Afridi
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Afridi (Urdu: آفریدی ) (Pashto: اپريدي ) is a Pashtun tribe. The Afridi tribe is the most powerful and dominant tribe of the Khyber Agency. The Afridis inhabat about 1000 miles of rough hilly area in the eastern Safed Koh range west of the Peshawarvalley. Maidan in Tirah which can be accessed by the Kajurhi plains and the valleys of Bara and Churah. The tribe numbers in about 315,000 people.
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[edit] History
The famous historian Herodotus mentions a country bordering on the banks of the Indus occupied by a people called the Pactyae who were divided into four nations, one which was the Aparthea, or Aparutai, identified with the modern Afridis. They lay claim to an inaccessible upland area of refuge, the Tirah and it's central place, Maidan and at Bagh. As a result, they have literally have been able to force every passing conqueror to pay toll tax for use or passafe through the Khyber Pass. Some writers think that some tribes like the Afridis and Khattaks are indigenous, considering, for instance, that the afrids inhabited this terrain even during prehistoric times, which is before the recorded movement of other notable Pakhtun tribes to their present abodes. Olaf Caroe and Aurel Stein are reported to have suggested that the Afridis may be the original inhabitants of the Gandhare area rather than an integral part of the great clans allegedly descended from the tribes of Israel.
[edit] Clans
There are eight clans in the Afridi tribe. 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. The afridi Adam khel is further divided into seven clans as Jawakies,Bosti khel,Sherakies,Zarghoon Khel,Tor Chaaper,Akhorwal and Hassan Khel
[edit] Crime
The Afridis gained notoriety for indulging in smuggling of foreign goods, and narcotics etc. They are also well-known as robbers of merchant caravans in the past, and in the present day context, Spain notes them to be "consummate smugglers", with an avid interest in trade, and some are involved in smuggling, the narcotics trade and kidnapping for ransom.
[edit] Religion
Most Afridis follow the religion of Islam. There Afridis are said to have been initially converted to Islam during the time of Mahmood of Ghazni, and then during the time of Shahabuddin Ghaur. The afridis are found to throng the masjids at the time of prayers. A pleasant surprise comes, at the time of Eid Milad-ul-Nabi (the Holy Prophet's birthday), when the festival is held with unusual fervor and religious zeal, which is a spectacular sight. They are also observed to subscribe to many religious rituals, including Eid celebrations, getting amulets from Pirs (holy persons), visits to the shrines, etc.
[edit] Description
Olaf Caroe refers to their Grecian features, standing as a model of the Greek god Apollo, and the elderly lot resembling Zeus. To Spain they convey an impression of an assembly of Old Testament prophets because of their light skin, pleasant looks, Hebraic cast of features and beards.
[edit] Cuisine
Most Afridis have a meat eating cuisine eat kabob, lamb curry, chicken curry, goat curry, sheep, keema,Pata Teeka, and much more. Their vegetable cuisine consists of bendai(okra), choley, cuarka(red beans), dal, and more. Their desserts include keer (rice pudding), meenchai (sugared noodles). They drink a lot of chai.
[edit] Famous Afridis
- Khatir Afridi , a prominent poet who wrote over 40,000 poems in his only four years of writing poetry. He died very young at the age of 32. He has only one son left who has collected all his poems and made a book out of them , a book which has achieved a good market value among the speakers of Pushto.
- Shahid Afridi, famous in the world of cricket for his destructive batsmanship, once a pinch-hitter but now a all-rounder in the Pakistan ODI cricket team. Holds world record for fastest 100 (off only 37 balls).
- Ayub Afridi, an associate of Abdul Qadir, described as a notorious drug baron.[1]
- Ehsan Faraaz Afridi Khan, the notorious Ehsan Faraaz Afridi Khan is a cricketer from the province of Slough. His reputation preceeds him wherever he goes. He was given the nickname "ACE" because of his formidable ability to get the wickets.
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