplicably, they allied themselves for a time with the Harakat-i Islami, during the anti-Soviet campaign. In fact, there were two Mujaheddin parties named Harakat-i Islami Afghanistan, the other and far more significant party was originally a 'united front' of mainly Hezb-i Islami and Jamiat-i Islami, that collapsed after only a few months, leaving behind a significant party that was in many ways a precursor to the present day Taliban movement. A majority of the Andar tribe were affiliated with this 'Harakt-i Islami' and it is notable that the leader of this united front and later party, Mawlawi Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi was Andar by tribe. Similarly, the senior Mawlawi Mansoor was Andar too. Mansoor's son Saifurrahman Mansoor was later an important figure and military leader in the Taliban movement.
The Nasar tribe is an ethnic Pashtun Ghilzai tribe mainly living in Afghanistan and some in Pakistan. Nasar has mostly remained a nomadic tribe throughout history due to which it spread in the provinces of Kunar, Paktia, Laghman, Nangarhar and Ghazni province. The Nasar people also live in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region and Balochistan province . (History) It is said that the nasars come from the tribe of khiljis and are the descendants of Allaudin khilji but there is no evidence of that.The nasars have been part of various armies just like the kakars, kasis, Tareens, barechs etc.
The Sulaimankhel, or Suleiman Khel, are a Pashtun sub-tribe of the Ghilji tribe.They are also known Brother tribe of Tanoli tribe. They Both are Sons of same father.As They are primarily Nomadic People. In the early 20th century, the tribe was recognised as generally pastoral.
Pashtuns of Kashmir and the Pathans in Kashmir include Pashtun people (Pathans) that may still follow Pashtunwali and speak Pashto as their mother-tongue who have settled in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. While there are also a large number of people throughout Kashmir who claim Pashtun ancestry through forefathers who migrated to the region under the Afghan rule in Kashmir. While exact numbers are hard to determine, cursory estimates put the number of these Pathans or Pashtuns above 100,000. Many of these Pathans have over time absorbed Kashmiriyat and use Kashmiri language as their second language, although some people following Pashtunwali customs and aspects of Pashtun culture and Pashto are still notably practiced among the community, largely of them resides in district Ganderbal (Gutlibagh) and Anantnag, there are also Pathans in district Kishtwar, Baramulla and Kupwara (Haihama).
The Akakhel, pronounced Akaa Khel or Akakhail, are a Pashtun sub-tribe of the Ghilji/Ghilzais confederation. Their mother language is Pashto. In the early 20th century, the tribe was generally pastoral. The Akakhel are one of the largest Ghilji Pashtun subtribes. A reasonable majority of those who were living on the Durand Line migrated since 1900 into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab provinces of Pakistan to Sikander Abad Charsadda,Peshawar,Swat(Barikot), Buner(Topdara), Abbottabad, Nowshera, Mardan, Attock, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Gojra, Faisalabad, Lahore, Multan, Hyderabad, Karachi and Quetta. The exact population number of this clan is not known; however, it is estimated to be around 2 million all around the world The population of this tribe primarily lives in Pakistan and Afghanistan. 85% live in Pakistan and about 1% or 2% live in Afghanistan and remaining 13% lives in England, Germany, United Arab Emirates, China, Malaysia, Canada and United States of America.
The Ahmadzai is a Pashtun subtribe of the Ghilji confederacy. Ahmadzai Pashtun tribe is a Powandah tribe and are traditional nomadic merchant warriors. They are considered as the pioneers of trade among other Powandah merchant tribes. The tribe is more prosperous and are greeted with respect. Ahmadzai tribe is the largest tribe among Pashtuns. They follow Pashtunwali rigidly and are known for their Jirgahs. In history Ahmadzai are one of the strongest tribes and had control of power in Afghanistan. Ahmadzai tribe is known for their hospitality and strict code of conduct. There are some rules which no one can break and if they took responsibility they mean it. Currently, they are living in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They have properties in Islamabad and Peshawar. Large number of Ahmadzai have fought against the USSR invasion of Afghanistan. Traditionally, the Ahmadzai ranged from Logar to Jalalabad, but mostly in Paktia, Paktika, and Khost. A large portion of the tribe live as Kochi nomads. Khels of Ghilzai Ahmadzai are Babakar khel, Isa Khel, Jabbarkhel, Maruf Khel, Musa Khel, Zandak Khel, Ya Khel. There are some other tribes within these sub-tribes. The former Afghan presidents Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (2014–2021) and Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai (1987–1992) belonged to the Ahmadzai tribe.
