| Afridi |

Afridi is a large tribe of the Pakhtoons which inhabits roughly a 1000 square miles of hilly country south and west of Peshawar Valley in the Sufed Koh Range. It includes Maidan in Tirah (which is accessed through Khajuri Plains) and the valleys of the Bara and Churah. To their east, they are bounded by the Khattaks of Akora and the Mohmand and Khalil divisions of the Peshawar Districts. In the north they are flanked by Mohmands and in the west by Chamkanis and Shinwaris. On their south is the Orakzais Agency. On the southwest, several small passes lead down into the Kurram Valley. Through their areas run the Khyber Pass. To him can be applied a whle catalogue of contradictory adjectives: brave, cautious, honorable, treacherous, cruel, gallant, superstitious, courteous, suspicious, and proud. The tribe numbers about 250,000. It is divided into eight clearly distinct clans: Adam Khel, Aka Khel, Kamar Khel, Kambar Khel, Kuki Khel, Malikdin Khel, Zakka Khel, and Sipah.

All of the Afridi clans have their own areas in the Tirah, and most of them extend down into the Khyber over which they have always exercised the right of toll. The Malikdin Khel live in the center of the Tirah and hold Bagh, the traditional meeting place of Afridi jirgas or assemblies. The Aka Khel are scattered in the hills south of Jamrud. All of this area is included in the Khyber Agency. The Adam Khel live in the hills between Peshawar and Kohat. Their preserve is the Kohat Pass. In which several of the most important Afridi gun factories are located. This area is set In the sixteenth century, the Afridies collected Rs. 12,5000 a year from the Mogul Empire, in addition to individual levies on each traveler. By 1865, their receipts had dropped to Rs. 22,900 from the Amir of Afghanistan, ;lus an individual levy of Rs. 5 per laden camel (Rs. 3 if the load was food), Rs. 3 per horseman, and Rs. 11/2 per unladen camel or pediestrian. Reliable figures on more recent subsidies paid by British India and Pakistan are not available, but there is little doubt they far exceed the Mogul figure

Aside in a separate strip of unadministered territory attached to Kohat District. Except for the Adam Khel, i.e Afridi clans are migratory, moving down out of the lofty Tirah to the lower hills and the Khajuri Plain in the winter.

Although the entire tribe proved itself capable of concerted action against both the Moguls and the British, the Afridies are given to bitter interclan feuds, leaving them little time for major quarrels with neighboring tribes. Most noted of the feuds are those between the Adam Khel and the Aka Khel and between the Kuki Khel and the Zakka Khel. The last-named clan, incidentally, is considered something of an archetype of the Afridies. It is reputed to be so untrustworthy that the other clans accompanied by the giving of hostages. The bickering is enhanced by the considerable influence exercised among the Afridies by the mullahs and the adherence of the various clans to the Samil and Gar factions.

The Afridies are light-skinned, pleasant-looking men, somewhat slighter in stature than the Yusufzai. A Hebraic cast of features and a partialityh for full beards, added to the grace with which most of the older men wear their flowing garments, convey an impression of an assembly of Old Testament prophets.

The Afridies, especially the Adam Khel, Kambar Khel, and Malikdin Khel, joined the British Indian army in grater numbers than most other tribes. The famous Khyber Rifles, whose headquarters are at Landi Kotal in the Khyber, have-except for periods when the British banned the Afridies from service because of revolt or intrigue-been very much an Afridi organization. In recent years, the Afridies have built up a profitable trucking business between various points within the Frontier and from Peshawar to Afghanistan. Much as the Sikhs in India, they also serve as the motor mechanics of northwestern Pakistan, and are capable of prolonging the life of the most decrepit vehicle almost indefinitely.

Despite the Afridies, willingness to participate in a juhad at the wave of a green flag, their religious laxity has been the subject of much concern to their fellow Pathans. In the seventeenth century, Khushal Khan Khattak, the great Pushto poet and lifelong ally of the Afridies, lamented:

The call of the muezzin is not to be heard in Tirah, Unless it is the crowing of the cock at the dawn of day.

The Roshani heretics of the sixteenth century found a refuge in the Tirah after having been driven out by other more orthodox tribes, and reportedly Pir Roshan, the founder of the sect, is still venerated there today.

Perhaps the Afridies best answer to charges of irreligion, however , is a story they tell of themselves. One day long ago, a saintly pir, or holy man, came among the tribe. They paid homage to him and asked for his prayers. He denounced their lack of virtue and reviled them with the fact that in all their country they did not have a single shrine or tomb of a saint of their own whose intercession they might solicit. Impressed by the argument, the Afridies killed the pir on the spit and created an impressive shrine over him at which they conducted their devotions there after.

The origin of this tribe, owing to want of written record is obscure. "Their traditional records," says James, would lead us to believe that in common with other Pathan tribes, they are the descendants of Khalid-bin-Walid, a Jew who embraced Islam. During the reign of Mahmud of Ghazana, a chief by the name of Afridi, owing to his feuds, was obliged to fly from his country in Afghanistan and seek refuge with a kindred spirit, by name of Wazir, in the wilds of Sheratala. Here he seems to have settled and remained with his family for considerable time.

Similarly Turner Says that;"Afridi an individual of unknown country and parentage, came to Ghor, and there had an intrigue with a woman of the Karari tribe, the eventual results of which was the tribe of Afridies."

H.W . Bellew gives some what different account. He says, "The Afridies are without doubt the same Aparyata of Herodotus; both name and the positions are identically the same."

Another legend says that in ancient times a Governor of the province of Peshawar summoned some members of the Afridies to his 'Darbar' or court of audience. One of them, with native self possession and independence, took his seat at the entrance to the Darbar, and as the Governor stopped, and asked him who he was? Zah sok yam? ("Who am I?") He replied with solid indifference, Zah hum Afrida yam........"I am also a creature of God." In the Persian language Afridia means "a created being." From this circumstance the tribe received the name of Afridi.

Hayat Khan, the author of Hayat-e-Afghani considers Afrid as the grand son of Karlan's younger son Usman, nick named Afrida. (Note: Refer to the Family Tree at Top of Page)

Afridis have been painted in different colours by their detractors and admirers. H.W. Bellow says that;

"His manliness is at once apparent, and his proverbial hospitality, courtesy, courage, cheerfulness and loyalty makes him an excellent companion, and a valuable soldier and entitle him to respect and admiration."

In general, Afridies are tall, athletic, hardy and capable of great endurance. In the rank of In warfare, unless thoroughly humbled or convinced of the advantages of peace, they never omit to follow up a retiring enemy.

Some writers have described Afridis as the best specimen of the Pakhtoons. Tall, with handsome features, robust and strong body, fair complexion, eagle eyes, dressed in khaki colour. The young boys like wearing colourful waistcoats and silk turbans, and the women like colourful wax-work shirts and printed with flower dupattas (head scarf).