Mashwanis

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The Mashwani (also Moshwani, Mishwani, Miswani) are a Syed tribe living predominantly in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

[edit] Origins and history

The Mashwani tribe is a Syed tribe claiming descent from the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Syedah Fatimah and his son-in-law Hazrat Ali. The lineage transcends from Hazrat Imam Hussain and Hazrat Imam Zain-ul-Abideen. The progenitor of the Mashwanis migrated from what is now Iraq to Iran and thence to Afghanistan. Syed Muhammad Hamzah married a Pashtun woman of the Kakar tribe and had a son named Syed Masud Mashwani, from whom the tribe derives its name. Since the Pashtun lineage traditionally stems from the father, this tribe is not recognised as a true Pashtun tribe according to Pashtunwali. Mashwani names frequently have the prefix "Syed", meaning belonging to the family of Muhammad.

Some historians^{[citation needed]} believe that Mishwanis are related to Gandapurs or Afghanpurs. They cite Gandapur, Mishwani, Wardak, and Ustrana as being brothers and the sons of Syed Muhammad Gaisu Daraaz. After the migration from Afghanistan, the Gandapurs settled in the Daman Vally of present District Dera Ismail Khan. The Ustrana tribe also resided over the mountains of Koh-e-Suleman, and the Wardaks are found in District Mardan.

The Mashwanis migrated to India and settled in different areas of the province now called the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Mashwanis can be mainly found in Sirikot, Village Kamalpur Musa (District Attock), Gudwalian, Kundi in District Haripur, and Tehsil Ghazi. Some are settled in Tor Dheri in District Swabi, a respectable number are settled in District Dir, some are settled in Mohmand Agency and some areas of Baluchistan Province. Syed Umer Khetab of the District Haripur Gallai has researched for the last 30 to 35 years on how the Mashwani tribe came to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

The Mashwanis played an active role against the Sikhs and the British alongside other Pashtun tribes of the region, including the Swatis, Tanoli, Tareens, Shalmani, and Jadoon. People like Salim Shah Mashwani, who was martyred by Sikhs, are heroes of the Pashtuns.

[edit] Sub-tribes

Some of the more famous khels and sub-sections of the Mashwani include: Baji Khel, Lodin, Matkani, Roghani, Kazyooni, Ghareeb, Yousafkhel, Moosakhel, Adamkhel, Sakhar, Hasankhel (Sindh)?, Azadkhel, Hussainkhel, Ganjiyan, Murjankhel, Bhatal, Amanikhel, Janikhel, Rahati, Senkhel, and Duarakhhel.

[edit] Demographics and languages

Some Mashwanis inhabit the mountainous areas, such as a remote and beautiful village called Sirikot in District Haripur and District Dir of the North-West Frontier Province. Some live in the suburbs of the mountainous valley Sirikot Gudwalian (Goodvalley). Others live in Tor Dheri in District Swabi and District Mardan, and others in Mohmand Agency. There are great numbers of Mashwanis in the cities of Peshawar and Quetta. Many of them proved to be good soldiers in the British army. After the birth of Pakistan, many still continued to join this profession. Many of the Mashwani who are living in Haripur are Pashto speaking. Another Mashwani-populated area is Gudwalian, 14 km from Haripur and 15 km from Hasan Abdal. Gudwalian is behind Sirikot and in the bottom of high hills towards Haripur. Other important areas of the Mashwani are Basu Mera, Kotkey (the residential area of Sami ullah Khan Mishwani), Bugnian and Baka, Gallai, Boketar, Botigram, Serai, Bilaha, Chontrai, Darra, Khairoach, Sher Awwal, Kundi and Umar-Khaana. There are still numbers of Mashwanis around Kabul and more than one hundred families in Gandghar.